Abbingh: "Timing in my career to join Rostov is perfect"

Rostov-Don did not try to hide their excitement about signing Lois Abbingh for the next two seasons.

While announcing the deal on Wednesday, the Women's EHF Champions League Quarter-finalists from Russia posted photos, graphics, a highlights clip and a brief video message from the Dutch left back to their social media channels.

And Abbingh’s excitement about the transfer? Just as huge.

The 25-year-old player had made no secret of her ambitions. Two years after she last played in the Champions League, with Romanian side HCM Baia Mare, she longed for a return to Europe’s premier club competition.

And it wasn’t going to happen with Issy Paris Hand, the club she joined following the end of her adventure in Romania in 2016.

Abbingh had two rather disappointing European seasons with the French side. Paris failed to qualify for the EHF Cup Group Phase 2016/17, and they missed out on the quarter-finals this season after they were edged by Vipers Kristiansand for second place behind Group B winners Lada Togliatti.

In the French league, Paris are ranked fifth and the team lost in the quarter-finals of the domestic cup competition against Metz Handball (24:20) on Wednesday night.

Now becoming the first Dutch player to join a Russian team, Abbingh talks exclusively with ehfCL.com about her move to Rostov-Don.

ehfCL.com: People in Rostov will certainly remember Lois Abbingh. You led the Dutch national team with seven goals to that empathic 33:21 win there over Russia in a play-off for the World Championship 2013, and you scored 10 times for Baia Mare against Rostov in the Champions League two seasons ago.

Lois Abbingh: Haha, I think they will still know me, yes. The Dutch team were not yet a household name back then so that definitely was a sensational result. I hope I can show the fans in Rostov similar performances next season. I am getting a lot of positive reactions from Rostov fans now, that’s really nice.

ehfCL.com: More clubs were interested in signing you after you starred at the World Championship 2017 in Germany, scoring 58 times (second only to Nora Mørk’s 68 goals) and making the All-star Team. Why Rostov?

Lois Abbingh: My contract in Paris is expiring and I wanted to play Champions League again. And not just playing it but also having a reasonable chance of reaching the FINAL4 and winning it. Rostov are such a top Champions League team. After Baia Mare, I wanted a stable club. Rostov have a long-term vision and they don’t panic, even if results are not so good like last season, when they went out after the group matches but went on to win the EHF Cup. It is also a matter of feeling. Other top clubs already have good players on my position.

ehfCL.com: When you signed, current Rostov coach Frédéric Bougeant had already announced he would head back to France after the season. Was it no strange feeling for you to join a new club and not knowing who will be your head coach?

Lois Abbingh: Yes, initially that was on my mind as well. You never know what happens but I was confident Rostov would get a top coach. Anything else would not fit in their long-term strategy. I have had it twice in my career that I joined a new club and that the coach left within two months, so this time I was not worrying about it.

ehfCL.com: Russia will already be the fifth different country in your career, after the Netherlands (E&O Emmen), Germany (VfL Oldenburg), Romania and France.

Lois Abbingh: I am pretty adventurous, yes. I like being in a different environment and exploring new cultures. But in the end it is all about handball. I want to be there, where it is best for my career. For sure, it was really nice to be in Paris and have many weekends off as we didn’t play Champions League. But to be honest, I have really been waiting for a chance like Rostov are giving me now.

ehfCL.com: After tearing ligaments in your left knee twice, you are now fully healthy, 25 years old and joining one of the leading clubs in Europe. Your best years are starting right now?

Lois Abbingh: After playing a tough schedule with Baia Mare it was definitely not the wrong decision for me to go to Paris two years ago. But I injured my hamstring and got problems with my knee again just before the Olympics. Afterwards I didn’t have time to fully recover. I just went on and on. But I have learned from that. I am now more experienced, fully fit again, and ready to go for it. The timing in my career to join Rostov is just perfect.

ehfCL.com: In your home country, the spotlights are mostly on players like Tess Wester, Estavana Polman or Yvette Broch. But you recently got a lot of praise for your performance at the World Championship and now you earn a dream transfer to Rostov. Do you feel like you are finally getting the recognition for being one of Netherlands’ very best players?

Lois Abbingh: Yes, there have been times when I was thinking: ‘Do I see it all wrong?’ Because I have almost always played well for the national team and scored my goals. But it was like people took it for granted that I was scoring a lot. So for me, it was very important to play as well as I did at the World Championship. And it felt good to get that recognition and the confidence from fans and media.