18.08.2009, 10:31
Igor Vori: HSV titles with a lucky number

The new Croatian line player of HSV is a guarantee for success.

Igor Vori: HSV titles with a lucky number

Shiny blue on the back of the HSV jersey: number 9. This shirt number belongs to Igor Vori. The Croatian feels attached to it. “It brings me luck,” he says. “I always wore this number in the successful national team. It should help me in Hamburg too.”

The new signing of the runner-up of the German league reached a lot of success already. He was World champion in 2003 and won the Olympic gold a year later. He also won league and cup titles in Croatia, Spain and in Italy.

Recently, Igor Vori was selected in the all-star team of the World Championship in January and he was also nominated MVP of the entire tournament.

Without a doubt: the line player is a giant of international handball and not only because of his physical attributes. The many successes he had in the past guarantee more for any team. No wonder that he is often praised as “world class” at his new club.

“Signing Igor Vori is an important brick in the construction of our team,” says sports director Christian Fitzek. “This will offer a number of options for us in attack as well as in defence.”

His wife Olja and his son Petar have also arrived to the Hanseatic city. The other Croatian of the team helped him the most. Blazenko Lackovic already played a season for HSV, half a decade in the Bundesliga.

“We are good friends, we know each other from the national team and we also played together in Zagreb,” the two Croatians both agree. They stick together. During the trainings the Balkan-duo are always practicing together. Not least for communication purposes. Igor Vori does not speak German or English yet, so he needs a translator.

The 2.03 metre tall defence specialist can communicate in Spanish and Italian. These two languages he learnt where he used to play. After taking all the stairs in his home town club, RK Zagreb, he took his first steps abroad in Alpi Prato and Pallamano Conversano in Italy.

From 2005 to 2007 he played for FC Barcelona. Now Igor Vori will play in the Bundesliga, the strongest league in the World. “I would like to fit in quickly and learn German. And I hope that will will win a lot of titles then,” the Croatian says. His number 9 should lead him all the way.

TEXT: Jan Kirschner