Issy coach hopes for Paris effect

Just four days after losing in the semi-final of the French League against the EHF Cup finalists Metz, Issy-Paris are facing a new challenge. This time, they're facing an equally big task in the Cup Winners' Cup, Hypo NÖ.

Arnaud Gandais, Issy's head coach, was quick to describe his team as outsiders. "This is a team that takes part nearly every year in the EHF Champions League, they played the final of the competition in 2008, they're well ahead of us," he told his team's website.

Moreover, he will be missing Amelie Goudjo, his international lineplayer, who is out due to injury until the end of the season. But he still wants the first match, which takes place on Sunday in the Coubertin Arena, usually home of the PSG, to be as much a party as possible.

"On a competition point of view, the first match at home is not a great thing. But you know, we have invited a lot of people to support us, and playing the first game in Paris had a great effect for us against Rostov, let's hope we can win the home game with a good margin, and then we'll think about the return leg," he added.

The Austran girls from Hypo, strangely, are not showing much more confidence, even though they're strong favorites in a lot of person's eyes. "I am surprised that Issy qualified, especially winning the return match in Russia, so they will probably have nothing to lose," stated Bernadett Temes, the squad's centre back. The goalkeeper Barbara Arenhart showed much determination, telling her club's website that "this European Cup is our main goal this year, since we've been out of the EHF Champions League. We expect two very hard games, and we'll have to be concentrated during 120 minutes."

The first leg of the final will take place in Paris' Coubertin arena on Sunday, 5 May, while the return will take place in Vienna next Saturday, 11 May.