11.05.2009, 10:55
"This is not ballet"

The coach and key players of the winning Győr side comment on the first game of the CL Final.

"This is not ballet"

Eurohandball.com asked Csaba Konkoly, Zsuzsa Tomori and Orsolya Vérten after the first successful game of Győri AUDI in Viborg.

Csaba Konkoly: We won a battle today that gives us the opportunity to decide the Champions League title in two games. This was our plan, anyway. We could also dismiss the claim that we would not be able to play at the high rhythm of Viborg 60 minutes long. Our attacking game was well organised and we had a solid defence. This stopped Viborg from scoring easy goals. Our defence and Pálinger were great together

We were prepared to replace Görbicz with a joint effort from more players at the same time. This determination could have been shaken when Anikó Kovacsics got the red card, but we had a solution for this: Hornyák and Tomori came in the middle and Anita Herr had to take over in the right back position and also in defence. It means that the unity of the team helped us and when our plans failed the players improvised and that was successful.

Great atmosphere

Zsuzsa Tomori: We had the feeling right from the beginning that we could have a chance. We stopped the fast breaks of Viborg and Pálinger was effective against their backcourt players. Though I was hit several times, I can only say that this was one of the games played in the best atmosphere in my career. I did not even feel those hits. It was also a special experience for me to shoot the 7-m shots; I never did it before, let alone in a CL Final…

We can be happy for the result, but we must forget about it quickly. We will train in the Aréna Veszprém four times. Though it is not our home court, but we Aalborg was not that either…

Preparing for "something big"

Orsolya Vérten: We were prepared for the tactics of Viborg, which could be seen during the game. Our defence worked really well with Kati Pálinger in fantastic form. Viborg received many suspensions for hitting, but this is part of the game: this is not ballet or basketball.

We train hard and run a lot, so it was part of our plan that we must hold out until the end. We were less stressed before the game and as the Danes were at home and needed to prove. We always had a player to score when it was getting critical. I had a feeling during the whole season that we were preparing for something big. I hope it will come true on Saturday.

TEXT: Ildikó Balogh (handball.hu)