Cadenas eyes MOTW win to continue Brest’s Last 16 streak

In the three previous seasons, HC Meshkov Brest consistently qualified for the VELUX EHF Champions League Last 16. But this year, their progression to the first knock-out round is still in question ahead of the final round of group phase matches this weekend.

The Belarusian champions are seventh in Group A, two points ahead of IFK Kristianstad and level with Montpeller HB - though the reigning title holders have the better head-to-head results.

Brest take on Kristianstad in the Match of the Week on Saturday (at 17:30 CET, live on ehfTV.com), while at the same time Montpellier visit HC Vardar in a match between the 2017 and 2018 champions.

Calculations are straight-foward

So calculations are straight-forward: If Montpellier win, Brest are out. But if Montpellier drop points in Skopje, Brest can still overtake them and advance to the Last 16.

“It is always important to only depend on yourself but this is not the case now. We have to not just beat Kristianstad but also wait for Montpellier’s result,” Brest head coach Manolo Cadenas told ehfCL.com.

“Anyway, we will do our best to win the last group game. I don’t know what to say about our chances for the sixth place, but it will be hard for Montpellier to win at Vardar.”

“The strongest group in Champions League history”

In Cadenas’ debut season as Meshkov coach, his team enjoyed a good start in the continental top flight, beating Kristianstad away and Montpellier at home in the two opening matches. However, they grabbed just three points from their next 11 games, which put their Last 16 ticket in danger.

“I think this is the strongest group in history, with teams as Barça Lassa, Veszprém, Vardar, Rhein-Nechar Löwen, Kielce and current title-holders Montpellier,” Cadenas said. “In fact, all these six teams have a better squad than we do, and it’s easy to lose confidence if you are defeated in several straight matches.”

However, the Spaniard is more or less satisfied with his team’s performance.

“Now it’s too early to make an evaluation, as we will have a crucial game on Saturday. But so far, we have played in a normal and regular way,” he said. “But I want my team to fight until the end and always have a chance to win. But in some away matches, we lost this chance long before the final buzzer.”

The game in Montpellier three weeks ago was particularly frustrating, as Brest had beaten the French side 26:23 at home but now suffered a 29:23 loss.

“It was really disappointing. We missed a big opportunity, as the goal difference may play a crucial role,” the Spanish coach said.

Between Brest and Argentina

The 63-year-old Cadenas, who replaced Sergey Bebeshko at the helm of Brest last summer, has worked with a number of Spanish clubs including Valladolid, Ademar Leon and Barcelona, as well as Poland’s Wisla Plock and the Spanish national team in the past.

“I signed with Meshkov because I wanted to coach a strong team which plays in the Champions League. Now I have a chance to work with quality and disciplined players in good conditions,” Cadenas said.

The Spaniard does not speak Russian, yet the language barrier is not really a problem: “I communicate in English, even if I don’t speak it perfectly. Many players here speak it, and others learn it at special classes.”

Apart from Brest, Cadenas is also a coach of the Argentine national team. They finished 17th at the World Championship in Germany and Denmark in January.

For the Spaniard, having two jobs in two different continents is not a big problem. “If both of your teams do well, you can handle it. I like to devote all my time to handball,” said Cadenas, but added that the situation might change in the near future.

“I want to stay on as Argentina coach, but I need to discuss it with Brest president Alexander Meshkov,” he said.