10.12.2015, 08:47
Bebeshko wants to achieve record-breaking season with Brest

FEATURE: New head coach Sergej Bebeshko has steered Brest to a first spot in VELUX EHF Champions League Group C and now dreams of reaching the Last 16 for the first time

Bebeshko wants to achieve record-breaking season with Brest

For HC Meshkov Brest the current season may well become the best in the team’s history to date.

Previously, the Belarusian club had participated in the group phase of the VELUX Champions League five times, but never advanced any further. But now, with the new competition format, Brest has a chance to qualify for the Last 16.

After finishing first in Group C, they will face Denmark's Skjern in the play-offs. The two games will take place in late February and early March, and the winner will eventually play against the second team of Group B.

Brest head coach Sergej Bebeshko said he would have preferred to play his former team, Motor Zaporozhye, but the Ukrainians came first in Group D, so the teams’ roads do not cross.

New style, faster handball

Bebeshko took over Brest just last summer, replacing Zeljko Babic who opted to concentrate on his duties in the national team of Croatia.

However, the 47-year-old Ukrainian is not new to Belarusian handball. He was at the helm of Dinamo Minsk  from 2009 to 13 and won the Belarusian league four times during that spell.

Furthermore, at Dinamo Bebeshko worked with a number of current Brest players, including Dzmitry Nikulenkau, Maksim Babichau, Dzianis Rutenka and Pavel Atman.

It was actually Bebeshko who brought Atman to Brest last summer. The Russian left back had played for two seasons at Metalurg Skopje and Qatar's Al-Jaish, but was happy to move back to Belarus.

He easily integrated into his new team, just like another summer signing, the 2,15 metre tall Latvian giant Dainis Kristopans. They are both now among the team’s leaders.

Compared to his predecessor Babic, Bebeshko changed the team’s playing style. Brest now prefer a faster and more dynamic handball.

The numerous Balkan players, once brought to Belarus by Babic, faced certain problems while adapting to the new philosophy, but after a couple of months Rastko Stojkovic, Nikola Manojlovic, Simon Razgor and Ljubo Vukic all seem to have adjusted.

Another challenge for Brest was the injury of Dzianis Rutenka. The right wing had to undergo surgery in Barcelona and will b out for several months.

On a side note, his older brother Siarhei attended Brest's game with Chekhovskie Medvedi last week and had a meeting with club owner Alexander Meshkov.

After having left Qatar's Lekhwiya, Rutenka is said to considering an option to continue his career at home in Belarus, but so far he has refused to comment on that matter.

New club record

The campaign in Group C was definitely not a piece of cake for the Belarus champions. They started well, beating Vojvodina, Tatran Presov and Chekhovskie Medvidi, but after two defeats in a row – at home against La Rioja and away in Porto – their chances to advance were seriously questioned.

But Bebeshko's men stuck together and won all five remaining games, setting a club record for consecutive victories in the VELUX Champions League.

Now Bebeshko is looking forward to the games against Skjern. "They are playing a typical Danish style of handball, quick and attacking, but they are not so strong in defence.

"Still I think Skjern were the best in Group D and it came as a surprise that they finished only second. This is a dangerous opponent, but I think we are able to beat them," he says.

TEXT: Sergey Nikolaev / ts