Martin: “We are survivors”

Györ have been perennial contenders for the Women’s EHF Champions League trophy for a decade, though they lost their first two finals in the competition, in 2009 and 2012.

After the heartbreaking defeat against Buducnost in 2012, the club’s management made one of the best decisions in the history of Györ – naming Ambros Martin as coach.

The Spanish ace was instrumental in helping the Hungarian powerhouse take the next step, leading Györ to their first three Women’s EHF Champions League trophies.

But all good things come to an end. The 50-year-old Spanish coach announced that, after six successful years, he will leave Györ at the end of the season. Martin has the chance to clinch his fourth trophy in the European premium competition this weekend – and could find himself fighting for the title against his future squad: Rostov.

ehfCL.com: It was a rollercoaster season for Györ, with all the injuries and problems, yet still you are here, with a fighting chance in the Women’s EHF FINAL 4.

Ambros Martin: Right now, I am really calm. I think after this really difficult half of the season for us in terms of problems and injuries, now that we are here, it is refreshing and we are really confident. We were backed into a corner with the injuries that Nora Mørk, Zsuzsanna Tomori and Jana Knedlikova had. Whatever comes, it will be very good for us.

I feel confident. I know how difficult it will be, but we are OK. I must say it again: We are not in our best shape, but now is really not the time to be sorry or to cry about that. We must go out there and play the best we can.

ehfCL.com: Was it the most difficult season for you as Györ coach?

Ambros Martin: This is not mainly about the players who are injured who want, but cannot, help the team. Of course, we had our fair share of trouble. During this season we needed to rebuild the team four or fives times, meaning that there were changes both in offence and defence. The players who were ready to play made an extra effort because several players were out, but then other players were injured, and we needed to change things again.

Right now, it looks like the players who are back after their injuries are not in the best shape. I forgot which version of our team we are now, maybe the fifth or the sixth during the last nine months. But the important fact is that we succeeded in our challenge and this is a testament to our character.

ehfCL.com: How would you describe your team this season?

Ambros Martin: In terms of injuries, it is the most difficult season. It is also tough for the players – it is more the personal aspect than the sporting side. We survived, we are survivors, the strength of our team stemmed from the immense issues we encountered, but it was something that gave us power in the most difficult moments. The worst is to see a player out injured and to see she wants to play but is not able to.

ehfCL.com: The game against CSM is shaping up to be a classic. Who do you think is the favourite to proceed to the final?

Ambros Martin: The Women’s EHF FINAL4 is a particular type of competition, in which a team has to win two games in two days. Therefore, there is no clear favourite, because anything may happen. Even with our situation, which developed during the whole season, I do not consider that there is a clear favourite in any game in the FINAL4.

The point is that we are not in our best shape, so everything can happen. Maybe we can play two fantastic games in Budapest, but CSM have an edge, because they had a walk in the park in the Romanian league and could focus only on this competition. We did not have that chance, because we are still in a tussle in our domestic league with FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria and we also need to focus on these games. We did not have the time for proper preparations for the FINAL4, but if there is even one per cent of chance to win the trophy, we will be there fighting.

ehfCL.com: Two years ago, you lost the final against CSM on penalties. How did it feel and what has changed since then?

Ambros Martin: It is difficult to say right now, but I think that we played better in that game, yet we could not clinch the title. It does not matter how favourited you are and how good you play in the FINAL4, because it is a tough competition. They were the underdogs in that moment and they went for it, believed in their strength and were rewarded. This time, they have a much stronger team than the previous years – we felt that as we played against them twice in the main round.

ehfCL.com: CSM also have Cristina Neagu, one of the best players in the world, whom you know very well as the coach of the Romania national team.

Ambros Martin: As a coach, I try to focus on the individual, rather than the team. I think that from my experience, the only position that can make the difference at an event like the FINAL4 is the goalkeeper. That does not mean, however, that I do not know Neagu’s power and I do not respect her unique qualities. We respect CSM; I respect Neagu a lot and I know what she can do on the court because I coached her.

Personally, for me, it is not a problem if Neagu scores 10 goals. Cristina can score many goals in a game and if she has a good day, she can be unstoppable. But we need to stop the other players. If she scores 12 goals or 14 goals and we stop the other players from CSM, I think we stand a chance.
 
ehfCL.com: You have the chance to sign off from Györ with several trophies. Do you feel a little nostalgic about the end of your tenure?

Ambros Martin: I do not think about myself. This is not a problem for me. We are focused 100 per cent on the task at hand: winning the Women’s EHF Champions League. If you asked me like that, of course, it is a sentimental feeling, but the decision was taken some months ago.

A day does not go by I think about it, and the fact I will leave Györ is making me feel a little bit emotional and the feeling can only get stronger on a daily basis. But I focus every day on the team, on the domestic league and to win the fourth trophy here, so that is my main priority.