22.09.2012, 05:22
Countdown part 20: RK Partizan Beograd

Serbian champions hope for their first points in the Group Phase of the VELUX EHF Champions League

Countdown part 20: RK Partizan Beograd

Just eight months after the success of the Men’s EHF EURO and only three months before the start of the Women’s EHF EURO, Partizan Beograd continued the Serbian success by qualifying for the Group Phase of the VELUX EHF Champions League for the second straight time.

In a qualification stage which included virtually all Balkan teams, they first beat Vitalis Porto (POR) before outclassing their Bosnian neighbours Sloga Doboj in the final of the tournament, which was hosted by Partizan.

Aleksandar Brković, the youngest coach of all 24 teams in the Group Phase, has again rejuvenated his team following the departure of some experienced players. By signing even more new talent, Belgrade is hoping for a better result than last season when they finished the Group Phase without any points – after competing with top class opponents like Kiel, Montpellier or København.

After their triple triumph on home ground – champions, cup winners and super cup winners – Partizan are aiming to be more competitive, to give it their best shot and try to win at least one match, knowing they have a slightly better team and slightly easier group.

Manager Aleksandar Blagojević is pleased to have the chance to compete at the top level again, and said: "We are very happy to be a part of the biggest handball spectacle in Europe. The fact that this is the second year in a row our team has reached the Group Phase confirms our quality and that our concept is working. Even though we did not win a match in last season's Champions League, I am very pleased with the way we played and with the fact that in organisational terms we could compare to the biggest clubs in Europe."

And Partizan captain Nenad Maksić is looking forward the challenges that face his young team: "I consider our qualification for the VELUX EHF Champions League 2012/13 as a great success, especially because it is the second time in a row, which is a great opportunity for our young players to gain some experience and to learn. Our goal for this year’s competition is to win some points. As far as our opponents in the group, we had a chance to play against Montpellier and Ademar Leon last year. There is no need to comment SG Flensburg-Handewitt and HSV Hamburg - they are like handball NBA."

Three questions to coach Aleksandar Brković:
ehfCL.com: What are your expectations for this season in the VELUX EHF Champions League?
Aleksandar Brković: This year we have bigger expectations than we had last season. Our goal is to win some points, although we have a very tough group again with two German opponents. If we consider all this it will be extremely difficult, but we are older and have another year of experience under our belts, and we hope that this can help in achieving the objectives.

ehfCL.com: What does the participation in the VELUX EHF Champions League mean to you and your club?
Aleksandar Brković: Our qualification for the VELUX EHF Champions League again definitely means a lot for the entire club and all of Serbia, and it proves that the players, coaching staff and club management are progressing from year to year. The minimum of ten top Champions League matches will give us a new quality and a new experience. At the moment we are competitive only in national competitions, but hopefully soon - maybe even this season - we will be competitive in the Champions League too.

ehfCL.com: What teams are your personal favourites to reach the VELUX EHF FINAL4 and for winning the title this season – and why?
Aleksandar Brković: Certainly the biggest favourite for me is THW Kiel, who I think have a better team than last season. Along with them, there is certainly FC Barcelona Intersport who are stronger now, mostly because of their new goalkeeper Arpad Sterbik, so I expect them to meet again at the VELUX EHF FINAL4 in Cologne. Besides them, I see BM Atletico Madrid and SG Flensburg-Handewitt as competitive teams, but we must not forget Montpellier Agglomeration HB, MKB Veszprem KC and the Russian national team in the team of Chekhovskie Medvedi. Whoever we see in Cologne, I am sure that we will have a very exciting season with a number of top matches ahead of us.

RK Partizan Beograd (SRB)
Qualification for the 2012/2013 VELUX EHF Champions League season: Winner of the Qualification Tournament 1, Serbian Champion
Coach: Aleksandar Brković from 2010.
Newcomers: Petar Žujović (Esperance sportive de Tunis/TUN), Ognjen Kajganić (Esnvrilisija/GRE), Uroš Mitrović (Creteil/France), Marko Pavlović (PKB Beograd), Milos Ivošević (Obilić Beograd)
Left the club: Ivan Dimitrijević (Gummersbach/GER), Strahinja Milić (Vardar MKD), Stefan Babić (no club), Miloš Milinić (end of career), Stefan Kladarin (no club)

VELUX EHF Champions League records:
Participations (including 2012/2013 season): 7
Last 16 (1): 1995/96
Group Phase (3): 1999/00, 2003/04, 2011/12
Qualification (2): 2002/03, 2009/10

Other EC records:

Cup Winners Cup:
Semi-finals 1998/99, 2001/02

Challenge Cup:
Semi-finals: 2010/11

Serbian champion: 1993, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2011, 2012
Serbian Cup winner: 1959, 1966, 1971, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2001, 2007, 2008, 2012
Serbian Super cup winner: 2009, 2011, 2012

Further information

Find more information about RK Partizan Beograd HERE
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TEXT: Björn Pazen