03.09.2010, 09:17
Ready for a Great Show

VELUX EHF Men's Champions League countdown, part 6: RK Pivovarna Laško Celje (SLO)

Ready for a Great Show

It was in 2004, when RK Pivovarna Laško Celje climbed the peak: By beating Flensburg in the finals the Slovenians won the EHF Champions League title. In the upcoming years Celje first reached the EHF Champions League semi-finals, then the EHF Champions League Quarterfinal.

Last season they missed the top European competition for the second consecutive time after failing in the EHF Champions League wild card tournament. So it was time for a change, back to success. By winning the Slovenian championship again they jumped the first hurdle.

The most important change occurred in February 2010, when the club signed Noka Serdarušić as the new coach. He has been in double function since then, also coaching the Slovenian national team.

The name Serdarušić is a synonym for success, as he once built THW Kiel to the top team they are now with an incredible 25 titles in 15 years, including winning the EHF Champions League in 2007.

One important step was to make some Slovenian top players return to their home country in 2009, like Ales Pajovic or Uros Zorman, former EHF Champions League winners with Ciudad Real.

These players are the foundation of the squad RK Celje can build upon for the upcoming season – with a wide range of international newcomers: The most important one is Petar Metlicic, three times EHF Champions League winner with Ciudad Real, Olympics and World Champion with Croatia. The left hander, who also is a defence specialist, will bring a lot of experience to this team.

As goalkeepers Beno Lapajne and Richard Stochl left the club, the way was free to sign another top star: Croatian international Mirko Allilovic, joining from Ademar Leon. He will have some extra pressure at the start of the season, as number two goalkeeper Aljoša Rezar broke his foot in the very first training session and will be injured until November.

Next top player is Spanish pivot Carlos Prieto who transfers from Rhein-Neckar Löwen after having played in Valladolid for a long time. Slovenian international Luka Zvizej returned to his home country from Szeged and Serbian international Momir Rnic joined Celje from their biggest domestic opponent Gorenje Velenje.

So Noka Serdarušić – who’ll have a very special match when returning to the Sparkassenarena in Kiel – can count on a team with highest international experience. And Celje will need this, as they’ll have to play in the strongest of all EHF Champions League groups, together with teams like Kiel, Barcelona or Kielce.

For the coach this constellation is an additional motivation: "It seems that we attract the best possible opponents. We have to be thankful that we can play against teams like Barcelona and Kiel. Even if I point out only those two, the other three teams are also excellent. I think that we should be happy to play in a group like this. I do not want to talk about possibilities at this early stage. What I can say is that we will have to show our best possible performance against every team - then we’ll see the result. We have to have high goals, because only then we will fight to reach them. It will be hard, but if my players will prepare for the matches well, than we have chances."

Roman Pungartnik, team manager, shares his head coach’s opinion: "We could not have wished to have a greater spectacle at our return to the EHF Champions League. All teams in our group are excellent, the best teams in Europe - I think that this is the hardest group in this EHF Champions League season. We expect very tough matches, but at the same time we expect a great show. We know that it will be very hard for every team to play in our arena full of our fans. It will be hard for us and I am sure that we will witness handball and sport delicacy in every match - and this is why handball is such exciting and special sport."

So the international aim of Celje is to "survive" the first stage of the competition and then to see what’s happening then. On domestic level the objective is clear: becoming national champion and cup winner. This double is what Celje had reached in the last season – for the first time since 2006.

While coach and manager changed in the beginning of the year, with Tone Turnšek the president remained the same. But also other things at the club changed – their branding logo was modernized but still has the Capricorn as the symbol of the club.

Key facts

Newcomers: Mirko Alilovič (from Ademar Leon), Carlos Prieto Martos (from Rhein Neckar Löwen), Momir Rnič (from RK Gorenje), Luka Žvižej (from Pick Szeged), Petar Metličič (from BM Ciudad Real), Nejc Poklar (from RK Cimos Koper), Žiga Mlakar (from RK Celje Pivovarna Laško young team)

Left the club: Nikola Kojič (to Logrones), Marko Koljanin (to Creteil), Richard Stochl (to Montpellier), Predrag Dačevič (to Melsungen), Lapajne Beno, Gorenšek Miha

Coach: Zvonimir „Noka“ Serdarušić (GER/CRO, since February 2010)

Club records

Champions League winner 2004, Champions Trophy winner 2003 and 2007, 16 times Slovenian champion since 1992, 13 times Slovenian cup winner since 1992.

Find more info here.

TEXT: Björn Pazen