Losert satisfied with life at Kielce

All eyes will be on Brondby on Sunday 17 November, when first and second place in Group B of the VELUX EHF Champions League Group B meet.

The unbeaten Polish Champions visit Danish side KIF Kolding Kobenhavn, who lie just ahead of third placed THW Kiel on goal difference.

For Kielce goalkeeper Venio Losert, it will be a nice opportunity to face his former teammates.

“When I received an offer of playing in Kielce I said wow!” laughs Venio Losert.

“I made a decision in two days and I do not regret it,” adds the Croatian goalkeeper, who, directly before coming to Poland, had a spell at KIF.

Losert shares his memories of the short episode in Denmark and describes life with his current team.

ehfCL.com: On Sunday you are going to face the team with one of the worst scoring records in the VELUX EHF Champions League. It does not do them credit, does it?

Venio Losert: Well, I think it is caused by few things. First of all, they have been playing the majority of games without their best player, Kim Andersson, so they are conscious of the fact that they are not as good in the attack without him.

They try to compensate their deficiencies with the other things: more discipline, more responsibility and of course better performance in the defence.

They are a smart team and they know that we have both good and bad points which they will try to put to good use.

ehfCL.com: Before you came to Kielce, you spent a short time in Kolding. Sum up that experience.

Venio Losert: I did not have enough time to draw any real conclusion, but I have really good memories from Kolding.

They are a nice group of people, very professional and they have lot of Danish and Swedish international players. They have also some from outside of Scandinavia, but the majority are from one or two countries and that is definitely an advantage.

ehfCL.com: That’s not their only advantage, what else have they got to offer?

Venio Losert: They also have a group of, let’s call them “veterans”, as I don’t want to say “old men” (laugh), with lot of experience. They know how to control the game and the pressure.

They have a great goalkeeper, great players that were in the ranks of the EHF EURO winning Denmark team. We will also have to watch out for solid defensive players, Lars Jorgensen and Joachim Boldsen.

It all makes me thinking that, together with us and Kiel, they are among the favourites for first place in the group.

ehfCL.com: You came to Kielce in quite specific circumstances. Kielce needed a goalkeeper as Marcus Cleverly (currently HSV Hamburg – ed.) had a serious injury, but you could not start playing right after your arrival in Kielce, because the transfer window was already closed. Were you afraid that Marcus would come back soon and you would have to sit on the bench?

Venio Losert: No, I wasn’t afraid. Honestly, I made a decision in two days. When the possibility of playing in Kielce came to me, I said “Wow!”. I think, now Kielce is better than Kolding, so I’m fully satisfied with the choice I’ve made. I didn’t have any fear about playing or not. I was pretty sure about it.

ehfCL.com: You have become strong point of the team recently, which you proved especially in matches against Płock and Kiel. How do you rate your performances?

Venio Losert: I try to do my best, as we all do, and as much as I give to my teammates, I receive from them in return. Right now we have a really good defence, we collaborate well. Both Kasa (Sławomir Szmal – ed.) and I are doing a good job.

ehfCL.com: Both you and Szmal are professional players who know your value, but simultaneously you are completely different. Sławek Szmal is more energetic and, let’s say, spectacular. You, on the other hand, always hide your emotions. How does your cooperation with Szmal work?

Venio Losert: That is my playing style. I prefer to be calm and composed, because you can start a game very badly. But you have sixty minutes to play, so there is enough time to get in a game again.

That is why I don’t want to lose my calm and patience and behave like that (laugh). And my cooperation with Kasa is very good. He works a lot, he loves to work!

I know that we have to work to be good in the goal. Of course there is no jealousy between us. It is Bogdan Wenta that decides who is going to play and the other thing is that we play so many games that, I think, there is enough space for both of us. We have equal chances to play first fiddle. We do not have a rivalry, just a good cooperation.

ehfCL.com: Do you spend your free time with your fellow goalkeeper?

Venio Losert: Well, we spend some time together on the trips, but normally, in Kielce, everyone has his own life and we try to use it as well as we can with family.

ehfCL.com: Before the season began, it was said that it would be more difficult for Kielce than last time, because you would have a much stronger group. Can we call present ranking in Group B a surprise then?

Venio Losert: For me it’s not a surprise. Last year we played in the FINAL 4, this time we started well and we must admit honestly that we are a good team. There are a lot of games until the end of this phase. We are going to KIF now and we still haven’t visited Kiel yet. Anything can happen and the group is open.