Iranian star proves his value for Veszprém

One of the most exciting discoveries of the  VELUX EHF Champions League 2012/2013 has been young Iranian star, Iman Jamali.

The talented player came to Hungarian side MKB Veszprém KC last summer and quickly fit in with the strong squad of world-renowned Hungarian and Spanish players. His top-scoring (six goals) performance in yet another victory over the team’s biggest domestic rival, PICK Szeged (36:30) last weekend in the Hungarian Cup final proved the 22-year-old left back has become a vital part of the team.

"I feel very good. This is my first trophy with MKB and in Europe. Veszprém has now won this title 20 times, but we don’t plan to stop. Our goal is to win both the domestic championship and the Champions League. I am sure we can do it," he said in the interview with ehfCL.com.

ehfCL.com: To qualify for the VELUX EHF FINAL4 in Cologne you have to beat the biggest European side – the defending champions THW Kiel. Are you ready for that?

Iman Jamali: I can’t tell you anything you don’t already know about the German side. There is no doubt about the top quality of Kiel. They have a really fantastic squad, experienced players and a winning mentality, but we can beat them if we play at the level we are capable of.

We are going to try. It will be extremely difficult, but at the same time a good experience to play these matches against them. We already played against Kiel this season, so we know each other very well.

ehfCL.com: You grabbed the chance to play in one of the top European teams and as the newcomer, have strong support from coach, Antonio Carlos Ortega. How do you feel about your first European season?

Iman Jamali: I am satisfied in Veszprém, of course. At the beginning it was very difficult to show everyone who I am, but I succeeded and in the future it will be much easier to play in Veszprém and Europe. Before Hungary, I have only played for Iranian Sepahan in my birth city of Esfahan. This is also a big club, but more for football.

ehfCL.com: How tough was it to adapt to life in Hungary?

Iman Jamali: People are so kind here. They love the club. I like the city and I am happy here. Veszprém is totally different from my city in Iran – Esfahan, with 4 million people. The biggest difference is the silence compared with traffic jams and all that stuff in the big cities. Veszprém is the perfect place for the sporting life. It’s not easy to live alone, because I have lived in Iran with my family my whole life, but I wanted this – this is the only way my dreams will come true. Hungarian language is difficult, but I want to learn it as soon as possible because it's a nice feeling when you can speak with people. I need a teacher, but I haven’t found one yet.

ehfCL.com: Handball fans and journalists compare you with former Veszprém player, Carlos Pérez. He also came to Veszprém at a very young age from a ‘non-handball’ country (Cuba) and became a club legend.

Iman Jamali: Carlos Pérez is one of the best examples in handball history. He is a real superstar and my dream is to be healthy and able to play like him when I am 42. Of course, I would still like to be Iman Jamali.

Further information
Follow the match THW Kiel vs MKB Veszprém KC live and free of charge on ehfTV on Sunday 21 April at 17:15 hrs local time