Alamo: Eleven goals out of the heads

They dream of their first ever VELUX EHF FINAL4 at Reale Ademar Leon – but still everybody is aware that the 11-goal margin from the first leg of the quarter finals against Füchse Berlin still leaves them with some work to do. Goalkeeper Vicente Alamo was one of the keys to success in the first leg – and in this interview with ehfCL.com he reveals the motto for the re-match in the German capital on Sunday: Go out for a victory, do not be complacent.

ehfCL.com: Was the first leg match against Füchse Berlin the best game of your career?
Vicente Alamo: It is the first time Reale Ademar Leon play a quarter-final in the VELUX EHF Champions League since the playing system changed, and this is the biggest importance - this is why it was one of my best matches.

ehfCL.com: The Leon defence were almost perfect last Saturday – is this your secret of success?
Vicente Alamo: It is essential for a goalkeeper to have a good defence. We can rely on our defence which really helps the goalkeepers, not least in reaching the quarter finals of the VELUX EHF Champions League.

ehfCL.com: What makes Ademar so strong at home, as Leon is currently the only team in the whole VELUX EHF Champions League still unbeaten on home ground?
Vicente Alamo: The difference is that at home we have the full support of our great audience. This is the key to remaining unbeaten at home in the VELUX EHF Champions League.

ehfCL.com: Everybody thinks your team has already qualified for the VELUX EHF FINAL4. Do you agree?
Vicente Alamo: We start the return match with an advantage of 11 goals. Logically this means we have more chance of reaching Cologne than starting with a draw. But we must be prudent and start the next game with the will to win and not to speculate on a possible result. It would not be the first time that such a big goal difference gets overturned. There are still 60 minutes to play.

ehfCL.com: What do you have to be wary about in Berlin?
Vicente Alamo: Most importantly, we have to go out to win again regardless of the 11-goal difference. Berlin have a great team and they will play totally differently to how they did in Leon and will be pushed on by their fans.

ehfCL.com: In contrast to your home strength, Ademar were not so successful in away matches – is this because you miss your fantastic fans?
Vicente Alamo: Unfortunately we can't play away games with our crowd and this makes winning away from home much more complicated for us.

ehfCL.com: What would it mean to you, personally and for the club, to reach the semi final of the VELUX EHF Champions League for the first time ever?
Vicente Alamo: It would be historical, we are a team with a budget far below many of our opponents in the VELUX EHF Champions League and we are a team hit hard by economic problems throughout the whole season. Therefore it would be so important to qualify for the VELUX EHF FINAL4. At the start of the season nobody expected Reale Ademar Leon to be a quarter finalist and have hopes for the VELUX EHF FINAL4. But thanks to our great performances we can make the dream become reality. From my personal point of view to participate in the VELUX EHF FINAL4 is the best you can hope for as a player – but as I said: still 60 minutes are separating us from Cologne.

ehfCL.com: Up to three Spanish teams can qualify for the VELUX EHF FINAL4. Does this show that Asobal league is stronger than the German league?
Vicente Alamo: It would be great for Spanish handball if this would happen. Handball is going through many problems in Spain and the economic problems are ongoing. But no doubt, the German league is stronger than Asobal League.