“It was quite early - too early for me” VS Vive Targi Kielce line player Rastko Stojkovic said upon his arrival in Cologne today (30 May) for the 2013 VELUX EHF FINAL4.  “I would have liked to sleep longer on Thursday but the alarm clock was already ringing at 5am.”

 

His team travelled by bus from Kielce to Kraków airport – where heavy rain and cold temperatures awaited them. “It was much worse there than in Kielce,” said coach Bogdan Wenta. “I don’t like to fly in such conditions,” he said of his journey from Kraków to Dusseldorf, where the official VELUX EHF FINAL4 bus was waiting to take them to Cologne.

 

At 12:30pm (local time) the VELUX EHF FINAL4 debutants arrived at the team hotel in Cologne, where Polish TV and media awaited players and staff.

 

“All my players are fit and no one wants to miss an event like this,” Wenta said before checking-in to the team hotel. “For me it is totally different compared to 2012. Last year I was something like a tourist, when I was invited for the Charity Golf Tournament and watched the matches from the stands, this year we have to work here.

 

“It will be a completely different situation for our players with all the side events in Cologne, but I hope they can cope with it.”

After his team became Polish champions last weekend and qualified again for the next VELUX EHF Champions League season, Wenta allowed his players “some” celebrations.

 

“Of course there was a party, but everybody knows that this was the prelude for our big weekend in Cologne,” he added.

Check out the full gallery of Kielce's arrival on Facebook.