22.08.2007, 11:19
Valter Matosevic joins Portland

Two-time Olympic champion Croatian goalkeeper joins Portland.

Valter Matosevic joins Portland

Alter some months of doubts, Portland presents their new goalkeeper who will be the substitute of Kasper Hvidt. This player is Valter Matosevic, Croatian international player. Matosevic will play for the first time in Asobal League after some years in Croatia and in the Bundesliga. In fact, the Croatian played for the German Wetzlar last season.

Two Olympic gold medals

Valter Matosevic is 37 years old. He is a very experienced international goalkeeper on club and national team level. Matosevic won two gold medals at the Olympic Games with Croatia. In Atlanta 1996 he played together with a mythical generation including Goluza, Jovic, Sarasevic and the others... They were a great group of players who gave one the first important victories for the country.

Eight years later Matosevic won again in Athens 2004 but already with another success generation: Balic, Dzomba, Vori and Metlicic were the new stars who made Croatia a point of reference in the World of handball. Matosevic kept on playing at a high level for more than ten years with the Croatian national team.

Svensson and Matosevic: two experienced goalkeepers

Portland has a really experienced goalkeeper couple. Svensson is 39, Matosevic 37. They fought many important matches and they were protagonists in many great “battles” with Sweden and Croatia. They were in the final of Atlanta 96. Valter won gold with Croatia while Tomas won silver. Portland can even open a “school for goalkeepers” with these two players together with Alexandru Buligan, assistant coach of Javier Cabanas.

Matosevic will have a hard task. The former keeper, Kasper Hvidt, was very popular in Portland that he left in June. The Croatian will come to Pamplona for one year, because Portland has also announced that Danjel Saric will join Portland for the season 2008-09.

Matosevic comments

“It is a great chance for me. I’m in the last phase of my career and I can play for such a big club as Portland. I had no doubts and said yes to the offer of San Antonio. I hope to win a title and help to the team to win all the matches possible.”

Matosevic played in Croatia, Germany and Italy before. Language won’t be a problem for him. “Spanish is not a problem, I must save balls, not speak. It might be a bigger problem for a playmaker or a winger, not for a goalkeeper.”

Balic, Dominikovic, Nikolic or Vugrinec can also help him to get along with the rest of the team.

“It was very important for me. They will help in everything, in the language too. In fact, I know a lot of the new mates. First of all, Tomas Svensson. We met so many times before. We played against each other in the national team and at club tournaments as wekk. He is a great goalkeeper. I’m sure that we will help each other to perform well.”

Matosevic has signed for one season and he does not want to speak about the future. “I have just come and it is very soon to speak about the future. I hope to have good games and afterwards we will see…”

* Please note that at the time of publishing the article, the EHF Transfer Department could not confirm the transfer news of the player as the transfer process is still open. The article comes from our journalist specialized in local handball news.

TEXT: Fernando Urra Goñi