HC Metalurg count on youth to lead the way

This season may well be one of transition for HC Metalurg Skopje, with the club relying more on younger talent to achieve success.

Last season the team reached the quarter-finals of the VELUX EHF Champions League, but lost out on the domestic championship to local rivals Vardar.

This sparked an overhaul in the squad, a chance to rejuvenate the team and to give a chance to players coming through their system.

They have also signed five new players, including Russian Pavel Atman and Croat Nikola Kedzho.

Atman arrives from Chehovski Medvedi, a team he had just joined from Dinamo Minsk, but with the Russian champions facing financial problems and withdrawing from European competition, the back court player signed a two-year deal with the Macedonians.

Lino Cervar’s team has a completely different look to the one that could be considered among the top eight in Europe last season.

Younger, taller and inexperienced

With fewer internationals and several local players, the average age of the team has fallen from 31 to 25, while they will be about 2 cm taller, an average height of 192 cm.

Croatian back court Nikola Kedjo comes from Hungarian side Csurgo, Russian Sergei Zhitnik from Chehovski Medvedi’s second team, Macedonian national team line player Nikola Markoski from Vardar, left back Dejan Pecakovski from Zomimak M Strumica.

Seven players from Metalurg’s junior team will take the step up, Marko Neloski (17), Filip Taleski (17), Martin Manaskov (19), Bojan and Borjan Madjovski (19), Nikola Kosteski (21) and Zarko Peshevski (22).

Although less experienced, the new players will have time to learn and reach the level required with ample opportunity to play in the regional SEHA League and, if the qualify, the Group Phase of the VELUX EHF Champions League.

Seven players transferred away from the club at the end of last season, with winger Stevče Aluševski, and line player Levko Naumovski calling time on their professional careers.

On a positive note, Petre Angelov, Dejan Manaskov and Goce Georgievski are all set to return to action after recovering from injury.

A two-legged wild card play-off against Pick Szeged is all that stands in between HC Metalurg and Group C of the competition, where FC Barcelona Intersport, PSG Handball, Wacker Thun local rivals HC Vardar PRO Skopje await.