Montenegro do not rest on their laurels

With the Women’s EHF EURO 2014 less than two months away, all the participating teams are deep in their preparations for the final tournament.

ehf-euro.com was allowed an insight into the groundwork of the defending champions, Montenegro’s women’s national team, who will face a tough road ahead of their title defence.

All eyes will be set on their Group D encounters with Serbia, Slovakia and France, and Montenegro will not rest on their laurels, as the team’s head coach assures.

"It’s been almost two years since the last EURO. Things have changed, and we’ve never stopped looking for ways to improve in order to stay competitive," said Dragan Adzic, the coaching mastermind behind Montenegro’s rise to the top of handball.

All signs suggest that Adzic relies on tried and tested players, with his current squad, which will face Slovenia in two tests today and on Saturday, filled with familiar faces such as Milena Knezevic, Katarina Bulatovic and Jovanka Radicevic and a vast majority of players who also play under Adzic’s guidance at Buducnost.

"It a long-term project. Our team is among the youngest, but it’s also a very experienced one. We already have two European Championships behind us. We’re absolutely ready for the challenge mentally," says Adzic.

Time for youngsters to step up

The revolution Montenegro brought to the European handball, being, at the EHF EURO 2012 the first team to dethrone Norway in ten years, is rooted in tenacious defence.

Montenegro showed that keeping things tight yields success, but Adzic sees no point in being idle, as he speaks openly about advancements he is looking to implement for the EHF EURO 2014 - the inclusion of young, talented players being one of them.

"We have an excellent youth setup. I am always happy to give them a chance, and see young players thrive in the national team.

"We have a number of youngsters in the squad, able to reach top of their game at this EURO,” he says.

Adzic regards the two friendly matches against Slovenia as a perfect test ahead of the EHF EURO 2014 in December.

And despite the difficult draw, the defending champions think of nothing else rather than their own levels of preparation at this point.

"Right now, we focus on playing the best handball we possibly can and becoming more versatile tactically. The most important thing is that everyone stays healthy and well prepared,” says Adzic, but he also does not hide the fact that his players are already well acquainted with their opponents.

"We are fully aware there are no easy games at the European Championship. We are drawn into a tough group, but with rivals we know very well. We will be well prepared."