12.09.2010, 09:00
"The Students" have a plan

VELUX EHF Men’s Champions League countdown, part 15: HC Bosna Sarajevo

"The Students" have a plan

At the same time of last year Bosna Coach Irfan Smajlagic started the project with the objective to within the next three years reduce Bosna’s gap to other European top clubs.

In domestic competitions everything went right last season, as Sarajevo took the third "double crown" by winning both the Bosnian championship and the cup for the third consecutive time since 2008.

It was Bosna’s sixth Bosnian national title and their fifth Bosnian cup victory since 2003.

But in last year’s EHF Champions League, the Group Phase turned out to be Bosna Sarajevo’s final destination again, despite victories against top teams like Kielce and Chambery.

So the semi-finals of the Cup Winner’s Cup in 2007 still remain the greatest international success for the team nicknamed "The Students".

Smajlagic was wrong when planning the next three years with a more or less identical team, because big changes in the squad happened in Sarajevo again. Seven players including strong goalkeeper Nebojsa Grahovac (Chambery) left the club and seven new players joined.

Thus Smajlagic is forced to solve a big problem again. "The first year of our three-year cycle of creating a European top team was quite good. The primary goal was to create a good base for the next season. But now we have to live with several changes again," Smajlagic said.

Luckily his club was able to sign players with EHF Champions League experience: Kiril Morozov came from Chekhovskie Medvedi and the highly experienced Serbian international right wing Zikica Milosavljevic arrived from the Spanish top club Valladolid.

"I chose Bosna for several reasons. Recently I returned to the Serbian national team I want to keep a representative form. And performances in the EHF Champions League are certainly something that will contribute to that. I look forward to a strong season and I hope to give Bosna some successful moments," Milosavljevic stated.

And even Grahovac, who after three years left Bosna, still hopes that his former club will improve: "The team is about to have to deal with much stronger European opponents, and in addition, has helped many players to get better. I really hope that Bosna can take another step forward in Europe in the next season."

The preparation for the upcoming EHF Champions League season has been like a roller coaster ride when looking at the results against other EHF Champions League opponents.

First Bosna lost against Schaffhausen very unluckily. Then the hurdles at the Doboj tournament were too high, as the Bosnians didn’t have a chance against teams like Chekhovskie Medvedi or Montpellier HB. In the end, Bosna ended up ranked fifth.

But the objectives are still the same as in the last season: Another "double crown" in Bosnia and the next step in EHF Champions League – which means participation in the knock-out stage.

In their Group D Ciudad Real, Flensburg and Zagreb might still be out of reach. So the Bosnians will have to fight for the fourth place – which brings the qualification for the round of the Last 16 – with Constanta and St. Petersburg.

The team of the former Olympic gold medallist Smajlagic is built with players mostly from four Ex-Yugoslav nations. Besides Milosavljevic, captain Petar Kapisoda from Montenegro is going to be a key player in this season.

Key facts

Newcomers: Igor Karačić, Daniel Mesarić, Joseph Pazin (from Čakovec), Kirill Morozov (from Chekhovskie Medvedi), Amir Cakic (from Bosnia Prevent) and Kosta Savic (from Krsko)

Left the club: Damir Doborac (to Magdeburg), Nebojsa Grahovac (to Chambery), Vedran Banić (to Bregenz), Alen Ovčina (to Gračanica), Vladislav Veselinov, Dusan Bozoljac (both to Željezničar), Tarik Melić (to Borac)

Coach: Irfan Smajlagic (CRO, since 2009)

Club records

Bosnian Champion 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
Bosnian Cup Winner: 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010
Cup Winner’s Cup semi-finalist 2007

Find more information here.

TEXT: Björn Pazen