26.05.2008, 09:46
”I learned from this season”

Interview with Hypo coach, András Németh, after the defeat in the CL Final on Saturday.

”I learned from this season”

Coach of Hypo NÖ, András Németh, believes that his team ran out of energy by the end of the season. The squad needs to be reinforced to take the CL title.

Eurohandball.com: You commented on refereeing at the end of the game, but if we take a look at the suspension statistics, the Russians got more.

András Németh: I acknowledge to be partial, but this is my task too. It is possible that after watching the video at a later time I will change my stance. However, I’m sure that this is not the right direction in judging the step rules by the referees.

Eurohandball.com: The defeat was mainly due to an ineffective teamplay after the game. What’s happened then?

Németh: We did not have an outstanding individual performance to build on. We were not fresh and we did not have power until the end of the season.

On the other hand, the Russian team includes great players, all of them world class handballers who deserve all the titles they have won so far. I also learned something from this season, e.g. that we have to work even more in the future.

Eurohandball.com: You have known Hypo for many years. How strong do you feel this roster?

Németh: I don’t want to boast with it but we have improved a lot this year. I believe that we are a team playing spectacular handball.

I recently heard from someone that we are a team of eight world class players, but I would be happy to know three of them. We do not have real stars, we are able to work as a team. The Korean Oh is a world class, for example, even at the age of 36, but obviously her physical condition is not the same at the end of the season as it was at the beginning.

If we are expected to win the CL, we have to reinforce the squad. But of course I would have been happy with a CL Final at the beginning of the season.

Eurohandball.com: What comes next?

Németh: Most of the players will leave for the Olympic Games. We will meet with the rest of the squad in July and I will work with six or seven players for a week. Than we will prepare together with a Hungarian club Vác in Austria, and we will also have trainings for three weeks in Vác.

TEXT: handball.hu (Ildikó Balogh)