Tiago Rocha: the Dragon in Poland

The big move has come for Tiago Rocha with his transfer to Orlen Wisla Plock for the 2014/15 season.

From Portugal to Poland, the change has been huge for him for various reasons, and some of them were pointed out to ehfCL.com by the Portuguese himself, who admitted to feeling shivers at the team presentation after seeing “two or three thousand people cheering in the arena, it’s a totally different world.”

First, let us look back to last year, when FC Porto made its first appearance in the VELUX EHF Champions League Group Phase. Making a huge impact, Tiago was nominated for the “Best 7” in the fourth round, right after top scoring in the win over Dunkerque.

Wisla was also in the Blues’ group, yet ironically, he didn’t play in either of the matches against them, a coincidence?

“Absolutely, I was injured and couldn’t play. At the time I didn’t even know about the coach’s interest in me, there was no proximity,” explained Rocha. So how did it happen?

“It all went smoothly. The coach (Manolo Cadenas) knows a lot of people from FC Porto, and he also spoke directly with me. He told me that he wanted me to be a part of his Wisla Plock squad and of course I could not refuse the proposal.”

New surroundings

One of the biggest changes for the 28-year-old was obviously the language.

“In the first week the scenario was pretty funny. The coach is Spanish, so I spoke Spanish with him.

“Most of my colleagues are teaching me polish words, here I communicate in English, and for someone used to speaking Portuguese every day for 28 years, it is a shock, but it’s nothing I cannot handle of course,” said the line player, leaving us all safe in the knowledge that he will leave Poland a polyglot.

“I love my new teammates; everyone has been kind enough to let me into their culture. At the moment there is nothing I can criticise,” he said, also admitting to being very connected to his family and friends, who he feels “saudade” for, the exclusively Portuguese word which expresses missing something or someone.

With the season about to begin, coach Cadenas already had time to put his team through physical preparation, so there was plenty of time for the Polish team to get to know its new members.

Tiago Rocha is fully aware of the competitiveness of his new squad and league.

“Everyone helps each other to be better, to work harder to achieve success. The rivalry with Kielce is incredible, so we have to win.

“We have a very competitive group, and I know I will have to work hard as Kamil (Syprzak) is one of the best line players in Europe and plays regularly in the Polish national team. He was even born here in Plock and played here for most of his career, so he is logically a beloved player from the fans. But that only means I will have to work more and keep giving my best like I always have.”

There are not many Portuguese playing abroad and that is something the new Plock player thinks needs to change.

“I think we need to keep evolving and to do that we need to experience the best handball.”

“This was one my main goals with this move, to evolve, raise my level even more and to know what level I am at the moment. New goals and challenges to achieve, there is nothing more motivating.”

Fond farewell

Tiago’s trophy collection is enviable for most players, with seven championship titles, three super cups and two Portuguese cups. All with FC Porto, including making history last season, by winning a sixth consecutive national championship.

Porto was his home for most of his life, for 14 years the line player wore the blue stripes of the Dragon, which he has now switched for the horizontal stripes of Wisla Plock.

“Every year has good and bad moments, but last year was definitely the best, as we made the “hexa” (six times champions in a row) and also participated in the Champions League. We made history twice and that was fantastic.”

However, it was not all a bed of roses, “it was complicated when it came to the quantity of games we had, yet in the end that’s what we enjoy, competing. I think we had a good campaign, because it’s very hard for a first timer to get to the Champions League and start winning matches right away like we did, and we were close to reaching the next round.”

Rocha was one of the most influent players of the past ten years for the Dragons, he grew up to be a team leader and knowing the team like he does, he is sure that they will have success.

“I know they will keep winning, that they have a lot of quality and that Daymaro (Salina) and Alexis (Hernandez) will fill my shoes. They showed a lot of quality and progression in the past seasons so I know my position will be well filled.”

He could not end our conversation without leaving a message to his long-time friends and colleagues in FC Porto: “I wish you the best of successes. You know you are all in my heart, from my dear colleagues to our supporters. To our directors, coaches and athletes, the best of luck. Make the Champions League and keep putting our country in the Europe of Handball. Most importantly keep being what you are, and keep making history, get the seventh,” he concluded with a big smile on his face. 

Photo credit: Orlen Wisla Plock