MOTOR HOPE TO UPSET STRONG HUNGARIANS

Ukrainian champions HC Motor Zaporozhye face top Hungarian side MVM Veszprém in the VELUX EHF Champions League Last 16. The first leg of the two-legged tie will take place at the TEC Terminal in Zaporozhye on Saturday (19 March).

VELUX EHF Champions League Last 16, First Leg

HC Motor Zaporozhye (UKR) vs MVM Veszprém (HUN)
Saturday 19 March, 17.00 hrs local time, live on ehftv.com

For Motor, their VELUX EHF Champions League season began in group D of the group phase where they struggled initially, losing two away games in their first four matches, but after losing to Kadetten Schaffhausen in October in Switzerland, they won five and drew one of their final six matches to end in top place on 15 points.

The next obstacle for the Ukrainian side was the group phase knockout, where the team led by Nikolay Stepanets faced Spain’s Naturhouse La Rioja.

With both teams preferring a more attacking style it was no wonder that the spectators saw many goals – 137 over two games with a win, first away in Spain (31:30) and then at home for Motor (39:37) as they took the tie overall, 70:67.

Veszprém fought it out in group A of the group phase and won 11 of their 14 games, losing just twice against Paris Saint-Germain and THW Kiel to finish in second place ahead of SG Flensburg-Handewitt and Kiel but behind group winners Paris.

Last time the paths of Motor and Veszprém crossed was in the group phase of the 2013/14 season when the Hungarian team easily won at home (44:27), but lost in Ukraine (21:25).

However, Motor’s head coach Nikolay Stepanets is sure that many things have changed since that time.

"Now Veszprém are not exactly like they used to be,” he said to handball.motorsich.com. “Many players and coaches have changed. However, the Hungarian side still set the highest goals.

“Last season, they played in the Champions League final and fought hard against Barcelona. I am sure that this year Veszprém will again do their best to win the major trophy. Yet we will try hard to continue winning, despite the opponent’s strength.”

Meanwhile, Stepanets’ colleague from Veszprém, Xavier Sabate - appointed the interim head coach of the team following the sacking of Antonio Carlos Ortega after the first game of the VELUX EHF Champions League season and now their head coach – has also become the interim head coach of the Hungarian national team after signing a contract until June and will find himself at the helm of two teams in the coming months.

According to Sabate, both jobs will equally important for him.

"It is an honour for me to lead the national team in the World Championship play-off against Serbia,” said the Spanish coach. “I am grateful to Veszprém for allowing me to take this challenge.”

Veszprém also signed line player Andreas Nilsson to a new contract until 2019, and the 25-year-old Swede is delighted to stay in Hungary.

"It was a very easy decision,” Nilsson told mkb-mvmVeszprém.hu. “I like the club and everything around it: the fans, the city, the country.

“Last season, I won the Hungarian league, Hungarian Cup and SEHA Liga, but we lost to Barcelona in the Champions League final, and those memories are not so nice.

“Hopefully this year it will be different.”