Kolaković dreams of Final victory

Between 1998 and 2002 Sandra Kolaković played for Budućnost in five consecutive semifinals in the EHF Women's Champions League, but never played in the final. She did it in 2003 when she conquered Europe with Krim from Slovenia, and that was the crowning moment of her career as a player. She played in Ljubljana just that season, and returned to Podgorica, for two more seasons before ending her career.

Born in Šabac (Serbia), Sandra Kolaković came to Budućnost in 1991 from Serbian team Voždovac, and for years she was one of the key players for a side who dominated handball in the former Yugoslavia.

She is married to successful Montenegrin volleyball coach Igor Kolaković, now coach of the national volleyball team of Serbia.

As a head coach, Sandra Kolaković led the national team of former Serbia and Montenegro at the Women's EHF EURO 2006 in Sweden. She continued her professional development at the Higher School for Coaches of the Faculty of Philosophy in Nikšić and graduated in 2009.

She currently coaches the youth team at Budućnost, who play under the name of Biseri, and she is head coach of the youth national team of Montenegro. She was the coach of the Women’s junior national team of Montenegro which achieved a solid eighth place at the World Championship in Macedonia in 2008.

In this interview with ehfCL.com, she talks about her experience as a player in the EHF Women's Champions League, and about this season’s final between Budućnost and Győri Audi ETO.

ehfCL.com: What did you make of the first match in Veszprém?
 

Sandra Kolaković: Games that are played with a lot of pressure and importance, with such a lot at stake such as the EHF Women's Champions League final, often have more technical errors than usual, with the dominance of two-three players. That was the case in Veszprém – Bojana Popović and Clara Woltering on one side, and Anita Görbicz and Katrine Lunde Haraldsen on the other. I think the Győri Audi ETO team has reason to be unhappy because during the second half they twice had the chance to go to six goals ahead.

ehfCL.com: Do you expect the same players to be the best in the second leg as in the Veszprém Arena, or will others be in the spotlight in the game on Sunday?

Sandra Kolaković: Both teams have a lot of quality players so I think that in the second leg on two-three different players from each side will come to the fore, such as Katarina Bulatović, Ana Đokić and Dragan Cvijić for Budućnost, and Andre Lekić, Heidi Løke and Jovanka Radičević in Győri Audi ETO. I wish that the players of Budućnost will score three goals more than the one from Győri Audi ETO!

ehfCL.com: Győri Audi ETO has a two-goal advantage, while Budućnost is playing at home. Who has the advantage?

Sandra Kolaković: This is a difficult question, because both teams have some advantage. Budućnost because they are playing in front of a fantastic home crowd, while Győri Audi ETO does not have the burden of being the favourite. I think a lot will depend on psychological preparation for this match, because the quality of the teams is equal.

ehfCL.com: What sort of tactics do you expect to see deployed?

Sandra Kolaković: I expect a better defensive play and it would not surprise me if both coaches, Dragan Adžić and Karl Erik Bøhn decide to give a special marker to the best strikers from the previous match.

ehfCL.com: You have experienced both winning and losing in the final of the EHF Women's Champions League. What is the most important aspect in the Women's Champions League Final?

Sandra Kolaković: The most important thing is how the players as a team psychologically approach the match. If every player puts in their individual qualities towards playing together, then you have a powerful team.

ehfCL.com: When you played for Budućnost the team failed five times to reach the EHF Women's Champions League final. What does the current team have that yours didn’t? Is this the best generation of Budućnost because they reached the final?

Sandra Kolaković: Besides the quality of the players, the power of one team is also determined by other factors, no less important. That’s the quality of club organisation, the strategy and financies.

I am sorry that my generation, except the quality of the players, didn’t do so well on all those things, because that means we can’t do a realistic comparison. But if we judge it only the results, then today’s generation of Budućnosti is the best, because they are in the final.

ehfCL.com: You won the EHF Women's Champions League with Slovenian team Krim. Do you regret that you didn’t to do it with Budućnost?

Sandra Kolaković: If I had the opportunity to choose where I would like to make my sporting dreams come true, I would definitely have wanted to do it in Podgorica with Budućnost. But, God didn’t ask me, he only made it possible, and he knows why…

ehfCL.com: Győri Audi ETO had great support in the Veszprém Arena, but the Hungarian team only managed to get a two-goal advantage. Could the atmosphere in the Morača Hall make the difference in the second leg?

Sandra Kolaković: Győri Audi ETO didn’t manage to get the right advantage from the home court. But, that’s their problem. I think in the second leg Budućnost will show what an outstanding team they make together with their fans.

ehfCL.com: If they win the EHF Women's Champions League title, would Budućnost definitely enter the European handball cream, or were they part of it before, even without this trophy?

Sandra Kolaković: Being part of the handball elite is a long process and not a moment. So, winning the EHF Women's Champions League would only give Budućnost better position in the European handball elite, where they have belonged for years.

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