Denič and Dinamo going step by step

For the third time in the club’s history and for the second consecutive year, Dinamo Minsk will play in the VELUX EHF Champions League.
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In the qualifying round in Prešov (Slovakia), the five-time Belarusian champions beat AEK Athens and Tatran Prešov to secure the spot among the European elite.

During the summer, the squad of Dinamo has undergone a plethora of changes. A number of players left the team, but the club bosses managed to find suitable replacements quickly.

Now there are many new faces in the international Minsk team, players such as Mikel Aguirrezabalaga from Spain, Sergiy Shelmenko from Russia, Ivan Ninčević from Croatia, Damir Doborac from Bosnia as well as three Slovenian players - Dean Bombac, Uroš Bundalo and David Miklavčić.

This Balkan "accent" in the selection is easy to explain. The new head coach of Dinamo comes from Slovenia.

Boris Denič, who has just turned 46, replaced the Ukrainian Sergey Bebeshko in the summer. Before the Minsk team starts a new season in the VELUX EHF Champions League, Denic spoke to ehfCL.com.

ehfCL.com: How do you feel after the successful qualification for the VELUX EHF Champions League?

Boris Denič: Surely it is a good feeling, because we reached the group phase. In Prešov, my team had two tough games. But these matches helped us to grow up and I am satisfied with that.

Congratulations to my players for good performance and fighting. We will play in the Champions League, which is very positive.

ehfCL.com. The team faced some problems in the matches against AEK and Tatran. Were these two games more difficult than you had expected?

Boris Denič: Any match is tough. I expected both opponents to be hard nuts to crack. Every team came to Prešov to win, everyone wanted to play in the Champions League. But we managed to beat all rivals that we faced.

ehfCL.com: Are you particularly happy with some players?

Boris Denič: I do not want to single out anyone. I look at the whole team, not at the specific players. If you have a good team, you can get a win.

ehfCL.com: You regularly say that Dinamo players need time to get used to your system. Do you feel there is progress in this respect?

Boris Denič: This is normal for any team in the world. When you have nine new players and a new system that you want them to play, it is always difficult. The team needs time.

We have been working together for only two months. Some things are better; other things still need to be improved. The team must work, work, work.

ehfCL.com: What is the goal of Dinamo in the VELUX EHF Champions League?

Boris Denič: At the moment, we do not have a specific one. I am thinking step by step. Now I am concentrating on the first group game against Paris Saint-Germain.

Naturally I want to win every match and I think that my team share my desire. We will see what happens.

ehfCL.com: What do you think about the opponents in the Group С?

Boris Denič: It is a tough company. All clubs are very strong -- Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, two Macedonian teams, Wacker Thun, but we will look for our chances.

ehfCL.com: You will begin the tournament in Paris. Is the away game with Paris Saint-Germain the hardest in the group?

Boris Denič: No, I think the opposite, this game will be easy. We are not going to be the favourites in France. The whole world thinks that we have no chance.

Psychologically, my team will not have any pressure, because nobody expects anything from us. Paris Saint-Germain are the absolute favourites.

ehfCL.com: Which games will be the toughest then?

Boris Denič: Those where we are expected to win. This is my way of thinking.

In general I guess that in every match we have a chance to win. Dinamo are well-prepared and we still have some time before the competition starts.