12.10.2015, 12:37
Neagu, Adzic, Györ top the season’s first ranking

FEATURE: Less than a week ahead of the Women’s Champions League, we have asked the teams’ coaches which players and peers are set to shine in the 2015/16 season

Neagu, Adzic, Györ top the season’s first ranking

Right before the start of the 2015/16 season of the Women’s EHF Champions League all coaches were asked by ehfcl.com to pick their personal dream team, their favoured arena and their favoured coach – just like the VELUX EHF Champions League coaches did some weeks ago.

The questions were: "Who is your favourite player in each position this EHF Champions League season except from your own team?", "Name three coaches in the EHF Champions League who impress you the most?" and "In which arena (not yours) do you enjoy playing the most?"

Just like Nikola Karabatic in the Men’s “Dream Team”, one player of the Women’s EHF Champions League nearly was named by almost all coaches: Romanian left back Cristina Neagu (Buducnost) was nominated 12 times and thus received the highest number of votes of all players.

Trailing Neagu just slightly, right back Katarina Bulatovic (Buducnost), centre back Nycke Groot and line player Heidi Löke (both Györ) all received nine nominations each.

Bulatovic was contested heavily by Nora Mörk (Larvik/5), while Löke received the strongest opposition by Buducnost line player Dragan Cvijic (5). The most named centre back after Groot was Vardar’s Andrea Lekic (4).

The race for the best goalkeeper was decided in clear fashion, too, as Rostov’s new arrival Katrine Lunde with her eight votes was clearly ahead of Amandine Leynaud (Vardar/3 votes).

Siraba Dembele (Vardar) was made the left wing of the “Dream Team” by seven votes, ahead of Valentina Ardean-Elisei (Baia Mare/4) and Majda Mehmedovic (Buducnost/3).

The highest number of contenders were nominated for the right wing position – and eventually another Buducnost player took the top spot: Radmila Petrovic was nominated six times, ahead of Iulia Manangarova (Rostov) and Jovanka Radicevic (Vardar/both 3).

Overall two Norwegian and Montenegrin players are among the seven “Dream Team” nominees, while Romania, France and Netherlands are represented once.

In terms of clubs, defending Champions League champions Buducnost are represented by three players, ahead of Györ (2), Rostov and Vardar (each 1).

The coaches “Dream Team” for the 2015/16 Women’s EHF Champions League season:

Goalkeeper: Katrine Lunde (Rostov)

Left wing: Siraba Dembele (Vardar)

Left back: Cristina Neagu (Buducnost)

Centre back: Nycke Groot (Györ)

Right back: Katarina Bulatovic (Buducnost)

Right wing: Radmila Petrovic (Buducnost)

Line player: Heidi Löke (Györ)

A Buducnost team member won another award on offer:  With ten votes, Dragan Adzic was named most often as the most favoured coach ahead of Ambros Martin (Györ/8) and Helle Thomsen (Midtjylland/4). Jan Leslie (Rostov) was nominated three times.

The race for the arena with the best fans and atmosphere was a close one – but eventually the Audi arena in Györ received the majority of votes.

The Moraca arena in Podgorica, Jane Sandanski in Skopje and the FINAL4 venue Laszlo Papp Arena in Budapest share the second position with three votes each.

TEXT: Björn Pazen / ts