18.02.2009, 09:12
Buducnost talent looks forward

Milena Knezevic is not discouraged by the defeat in Győr and aims to take a semi-final spot.

Buducnost talent looks forward

After an impressive series of five matches without a defeat (four wins and a draw), Buducnost T-Mobile was stopped by Győr (27:31), current number one of Group 2.

Although the Hungarian champion were considered big favorites of the game at home, Buducnost played a very good match and even had a chance to reach a good result.

Moreover, Buducnost were equal without their captain Marija Jovanovic, who probably will miss the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury.

Eurohandball.com talks to Milena Knezevic, one of the best young players in Europe, who scored three goals against Győr.

Eurohandball.com: You started well with a 5:1 lead and it was even 27:27 at a point. What’s happened in the final minutes?

Milena Knezevic: As you know, Marija Jovanovic is out with a shoulder injury. We certainly miss her a lot. Ana Radovic was also injured but played and it made her injury worse. At the moment we don’t have many choices in attack, so our concentration in the last four minutes was not sufficient.

We simply didn’t manage to keep the same speed for the entire 60 minutes, because we used a lot of energy in defence and attack, and it was not possible to avoid a defeat.

With our captain Marija Jovanovic and Ana Radovic, everything would have been easier.

Eurohandball.com: In 2006, Buducnost won the Cup Winners’ Cup title in Győr. This time the venue was less lucky…

Milena Knezevic: The final result in Győr was not realistic, because the game was balanced almost all the 60 minutes. But the last four minutes ruined everything. Only if we had scored a goal at 27:27, I am sure everything could have been different. The experienced team Győr took advantage of our mistakes.

Eurohandball.com: Nevertheless, you proved that you belong to the best teams of Europe.

Milena Knezevic: Győr are an excelent team that will certainly reach the semi-final. Against such team we proved once again that we have quality even missing Jovanovic. There are four matches to play and I think we have a chance to reach the semi-final. It will be difficult to beat us at home and I hope we will play well in the next games and manage to be among the best four teams of Europe.

Eurohandball.com: You will visit Krim Mercator on Sunday. You won there in the Regional League. Can Buducnost repeat that result from September?

Milena Knezevic: It will be a very important game for us. We know our opponent very well because we met them twice in the Regional League.

Though Krim are a very good team, I think at this moment we are a better side. I believe that we can take a victory, which would be very important for a semi-final place for us.

TEXT: Saša Jončić