15.10.2008, 12:00
Granitas aiming for a third place

The Lithuanian coach Valdemaras Novickis talks about the objectives of the team.

Granitas aiming for a third place

Chambery, Celje and Hammarby… Not easy for the Lithuanian Granitas-Karys in Group A to fight every week against European top teams with greater CL experience. However, the teamfrom Vilnius showed already in the first round in Sweden that they are to be taken seriously and lost in a big fight against Hammarby.

The home defeat against Chambery will only remain in the Lithuanian history books because of an extraordinary individual performance by Aidenas Malasinskas who scored 15 goals. The young player is leading the CL top scorer list now with 20 goals from two games.

Valdemaras Novickis, the head coach of the Lithuanian squad knows that playing in the CL is a great challenge:

“It's an honour for any club to play in the Champions League. Here our young players will gain big experience. Of course, it's big challenge for us to play successfully against great clubs such as Chambery or Celje Pivovarna Lasko,” he said.

“The main goal for Granitas-Karys was to reach the Champions League this year. Now we are there and our next objective is to clinch the 3rd place of Group A," Novickis added.

Reaching third place will not be easy for sure. The next step towards this will be a home game against Celje on Thursday.

Top photo by A.Koroliovas

TEXT: Eurohandball.com