Budućnost aim for the Scandic Double

Secretly, Budućnost had been hoping to stage a surprise in Denmark by beating Viborg HK. Not only did the Montenegrians do that, but they also handed-out a real lesson to the winner of the last two editions of the Champions League. No one has ever humiliated Viborg so much in the CL in front of their home crowd, as the score of 25:34 reflected. Now, Budućnost is the leader in group A with the maximum four points, having also defeated Dinamo Volgograd of Russia in the first round (29:22). Coach Dragan Adžić talked about his feelings to ehfCL.com after the win in Denmark.

ehfCL.com: Did you believe that you could surprise Viborg HK?

Dragan Adžić: We believed that a miracle could happen, and it just happened! Before the game I asked my players to stay focused on defence, to play in attack with patience, and not to let Viborg score easy goals. We managed to contain their pressure until the end of the first half, and I knew that if Viborg didn’t get an adequate lead, they’d start to show a certain nervousness, and that’s exactly what happened.

ehfCL.com: The start of the match didn’t promise a happy ending for Budućnost, as in the 11th minute, Viborg HK was leading by three goals (8:5). What happened then?

Dragan Adžić: Except for the first 12-13 minutes, my girls fully complied with the game plan we’d prepared for the game. As the match progressed, our confidence grew, while Viborg HK had the opposite reaction. We were perfectly prepared for the match, and Bojana Popović’s help in scanning the opponent was a big factor in our win. We managed to disrupt the co-operation between back players and line players, and we restricted line players Althaus and Frafjord to score together just one goal. That, among other things, was the key to our success. We simply prepared better for the game than our opponents.

ehfCL.com: After a convincing victory over Dinamo in the first round, you said that your players could still show a better performance than in the first match. Are you satisfied now?

Dragan Adžić: This was really our best performance for a long time. This is also a big encouragement for the future. It proves that, when you believe in something, and when you work properly, then you can get the result you desire. To play such a good game against the best team in Europe gives us the confidence to progress to the next round..

ehfCL.com: How close now is the second round of the CL?

Dragan Adžić: With this victory in Viborg we made a big step, but we still have to play four more games. We mustn’t forget that.

ehfCL.com: Instead of going back to Podgorica, you decided to travel immediately to Sweden to prepare for the next game with IK Sävehof. Do you expect another victory, bearing in mind that Sävehof is supposedly an easier opponent than either Dinamo or Viborg?

Dragan Adžić: I think it’s good that we didn’t go back to Podgorica, because the risk was that, after this victory, the girls might lose concentration and focus. A win against Viborg is great, but, again, there are four more steps to the finish line in this phase. If we beat Sävehof, we will be very close to the Main Round.