21.08.2015, 06:20
Higher goals and a new goalie

VELUX EHF Champions League club countdown: 26 days to go - Kadetten Schaffhausen (SUI)

Higher goals and a new goalie

After narrowly missing the VELUX EHF Champions League Last 16 last season, eight-time Swiss champions Kadetten Schaffhausen have their sights set on reaching the knockout stages again this time around, like they did in 2011 and 2012.

Coached by former German international and world champion Markus Baur (coach of the German junior national team as well), Kadetten bolstered their squad for their ninth participation in Europe’s elite club competition since 2005.

In addition to four talents from their youth programme, the biggest newcomer is Austrian international Nikola Marinovic. The goalkeeper arrives from German club Frisch Auf Göppingen and replaces young German Jonas Maier, who left for TBV Lemgo alongside Swedish line player Anton Mansson.

In Marko Mamic (Dunkerque) and Rares Jurca (Basle), two more experienced players left Schaffhausen. Luka Maros (Pfadi Winterthur) is the biggest signing from within the domestic league.

The summer transfers gives manager Gabor Vass confidence that they can progress from Group D (opponents: Metalurg, Skjern, Baia Mare and the qualificant). In his opinion, the VELUX EHF Champions League is “the most important international competition. Each participation shows every top club in Europe how they have developed.”

Team captain David Graubner shares the hopes of passing from the first stage: “As simple as it sounds, as hard it will be: the objective for the next season is to qualify for the next round. Therefore, we want to finish the group phase on position one or two.”

In Graubner’s opinion “the teams in our group are equally strong, which makes it difficult to say who is going to qualify for the next stage. We expect a lot of tight games and hope to be strong enough in the crunch time.”

Kadetten Schaffhausen (SUI)
Qualification for the 2015/2016 VELUX EHF Champions League season: Swiss champions

Newcomers:  Nikola Marinovic (Frisch auf Göppingen), Luka Maros (Pfadi Winterthur), Johan Koch (TV Emsdetten), Christoffer Brännberger (Haslum Handballklub), Albin Alili (Kadetten Espoirs), Lucas Meister (Kadetten Espoirs), Zoran Markovic (Kadetten Espoirs), Kaj Stokholm (Kadetten Espoirs)

Left the club: Jonas Maier (TBV Lemgo), Anton Mansson (TBV Lemgo), Marko Mamic (Dunkerque), Rares Jurca (RTV Basel), Ruben Schelbert (Unknown), Benjamin Geisser (St. Otmar St. Gallen), Leszek Starczan (NLB Espoirs)

Coach: Markus Baur (since 2013)

Opponents in the group phase: Metalurg, Skjern, Zaporozhye, Baia Mare, qualifier in Group D

VELUX EHF Champions League records:
Participations (including 2015/2016 season): 9
Last 16 (2): 2010/2011, 2011/2012
Group Phase (5): 2005/2006, 2006/2007, 2007/2008, 2012/2013, 2014/2015
Qualification (1): 2009/2010

Other achievements:
EHF Cup: Final: 2009/2010
Cup Winners Cup: Semi Final: 2007/2008

Swiss champion: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015
Swiss Cup winner: 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2014

TEXT: Björn Pazen / cor