Countdown part 11: Chekhovskie Medvedi

In the 2009/10 VELUX EHF Champions League season, Chekhovskie Medvedi made it to the VELUX EHF FINAL4, two seasons later the Russian champions were eliminated in the Group Phase. Now the team of coach Vladimir Maximov is hoping for a return to Cologne and to hold onto their role as the dominant team in the Russian league.

His highly experienced and well-rehearsed squad has not changed that much in the past few years except for long-term captain Vitaly Iwanov ending his career and going into coaching. The Russian champions since 2002 are hoping for some reinforcement between the posts, with Slovakian international Richard Štochl who has arrived from Montpellier.

The “bears” have qualified for the 13th consecutive time for the VELUX EHF Champions League – none of the other 24 participants have managed to top this impressive record. And 13 could be their lucky number this year, hopes new team captain Vassily Filippov: “I remember our first participation in the FINAL4 in Cologne very well. It would be great to repeat that success three years later.”

And for the 13th time Maximov is on the bench of Medvedi – only Montpellier’s Patrice Canayer has a longer era in the VELUX EHF Champions League. Chekhovskie have been all over Europe (Germany, France, Bosnia and Herzegovina) in their preparation for the new season, participating in a big number of top-class tournaments – to see how they cope with potential rivals who they could meet on their way to Cologne.

Three questions to coach Vladimir Maximov:
ehfCL.com: What are your expectations for the upcoming season of the VELUX EHF Champions League?
Vladimir Maximov: We know our opponents in the Group Phase. Hamburg are one of the best teams in the German Bundesliga and Montpellier are the strongest French club with several Olympic champions. We faced them in previous years and we still remember when the quarter-final victory in April 2010 in Montpellier paved the way for us to the VELUX EHF FINAL4 in Cologne. And we want repeat the success of 2004. Flensburg-Handewitt with strong Danish players are also a dangerous rival. Manolo Cadenas at Ademar will bring a discipline in the rejuvenated team.
 
ehfCL.com: What does the participation in the VELUX EHF Champions League mean to you and your club?
Vladimir Maximov: Unfortunately, the level of the Russian Men’s Superleague has become quite weak, only the Champions League can truly test the real strength of our team.

ehfCL.com: What teams are your personal favourites to reach the VELUX EHF FINAL4 and why?
Vladimir Maximov: I think that in the VELUX EHF Champions League there is only one clear favourite – THW Kiel. It is difficult to predict the other three teams which will play in Cologne in May of 2013.

Chekhovskie Medvedi (RUS)
Qualification for the 2012/2013 VELUX EHF Champions League season: Russian Champion
Coach: Vladimir Maximov, since 2001
Newcomers: Richard Štochl (Montpellier) and some young players from farm-team RGUFK
Left the club: Oleg Skopintsev (Dinamo Minsk), Andrey Starikh (SKIF Krasnodar), Vitaly Ivanov (new coach of RGUFK, Medvedi’s farm team, replacing Alexandre Donner, now coach of SAD Madeira/POR)

VELUX EHF Champions League records:
Participations (including 2012/2013 season): 13
Semi Final (1): 2009/2010
Quarterfinal (2): 2008/2009, 2010/2011
Last 16 (2): 2004/2005, 2006/2007
Main Round (1): 2007/2008
Group Phase (6): 2000/2001, 2001/2002, 2002/2003, 2003/2004, 2005/2006, 2011/2012

Other EC records:
Cup Winners Cup:
Winner: 2005/2006

Russian champion: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
Russian Cup winner: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012

Further information

Find more information on Medvedi HERE.
Join the growing community of handball fans on Facebook!
www.facebook.com/ehf.champions.league