Brűhl host quali group

On 4-6 September, St. Gallen will welcome Sassari and Vrnjačka Banja for the Qualification Tournament 1. Two teams will progress to QT2. As tournament host, Martin Bűhler expects his team to be one of those two.

Eurohandball.com: Last season LC Brűhl Handball won both Swiss Championship and Cup. Are there any changes in the team for this season?

Martin Bűhler: Most of the players have been playing for several years in our team. There are only few changes. Left back Saskia Lang went to Blomberg-Lippe in Germany. She scored the most goals last season. Important defence player Luzia Bühler retired. But also came some new players: Azra Mustafoska (young national player of Switzerland), Stefanie Haag and Annatina Benz (two young players of the second team from Brühl).

Eurohandball.com: For the third time in th eclub's history, your team will play CL qualifications. Expectations and goals for QT1?

Martin Bűhler: QT1 is a group with only three teams. Two of them will qualify. In addition we will play this tournament at home. The goal has to be to qualify for the next round. We met Sassari in last years qualifications and we lost by six goals. We want to change this in St.Gallen.

Eurohandball.com: Do you secretly hope that your team can go even further then QT2?

Martin Bűhler: If we qualify for the next round, we have to be realistic. Our opponents in QT2 will be well above our level. We can play with them on the same level for 30 - 40 minutes maybe but we have to be realistic and say that we can not do more then that.

Eurohandball.com: Besides reaching QT2, any other goals in this season?

Martin Bűhler: As winner of the double (Swiss Cup and league) our goal is to win the double again and to stay number one in Switzerland. Our strategy remains the same - no foreign professionals and constantly renewing the team with our own talented players.