More upsets on the cards for Celje

With victories over three-time EHF Champions League winners THW Kiel on home court and eventual champions HSV Hamburg away from home – RK Celje Pivovarna Laško were one of the big surprises in last season’s VELUX EHF Champions League.

The crops sewn three years previously had grown and been harvested. At that time the 17-time Slovenian champions made a significant change in strategy by only recruiting players from within their own youth programme.

Despite the departure of line player Alem Toskic to Vardar Skopje and the hugely talented 21-year-old Borut Mačkovšek to Hannover-Burgdorf in the German Bundesliga, Vladan Matić has kept his well-balanced team largely in shape.

The 2004 EHF Champions League winner have clearly set their goals for the season: Becoming Slovenian champion, claiming a hat-trick of Slovenian cup titles after raising the trophy in 2012 and 2013 and to qualify for the VELUX EHF Champions League again.

The mission statement says it all: “Our team has developed in the way we wanted it to and now their time has come.”

On the international stage the Slovenian runners-up were drawn in a very interesting group alongside their old rivals from Zagreb and Veszprém, Rhein Neckar Löwen, St. Petersburg and the winner of qualification tournament 3. The main goal of “the brewers” is to reach the Last 16.

The club expect a full house in their Zlatorog arena against the likes of Zagreb and Veszprém, which could inspire a victory or two like the one against Kiel last season. Celje hope that they will not have to cope with as many injuries as the season before, when Lekai was out for two months and Žuran and Potočnik were forced to miss the entire season.

Manager Roman Pungartnik is satisfied and pleased with the Group Stage opponents.

“From a marketing point of view we have same the goals as last season – attracting a huge number of fans. Opponents like Veszprém, Zagreb and Rhein Neckar Löwen should attract many fans – so we hope to be sold-out three times as opposed to twice in the previous season against THW Kiel and Veszprem.

“We want to offer great fun to our fans including a “fan zone” in front of the hall – and as our team is getting better and better – we want to offer great handball.

 “Our first goal is to qualify for the Last 16 like last season. Our team is one year older and more experienced. Last season many of our players competed for the first time in the Champions League.

“We expect hard matches with our old friends from Veszprém and Zagreb and again we will try to surprise some of the top level teams. We proved last year that anything is possible. So, we will look also for our chance to proceed even further on from the Last 16. ” explains Pungartnik.

Team captain Luka Žvižej also adopts the anything is possible motto when it comes to his team and their chances.

“This year the average age of our squad is even younger than last season, but we are more experienced.

“In the last season we played some really good matches at a high level, but this year we have to continue where we finished. Winning against Kiel and HSV was a really good motivation for us, but also an obligation to the fans.

“I expect a full Zlatorog hall against Zagreb, Veszprém and Rhein-Neckar Löwen, also we need to qualify to the Last 16 to prove that we are on the right track,” says the experienced left wing Žvižej.

Three questions to coach Vladan Matić:

What are your expectations for the upcoming season of the VELUX EHF Champions League - concerning your objectives and your group opponents?

Vladan Matić: I expect really good matches, because we have very attractive opponents. We faced Veszprém last season in the Group Phase, now we are again in the same group. This year they are even stronger. Zagreb are an old rival, they have a young team like we have.

Rhein Neckar Löwen are getting better and better, they have a very balanced roster, St. Petersburg is also part of the Champions League since a few years in a row. So we will have ten good, strong matches.

This year we want to go one step further in the VELUX EHF Champions League. Our first goal is to qualify for the Last 16, but we will also look for our chance to surprise our opponents. So, anything is possible, but first of all we have to play really good matches.

What does the participation in the VELUX EHF Champions League mean to you and your club?

Vladan Matić: Teams like Celje Pivovarna Laško must play in the Champions League every year. Now we play together with almost the same roster since two years in a row. So for us it is very important to be part of such a strong competition. By those tough matches our players are developing in the right way.

What teams are your personal favourites to reach the VELUX EHF FINAL4 and for winning the title this season – and why?

Vladan Matić: Barcelona are the favourites to win the VELUX EHF Champions League. This year they are stronger than last season by adding Karabatić and Lazarov to their squad.

Also THW Kiel, PSG, Veszprem and Kielce will look for their chance. HSV are the current champions, so it will be very interesting.



Celje Pivovarna Laško (SLO)

Qualification for the 2013/2014 VELUX EHF Champions League season: Slovenian runners-up

Coach: Vladan Matic, since 2011

Newcomers (including former club): Ivan Slišković (Nexe Našice/CRO)

Left the club (including new club): Alem Toskić (Vardar Skopje/MKD), Borut Mačkovšek Hannover-Burgdorf/GER), Dejan Perić (retired)  

VELUX EHF Champions League records:
Participations (including 2013/2014 season): 19
Winner (1):  2003/2004
Semi Final (6): 1996/97, 1997/98, 1998/99, 1999/2000, 2000/01, 2004/05
Quarterfinal (2): 2001/02, 2005/06
Last 16 (2): 1995/96, 2006/07, 2012/13
Main Round (2): 2007/08, 2008/09
Group Phase (3): 1993/1994, 1994/95, 2010/11
Qualification (1): 2009/10

Other EC records:

Cup Winners Cup:
Semi finalist 2002/2002, 2011/12

Slovenian champions: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010
Slovenian Cup winners: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013