Adzic: Budapest is our next dream
Buducnost is in the EHF Champions League Main round for fourth consecutive year. This season Montenegrin champions want to make a step further than a year before and they vow to reach at least the semi-final.
However, after the main round draw, which put together four current or former winners of the EHF Champions League, their ambitions are bound to find a tough resistance of other three favourites.
In the interview to ehfCL.com Buducnost’s coach Dragan Adzic analyses upcoming stage and chances of his team to reach the Women’s EHF FINAL4 in Budapest.
ehfCL.com: The “Group of death” awaits you in the main round. What was your first thought when you saw the draw?
Dragan Adzic: Sincerely, I really didn’t think about potential rival before the draw. We have learned to deal with all by ourselves, and we'll do everything to be competitive to these great teams in our group.
ehfCL.com: What are the chances for Buducnost to get the one of the first two spots and reach the first Womens’ EHF FINAL4 in Budapest?
Dragan Adzic: After we have reached the main round, we are now dreaming the next dream, which is the place at the final event. The FINAL4 will be surely a spectacle and a great thing for women's handball.
The realization of the first dream in the season strengthened the belief that we can play with anyone with a basic prerequisite that we remain healthy and eager for work after the World Championships in Serbia.
ehfCL.com: Do you now regret more that you didn’t manage to get at least one away victory in the group matches in order to finish first in the group and avoid such a difficult main round group?
Dragan Adžić: I don’t regret anything in life because each result is a product of several factors and could be different at any given moment. For me, nothing crucial would have happened if we were in the other main round group.
Our level of play in the first three games was the product of several factors, and it was just the experience which had to be passed in order to achieve the level of play that we have achieved in the last three matches.
ehfCL.com: In the games with such strong teams, home court can play a crucial role. As Buducnost rarely lose at home, can Moraca hall for you be the main advantage?
Dragan Adzic: With such a quality of the opponents Moraca will certainly be full and that will affect self-confidence of our girls. Every team in our group hardly loses at home, so it will be a great and equal fight in every game.
ehfCL.com: Buducnost had the best defence in the group matches, having conceded fewer goals than any other team. Is it a recipe for the main round also?
Dragan Adzic: If we succeed in this awesome strong group to be the team with fewest conceded goals, surely we will be close to the final tournament.
But, in every aspect of the game this Buducnost's generation has a reserve and I believe that we will improve the game in both direction until the first Main round match in February.
ehfCL.com: How can the upcoming World Championships in Serbia influence the results of Buducnost and other clubs?
Dragan Adzic: In this sense, in our group, Krim have the biggest advantage, as they will have almost the whole team together for the entire period, while all the other teams can generally start thinking about the Champions League only after the World Championships.
I think that in January we will have a much clearer picture of the capabilities of all teams in the group.
ehfCL.com: How are you satisfied with the new players in your team (Camilla Dalby, Cristina Neagy, Kinga Byzdra, Marta Zderic)?
Dragan Adzic: From the moment they agreed to come to Podgorica, all structures in the club were hired to accelerate their adaptation in order to make them feel like home.
Particularly important role in this segment had local players and sports director Bojana Popović, who gave all they could to introduce new players into our system as soon as possible. Of course, all the new players came open for cooperation, to something new and eager to achieve their sporting dreams and goals in our club.
All of them have made a significant contribution to the placement in the main round, and all are aware that they can improve a lot more and help the club to succeed.
ehfCL.com: Is there any team who surprised you in positive or negative sense in the group stage?
Dragan Adžić: In my opinion, the only real surprise was the level of play of Sävehof. I saw great energy in this young team, who has great potential and they are refreshment in this season's EHF Champions League. In all other groups the results for me were expected.
TEXT: Sasa Joncic / br
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