08.04.2014, 02:30
We knew exactly what we wanted

FEATURE: Anja Freser recalls her glorious days with Krim winning the EHF Champions League title in the 2000/01 season.

We knew exactly what we wanted

Anja Freser (b. 1974) is arguably the most famous female Slovenian handball export ever. Born and bred in Maribor, she started her sporting career in the local club Branik. It wasn't before long when it became obvious that she and her left arm were destined for big things.

After transfering to the then best women's club Olimpija, she nabbed her first European trophy, the 1997 EHF Cup, which was also the first continental trophy for a club from Slovenia in history.

Lured by a legend

As Krim took over as the Slovenian powerhouse, Freser, who also became irreplacable in the national team, was the obvious choice.

In her first season she won her first Champions league and repeated the feat with Krim two years later.

Her style of play and her scoring ability convinced the legendary Anja Andersen, who lured her to Slagelse, where Freser once gain reached the European peak in 2004.

She returned to Krim for another six seasons, interrupted by a spell in Spain with Cementos la Union-Ribarroja.

She finished her professional career in 2011, after adventures in Patras (Greece) and Maliye Milli Piyango (Turkey).

Finals in our sights

In 2009 Freser was nominated along with Ana Karnicar Zontar for the best female Slovenian right back of all time. Presently she is working as a coordinator for women's national teams and project head for mini-handball at the Slovenian national federation.

"I arrived at Krim together with the coach and some other girls. We had a lot off basic training in that season. If I remember correctly, we had the camp nine times all together. We were really well prepared, we knew exactly what we wanted. We had the finals in our sights and we were willing to put in the extra effort," says Freser of the 2000/01 season.

"My main focus was in the defence, I was yet do discover myself in the offense. The coach trusted me and I had a fair share of minutes. We went step by step, until we eventually won."

Impressed by Amorim

She follows the developments in the EHF Champions League. Midtjylland and Sävehof have impressed her most with the style of play, and Györ have proved to be the most consistant competitors, while Vardar seems to have the most reserve.

In her opinion Brazil's Eduarda Amorim (Györ) has put in the most impressive personal performance thus far this season.

She looks forwards to the first women's final four: "It's a very cool idea and I only wish we had this in my day. Too bad it is not in Ljubljana!"

TEXT: Grega Sever / br