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MUNICH - Comments from Hungary head coach Chema Rodriguez (ESP), right back Dominik Mathe (HUN), centre back Máté Lékai (HUN), Montenegro head coach Vlado Sola (CRO), right back Branko Vujovic (MNE), goalkeeper Nebojsa Simic (MNE), Iceland head coach Snorri Steinn Guðjónsson (ISL), left wing Bjarki Mar Elisson (ISL) and left back Aron Pálmarsson (ISL), Serbia head coach Antonio Gerona (ESP) and line player Mijajlo Marsenic (SRB), after Iceland and Serbia drew 27:27, and Hungary beat Montenegro 26:24 in preliminary round group C at the Olympiahalle München on Friday.
HUNGARY vs MONTENEGRO
Chema Rodriguez (ESP) – head coach (HUN)
On win against Montenegro:
”The two teams could win this match, but finally in the last part of the game, we had the chance to win. We are so happy for this. The first match is always really difficult for all the teams. We know that this group is so hard, everybody can beat everybody and you never know if the draw from the first match will be important or not.”
Vlado Sola (CRO) – head coach (MNE)
On the loss against Hungary:
“The entire match was up and down and sometimes we played good and sometimes we played bad. Sometimes Hungary played excellently and sometimes not so well. We fought for 60 minutes and every time we had a chance to catch the Hungarian team, we did that but unfortunately, we had a chance to win the match and we made some technical mistakes. We paid that and in the end we lost the match.”
Dominik Mathe (HUN) – right back
On the key to the win:
“It’s hard to say. Now I’m just proud to be Hungarian and that we were able to win the match. That was the most important match. It was a really hard match. I think both teams haven’t played the best they could be able to play. But luckily, we were the ones who could win this match, but we have to give more in the next.”
On what to improve for the second game:
“I think both offensively and in defence we have to improve so much against Serbia. We have to win and then we have a really good chance to qualify for the next round.”
Máté Lékai (HUN) – centre back
On the good start to the tournament:
“It’s the first match. It’s like this always. Everybody is nervous. Everybody is doing a lot of mistakes. But the most important is that we won. Of course, tomorrow is a new day. After tomorrow will be the new match. Serbia is a very good team. They have very good players. They played very good against Iceland, but we also try to do everything to win.”
On whether he expected such a strong challenge from Montenegro:
“Everyone is fighting for the Olympic qualification. Everybody knows how important every match in the European championship is because every team is, I think, very close. Maybe three, four, five teams are a little bit up. But the other 10, 15 teams, they can beat each other every match. So every ball counts, every centimetre you have to fight for on the court, so every match, I think, will be the same.”
Branko Vujovic (MNE) - right back
On the end of the game, as he missed the final shot:
“I took the responsibility on myself and in the end I missed this. I asked for this action for me. I missed the shot so I took the full responsibility for this loss.
“But the tournament is not finished. We have two more games. We look forward and we hope that we will find our chance, that we will go through this group against Iceland and Serbia.”
On defending Hungary:
“Hungary are a team who have really good players one-against-one and also really good pivots, so it’s hard to defend both of them. If you close, they passed to the pivot, so there is their power. They use this against every team, not only against us, so we knew that this will happen and we accept this. But in the end, we had a lot of two minutes and also it’s hard to play with one player less.”
On the crowd:
“It’s nice. It’s nice for me. I don’t feel pressure. I just feel more motivated when there are more fans. So thanks to every guy who was today at the game. I appreciate this.”
Nebojsa Simic (MNE) — goalkeeper
On the difference in the end after the close match:
“We allowed too much in the first half in defence, way too easy shots. They were almost like fast breaks where they fly inside, look at me for a lot of time and decide. The second time, defence was there with heart.
“We got a lot of two minutes, but at least we fought. Sometimes even we had player less, they could not shoot. The energy was there. But then offensively, the last 12, 13, 14 minutes were a complete disaster. We scored only two goals like this. Their goalkeeper really in important moments made good saves, also. This reward [Player of the Match] could have gone either way today.
“But I think that most realistic, how the game developed, was to be a draw. But you don't get always get what you deserve.”
On the next steps:
“So we’re going to be sad tonight, but tomorrow, we are going to reset ourselves. We have two games. We are born in a small country with a fighting spirit, and if we gave up on the first step, it would be a bigger defeat than to lose both next games.”
On the positive elements of his team’s game:
“The most positive thing is Arsenije Dragasevic, who amazed me today. He was showing quality throughout the whole preparations, throughout all games. And today he got his chance, and oh my god he took it. He took it. He was unbelievable. For me, I’m probably going to give him this [Player of the Match award] so he gets even better feeling for the next two games.”
On the next game, against Iceland:
“Serbia played insanely good defence today. They only got many goals from penalties or fast breaks. Iceland could barely shoot on the positional attack.
“[Aron] Pálmarsson, at the end, of course, with his quality decided the game. You see why he was such an amazing, or is still an amazing player here. So I think that we have to do exactly what Serbia did. I think we have to close really in the middle. Gisli [Kristjansson] was really stopped by Serbia. They organised completely the defence around him and it was really great.
“But what concerns me is that Iceland had so many problems defensively and so many problems offensively, and that they get a draw. For me, it was a big shock. I thought it was for sure, Serbia going to win, so I think that we’re going to have the hardest time against Iceland in this tournament. This is my opinion. But that’s also a test of character and we want to see how it goes.”
ICELAND vs SERBIA
Snorri Steinn Guðjónsson (ISL) – head coach
On the draw:
“It´s fair to say that we won one point today. We were in a difficult position at the end of the game and with a lot of character and belief in my team we were able to get one point which can be probably, maybe at the end of the groupm really important for us. I would say it´s a lucky point.”
Bjarki Mar Elisson (ISL) — left wing
On whether he is happy with the point in the end:
“Maybe with the point, but I’m not so happy with the performance. I thought we didn't play so good through the match and we have to do better in the next one for sure. But we take the point to go on for sure.”
On what he was thinking in the last two minutes when they were three goals behind
“Just try to win the ball and run like idiots. Just that was my only thinking and only focus, to somehow try to steal the ball, try to win it and it worked out in the end, so I’m really happy with the point. But as I said, if you look over the whole match, we didn't play so good.”
On whether Iceland were able to play as fast as they wanted:
“Some parts of the game. I mean, first half, you see we get some easy goals. Second half, it was hard because the Serbian team also they played clever. They didn’t lose so many balls and they ran back really fast, so it was hard. But some parts of the game we managed to do it and the next match will try to do it even more.”
On what else they need to improve for the next games:
“To score the goals. I mean, we were missing some shots, but also they have a world-class goalkeeper, but we can do better in that department. And I think also defence. I think we can improve all over the field so we will definitely try to do that.”
Aron Pálmarsson (ISL) – left back
On Iceland earning a late point:
“We made an incredible lot of technical mistakes, 60 minutes long, those players who should take the lead – from nine metres, from six metres, one-on-one. It was just too bad. When too many key players perform bad, then it gets difficult.”
On the physical defence of Serbia:
“They played hard from the beginning but we knew that. But we spoke about it at half-time, it was not too bad. But we had to many technical mistakes. Too many players were too bad, it’s as simple as that. We maybe had one or two players who played well.”
On the legion of Icelandic fans:
“That is amazing, incredible. That makes it great. I heard 4,000 have flown here from Iceland.”
Antonio Gerona (SRB) – head coach, Serbia
On the result:
“For 58 minutes we were so great and I took complete responsibility for the last two minutes and took some decisions that can change that.
“The start of the match in the first half was very defensive. In the first half we tried to count down the speed of the match and let them run. Finally we missed something more to take the two points.”
Mijajlo Marsenic (SRB) – line player
On losing the lead in the closing seconds:
“We had fun, we played well, it was a great match. It is bitter if we get sad only because we have just one point.”
TEXT: EHF / Courtney Gahan
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