DRAGAN ADŽIĆ: WE WILL MAKE LIFE DIFFICULT FOR EVERYONE

For the first time in club’s history, Budućnost will defend their EHF Champions League title next season.

Budućnost know only one opponent in the Group Phase, the German Thüringer HC. The other two teams in Group D will be known after the Qualification Tournaments.

In an interview with ehfCL.com, coach of Budućnost Dragan Adžić talked about the draw results, the weakened and rejuvenated team and about the expectations for upcoming season in EHF Champions League.

ehfCL.com: So far, you know only one opponent in Group D - Thüringer HC.

You played against the same team last season, also in the Group Phase, winning both matches in Germany 27:23 and 35:25 at home in the “Morača” hall. Are you happy to have Thüringer HC again in the group?

Dragan Adžić: Thüringer HC are a very good team. We prepared for months last season with a much stronger team and managed two wins.

They will have a stronger team next season with new top players, such pivot Anja Althaus and left wing Mie Augustesen and some new young players like Ana Gros and Sonja Frey.

They also have a good coach, so Thüringer HC will be a very serious opponent.

ehfCL.com: Who do you expect to be the winners of the Qualification Tournament 1 - Viborg HK, Balonmano Bera Bera, Vistal Laczpol Gdynia, LC Brühl Handball - and  Wild Card Tournament - Issy Paris Handball, Zvezda Zvenigorod, HC Leipzig?

Dragan Adžić: I expect Viborg HK and Zvezda Zvenigorod will be our opponents in the Group Phase, both are winners of the EHF CL in the past, Viborg HK three times.

Viborg are a quality team, with some new reinforcements like Amanda Kurtovic and Cecilia Grubbström. Julija Portjanko will play for Zvezda Zvenigorod and I think they will seek to reinforce the team with some more new players.

ehfCL.com: So, how satisfied are you with the draw?

Dragan Adžić: I know that everybody is happy to have Budućnost from the First Pot, however, I believe we will make life difficult for them and make it to the Main Round. Then we will have Dragana Cvijić back from injury and have a more compact and stronger team for the next round.

ehfCL.com: After winning the EHF Champions League trophy, Budućnost has seen a lot of personnel changes: Big stars Bojana Popović and Maja Savić have decided to retire from professional handball and six more players have left the club, Katarina Bulatović (Oltchim Rm.Vâlcea), Ana Radović (Kif Vejen), Sonja Barjaktarović (Rostov-Don), Ana Đokić, Dijana Jovetić and Adriana Tacalie (Corona Brasov).

For next season, Budućnost has signed six new players, French player Claudine Mendy, two Croatians Katarina Ježić and Katarina Bralo and two Serbians Jelena Trifunović and Jelena Živković, while left wing Biljana Pavićević returned home from the Macedonian club, Žito Prilep. 

Have you finished making transfers for this season or are there more to come?
 
Dragan Adžić: There are absolutely no more opportunities for changes. Basically it’s all as far as departures and arrivals are concerned.

ehfCL.com: What do you think about the new team of Budućnost? What is the goal for next season?

Dragan Adžić: The team is certainly the youngest of all participants in the EHF Champions League, even those in the Qualification Tournaments.

I think also that we have the most promising team and I believe that if we are patient and with quality work, we will return to the top of Europe.

I think we will be able to achieve similar results in EHF Champions League; however, the first goal is to reach the Main Round.

ehfCL.com: It’s nearly two months ago on 13 May when Budućnost defeated Györi Audi ETO KC in the Second Leg of the Final and won the first ever EHF Champions League trophy in club’s history. Now that the emotions have settled, what are your thoughts when you look back?

Dragan Adžić: Everything we invested we got back in return. We absolutely believed from the beginning of the season that we could make it.

But we proved that with team work, faith, cohesion and that harmony in team can bring great results.

We proved it against an exceptional team like Györi Audi ETO KC, who impressed me in the Second Leg in Podgorica.

I believed from the first until the last second that we would win the EHF Champions League, at no point I did I doubt the team.

ehfCL.com: In your opinion will the EHF Champions League trophy facilitate or make it harder for the team next season?

Dragan Adžić: For all the players who participated in winning EHF Champions League I think that it will be easier, because they know now how to win.

They will know how much work they have to put in. I believe that each player who stayed in Budućnost can work even harder.

The newcomers will relish the chance of playing with EHF Champions League winners and can fight to secure a place in the squad.