Countdown part 19: RK Croatia Osiguranje Zagreb

The coach remains the same, but the team will change on several key positions: Four top players left the Croatian record champions after a strong previous season: Ivano Balić and Jakov Gojun signed at Atlético Madrid, Marko Kopljar in Paris and Manuel Štrlek in Kielce.

But coach Slavko Goluža is still confident that his team is able to keep up with the top teams of Europe in their 19th participation in the EHF Champions League and show their strength in a tough group. No other team had been part of the European top-flight as often as Zagreb.

In Croatia, Zagreb are aiming to keep their clean sweep with 22 championships in 22 years and 19 cup titles, aside they are determined to reach the final tournament of the regional league SEHA.

Zagreb is building up a new team including new players like Bojan Skoko or Mario Kelentrić – and new heads in the administration like new club director: Josip Guberina and new general manager Ante Ančić. And he is looking forward to the challenges in the VELUX EHF Champions League: “There are no weak teams in the Champions League any more. Our goal will be to promote our new and very young team and if it is possible to reach the Last 16. My favourites in our group are Barcelona and Berlin. The group is very attractive and this is very important for us.”

For team captain Zlatko Horvat – one of the remaining “old” stars – Zagreb will surprise their opponents: “This year we will start with very young team and I am expecting that all our young players will show their talent. We will face the best European teams, but I think that we are the favourite in all home matches. Our goal is to reach the knock-out stage, and I believe that we can reach third place in our group.”

Three questions to coach Slavko Goluža:
ehfCL.com: What are your expectations for the upcoming season of the VELUX EHF Champions League - concerning your objectives and your group opponents?
Slavko Goluža: I am expecting that our young team will have the chance to improve in those matches against the best European teams. It will be very difficult to reach our goal, which is advancing from the Group Phase, but we will do our best.

ehfCL.com: What does the participation in the VELUX EHF Champions League mean to you and your club?
Slavko Goluža: Playing the Champions League means everything to us. Without this competition, our young players can not improve themselves.

ehfCL.com: What teams are your personal favourites to reach the VELUX EHF FINAL4 and for winning the title this season – and why?
Slavko Goluža: As it was in the last few seasons, my favourites are the same teams like Kiel, Barcelona, Atlético, Berlin. There are always some teams which we can call “dark horses” like Kielce, Montpellier or HSV.

RK Croatia Osiguranje Zagreb (CRO)
Qualification for the 2012/2013 VELUX EHF Champions League season: Croatian Champions
Coach: Slavko Goluža, since March 2012
Newcomers: Bojan Skoko (HC Cimos Koper), Mario Kelentrić (HC Melsungen), Marko Matić (HC IZVIDAC Ljubuski), Ivan Stevanović (HC Zamet), Stipe Mandalinić (HC Karlovac), Hrvoje Batinović and Domagoj Sršen (both HC Split)
Left the club: Ivano Balić and Jakov Gojun (both Atletico Madrid), Marin Šego (Wisla Plock), Ivan Pešić (Maribor), Manuel Štrlek (Vive Targi Kielce), Marko Kopljar (Paris HB), Ljubo Vukić (Brest Meshkov),

VELUX EHF Champions League records:
Participations (including 2012/2013 season): 19
Final (4): 1994/1995, 1996/1997, 1997/1998, 1998/1999
Semi-final (1): 1999/2000
Quarter-final (5): 2000/2001, 2002/2003, 2003/2004, 2008/2009, 2011/2012
Last 16 (3): 2005/2006, 2009/2010, 2010/2011
Main Round (1): 2007/2008
Group Phase (3): 1993/1994, 2004/2005, 2006/2007

Other EC records:
Cup Winners Cup:
Finalist 2004/2005
Cup Winners Cup:
Semi-finalist 2006/2007

Croatian champion: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
Croatian Cup winner: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012

Further information

Find more information about RK Croatia Osiguranje Zagreb HERE
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