Media Information VELUX EHF Champions League Season 2017/18

Group Phase, Round 11 FC Barcelona Lassa (ESP) vs HC Vardar (MKD) Palau Blaugrana (Barcelona, ESP) Saturday 10 February, 18:00 hrs FC Barcelona Lassa (ESP) vs HC Vardar (MKD)

GROUP A Saturday 10 February, 18:00 hrs Round 11 Playing hall Palau Blaugrana Av. Aristides Maillol, s/n 08028 Barcelona Spain Capacity: 7,250

• Spanish Vardar players and Joan Canellas return to home ground as EHF EURO champions - and will face five Barcelona stars, who were teammates during the EHF Most Games vs Vardar: EURO in Croatia. Third Spaniard in the Vardar squad is 2013 Most Games vs Barcelona: Victor Tomas 11 world champion . Ilija Abutovic 6 Aitor Arino 6 • Eight Barcelona players took medals at the EHF EURO in Timur Dibirov 6 Raul Entrerrios 6 Croatia: Aitor Arino, Raul Entrerrios, , Gonzalo Igor Karacic 6 Viran Morros 6 Perez de Vargas and Valero Rivera gold with Spain, , Strahinja Milic 6 Jesper Nöddesbo 6 Timothy N’Guessan and Cedric Sorhaindo bronze with France. 5 Gonzalo Perez de Vargas 6 Stojanche Stoilov 5 • Canellas was teammate of the Barcelona stars Aron 6 Palmarsson and Wael Jallouz at THW Kiel. Cedric Sorhaindo 6 • Both teams are coached by Spaniards - Xavi Pascual (Barcelona) and Raul Gonzalez (Vardar) - both are parallelly also at the helm at national teams: Pascual is in charge of Most Goals vs Vardar: Romania, Gonzalez was the EHF EURO 2018 participant with Most Goals vs Barcelona: Victor Tomas 37 FYR Macedonia. Timur Dibirov 23 Alex Dujshebaev 20 Iker Romero 30 • Raul Gonzalez will become new coach of Paris Saint- Wael Jallouz 25 Germain from next season on, one of PSG’s new arrivals will Igor Karacic 17 22 be Barcelona’s defence specialist Viran Morros. Matjaz Brumen 15 Laszlo Nagy 21 Luka Cindric 13 • Vardar are the only unbeaten team in the current CL Borko Djordjevic 13 season - with eight wins (including the 27:24 in the first leg) Sergei Gorbok 13 and two draws. • The last duel of both sides was the 2017 VELUX EHF FINAL4 semi-final, decided by a buzzer-beater from Luka Domestic league Cindric (26:25) at Cologne. Domestic league Liga ASOBAL • Vardar never took any point in official matches of SEHA Liga European Cup competitions on Spanish ground. Besides their Last 4 games Last 4 games duels with Barcelona, lost at Leon (1999) & Granollers (1998). 07/02 vs Huesca W33:20 03/02 @ Presov W22:30 • In home matches against Vardar, Barcelona never gave a 03/02 @ Puerto Sagunto W29:33 point from their hands so far. 01/02 @ Meshkov D25:25 13/12 @ Teucro W28:38 • Three Barca players are in question for the MOTW due to 13/12 @ Gorenje Velenje W24:30 09/12 vs Anaitasuna W38:26 injuries: goalkeeper Perez de Vargas, right back 09/12 vs Metalurg W31:24 and left back N’Guessan. Next game: Next game: • Barcelona’s Macedonian goalkeeper 14/02 @ Puente Genil will face his national teammate, Vardar line player Stojanche 13/02 vs Celje Stoilov.

Standings as of 10/12 • While Vardar have only once (2017) been part of the Standings as of 10/12 VELUX EHF FINAL4, Barcelona (like Kiel) are record holder by 1. FC Barcelona 17 566:390 33 six participations, twice (2011 and 2015), the Catalans took 1. Vardar 13 413:314 37 2. Guadalajara 16 451:441 21 the trophy. 2. Zagreb 13 379:333 28 3. Ademar Leon 16 451:418 21 • Including the Match of The Week, Barcelona have three 3. Celje 13 377:351 26 of the remaining four matches on home ground. 4. Granollers 17 490:486 21 4. Meshkov Brest 12 349:330 22 • Barcelona count on players from ten different countries ... (ESP, ROU, DEN, POR, TUN, SLO, FRA, ISL, MKD, POL), Vardar ... 16. Morr. Cangas 16 407:470 6 on players from seven nations (MKD, SRB, CRO, RUS, LAT, BRA, 16. Vojvodina 13 315:401 6 MNE, ESP). • Currently top scorers of both sides are French Dika Mem (52 goals for Barcelona) and Montenegrin Vuko Borozan (48 goals for Vardar) - the latter missed the EHF EURO due to a car accident right before the start of the event.

2 Historic encounters in the EC

FC Barcelona Lassa vs HC Vardar 9-1-2 (369:296) 19:5 18.10.2003 FC Barcelona vs Vardar Vatrost. Skopje, EHF Champions League – Group B 41:19 (19:8) 16.11.2003 Vardar Vatrost. Skopje vs FC Barcelona, EHF Champions League – Group B 27:35 (16:14) 09.10.2004 FC Barcelona vs Vardar Vatrost. Skopje, EHF Champions League – Group A 31:22 (16:12) 06.11.2004 Vardar Vatrost. Skopje vs FC Barcelona, EHF Champions League – Group A 12:26 (8:15) 11.11.2009 HC Vardar PRO – Skopje vs FC Barcelona Borges, EHF Champions League – Group D 28:35 (17:16) 21.11.2009 FC Barcelona Borges vs HC Vardar PRO – Skopje, EHF Champions League – Group D 35:28 (15:13) 21.09.2013 HC Vardar – Skopje vs FC Barcelona, VELUX EHF Champions League – Group C 29:29 (15:19) 30.11.2013 FC Barcelona vs HC Vardar – Skopje, VELUX EHF Champions League – Group C 30:23 (14:11) 14.11.2015 FC Barcelona Lassa vs HC Vardar, VELUX EHF Champions League – Group B 31:30 (16:13) 22.11.2015 HC Vardar vs FC Barcelona Lassa, VELUX EHF Champions League – Group B 25:27 (15:12) 03.06.2017 HC Vardar vs FC Barcelona Lassa, VELUX EHF Champions League FINAL4 – Semi-final 26:25 (13:12) 14.10.2017 HC Vardar vs FC Barcelona Lassa, VELUX EHF Champions League – Group A 27:24 (16:12)

Details of the last HC Vardar vs FC Barcelona Lassa match: 14.10.2017 (Skopje, MKD) (VELUX EHF Champions League, Group A) 27:24 (16:12) Referees: Vaidas Mazeika/Mindaugas Gatelis (Lithuania). Suspensions: 10’ – 6’ (Stoilov 2’, Kristopans 2’, Ferreira Moraes 2’, Maqueda Pena 2’, Marsenic 2’ – Entrerrios 2’, Sorhaindo 2’, Hernandez Borges 2’). Number of 7m: 4/1 – 5/5. Attendance: 5,500.

Arpad Sterbik Capar Gonzalo Perez de Vargas Strahinja Milic Borko Ristovski - -

Stojanche Stoilov (3) Victor Tomas Vlado Nedanovski (5) Raul Entrerrios Dainis Kristopans Cedric Sorhaindo Rogerio Ferreira Moraes (1) Aitor Arino Jorge Maqueda Pena (5) (8) Valero Rivera Igor Karacic (1) (1) Timothey N’guessan Ilija Abutovic (1) Kamil Syprzak Joan Cañellas (1) Alexis Hernandez Borges Luka Cindric (4) (2) Jure Dolenec Ivan Cupic (2) (2) Dika Mem Timur Dibirov (4) Viran Morros Daniil Shishkarev (3) Yanis Lenne Vuko Borozan (6) Aleix Gomez Mijajlo Marsenic (2) Wael Jallouz

3 Most Goals in one game FC Barcelona Lassa vs HC Vardar:

Wael Jallouz 12 14.11.2015 FC Barcelona Lassa-HC Vardar 31:30 Iker Romero 8 06.11.2004 Vardar Vatrost. Skopje-FC Barcelona 12:26 8 11.11.2009 HC Vardar PRO – Skopje-FC Barcelona Borges 28:35 Victor Tomas 8 21.11.2009 FC Barcelona Borges-HC Vardar PRO – Skopje 35:28 Siarhei Rutenka 8 21.09.2013 HC Vardar – Skopje-FC Barcelona 29:29 Wael Jallouz 8 22.11.2015 HC Vardar-FC Barcelona Lassa 25:27 Valero Rivera 8 14.10.2017 HC Vardar-FC Barcelona Lassa 27:24

Most Goals in one game HC Vardar vs FC Barcelona Lassa:

Ivan Markovski 10 09.10.2004 FC Barcelona-Vardar Vatrost. Skopje 31:22 Borko Djordjevic 9 11.11.2009 HC Vardar PRO – Skopje-FC Barcelona Borges 28:35 Timur Dibirov 8 21.09.2013 HC Vardar – Skopje-FC Barcelona 29:29 Sergei Gorbok 8 14.11.2015 FC Barcelona Lassa-HC Vardar 31:30 Igor Karacic 7 21.09.2013 HC Vardar – Skopje-FC Barcelona 29:29 Ivan Cupic 7 03.06.2017 HC Vardar-FC Barcelona Lassa 26:25 Alex Dujshebaev 7 03.06.2017 HC Vardar-FC Barcelona Lassa 26:25

Last Ten Games in VELUX EHF Champions League:

FC Barcelona Lassa: current run – lost one 17.09.2017 Mannheim GER @ Rhein-Neckar Löwen GER D 31:31 23.09.2017 Barcelona ESP vs IFK Kristianstad SWE W 31:29 01.10.2017 Płock POL @ Orlen Wisla Plock POL W 30:37 07.10.2017 Barcelona ESP vs HBC Nantes FRA W 31:25 14.10.2017 Skopje MKD @ HC Vardar MKD L 27:24 04.11.2017 Barcelona ESP vs HC Prvo plinarsko drustvo Zagreb CRO W 32:22 12.11.2017 Barcelona ESP vs Rhein-Neckar Löwen GER D 26:26 19.11.2017 Szeged HUN @ MOL-Pick Szeged HUN L 31:28 23.11.2017 Zagreb CRO @ HC Prvo plinarsko drustvo Zagreb CRO W 24:32 02.12.2017 Nantes FRA @ HBC Nantes FRA L 29:25

HC Vardar: current run – unbeaten 15 17.09.2017 Płock POL @ Orlen Wisla Plock POL W 22:26 23.09.2017 Skopje MKD vs HBC Nantes FRA W 27:23 01.10.2017 Skopje MKD vs HC Prvo plinarsko drustvo Zagreb CRO W 28:21 07.10.2017 Szeged HUN @ MOL-Pick Szeged HUN D 26:26 14.10.2017 Skopje MKD vs FC Barcelona Lassa ESP W 27:24 04.11.2017 Kristianstad SWE @ IFK Kristianstad SWE W 23:26 11.11.2017 Zagreb CRO @ HC Prvo plinarsko drustvo Zagreb CRO W 23:29 18.11.2017 Skopje MKD vs Rhein-Neckar Löwen GER W 30:26 26.11.2017 Mannheim GER @ Rhein-Neckar Löwen GER D 21:21 02.12.2017 Skopje MKD vs IFK Kristianstad SWE W 31:15

4 FC Barcelona Lassa vs Macedonian clubs 12-1-3 Season Opponent Home Away Competition

2003/04 Vardar Vatrost. Skopje 41:19 35:27 EHF Champions League – Group B 2004/05 Vardar Vatrost. Skopje 31:22 26:12 EHF Champions League – Group A 2008/09 HC Metalurg 30:19 29:22 EHF Champions League – Group C 2009/10 HC Vardar PRO – Skopje 35:28 35:28 EHF Champions League – Group D 2013/14 HC Vardar – Skopje 30:23 29:29 VELUX EHF Champions League – Group C 2013/14 HC Metalurg 35:17 29:31 VELUX EHF Champions League – Group C 2015/16 HC Vardar 31:30 27:25 VELUX EHF Champions League – Group B 2016/17 HC Vardar 25:26 VELUX EHF FINAL4 – Semi-final 2017/18 HC Vardar 24:27 VELUX EHF Champions League – Group A

HC Vardar vs Spanish clubs 4-1-15

Season Opponent Home Away Competition

1994/95 BM Granollers 35:31 23:34 EHF Cup – Qualification Round 2 1998/99 Prosesa Ademar Leon 27:29 20:35 Cup Winners’ Cup – Semi-final 2003/04 FC Barcelona 27:35 19:41 EHF Champions League – Group B 2004/05 FC Barcelona 12:26 22:31 EHF Champions League – Group A 2007/08 C.BM. Ademar Leon 29:28 21:28 EHF Champions League – Group C 2009/10 Reale Ademar 24:31 28:37 EHF Champions League – Group D 2009/10 FC Barcelona Borges 28:35 28:35 EHF Champions League – Group D 2013/14 FC Barcelona 29:29 23:30 VELUX EHF Champions League – Group C 2015/16 FC Barcelona Lassa 25:27 30:31 VELUX EHF Champions League – Group B 2016/17 FC Barcelona Lassa 26:25 VELUX EHF FINAL4 – Semi-final 2017/18 FC Barcelona Lassa 27:24 VELUX EHF Champions League – Group A

5 FC Barcelona Lassa players’ career statistics against HC Vardar

Goalkeeper GP W D L G AVG HI PIM

Galve Gerard Forns ESP 0 0 0 0 0 0,00 0 0 Gonzalo Perez de Vargas ESP 6 4 0 2 0 0,00 0 0 Jorge Perez Molina ESP 0 0 0 0 0 0,00 0 0 Borko Ristovski MKD 3 1 0 2 0 0,00 0 0

Player GP W D L G AVG HI PIM

Lasse Bredekjaer Andersson DEN 2 1 0 1 13 6,50 10 2’ Aitor Arino Bengoechea ESP 6 3 1 2 3 0,50 1 (3) 0 Iosif Andrei Buzle ROU 0 0 0 0 0 0,00 0 0 Jure Dolenec SLO 5 0 1 4 17 3,40 5 0 Raul Entrerrios ESP 6 3 1 2 15 2,50 5 (2) 6’ Aleix Gomez ESP 1 0 0 1 0 0,00 0 0 Alexis Hernandez Borges POR 1 0 0 1 0 0,00 0 2’ Wael Jallouz TUN 4 2 0 2 25 6,25 12 0 Yanis Lenne FRA 1 0 0 1 0 0,00 0 0 Dika Mem FRA 2 0 0 2 4 2,00 2 (2) 0 Viran Morros ESP 6 3 1 2 1 0,17 1 8’ Timothey N’guessan FRA 2 0 0 2 4 2,00 3 2’ Aron Palmarsson ISL 4 3 1 0 14 3,50 7 2’ ESP 4 2 0 2 17 4,25 8 2’ Cedric Sorhaindo FRA 6 3 1 2 4 0,67 2 8’ Kamil Syprzak POL 6 3 0 3 15 2,50 4 (2) 10’ Victor Tomas Gonzalez ESP 11 8 1 2 37 3,36 8 4’ Pere Vaquer Grimalt ESP 0 0 0 0 0 0,00 0 0

Lasse Bredekjaer Andersson (KIF Kolding Kobenhavn 2015/16); Jure Dolenec (Montpellier Agglomeration HB 2014/15, Montpellier HB 2015/16); Aron Palmarsson (THW Kiel 2009/10, MVM Veszprém 2015/16); Borko Ristovski (Rhein-Neckar Löwen 2015/16); Kamil Syprzak (Orlen Wisla Plock 2014/15)

New trophy for the Matches of the Week: “Player of the Match”

From the first round of the VELUX EHF Champions League 2017/18 Group Phase a new player’s award have been introduced for the Matches of the Week. EHF Marketing have prepared a trophy called ‘Player of the Match’ which will be presented and handed over by different sponsors throughout the season. Awardees: Round 1: Hendrik Pekeler (Rhein-Neckar Löwen) Round 2: Slawomir Szmal (PGE ) Round 3: Mattias Andersson (SG Flensburg-Handewitt) Round 4: (Telekom Veszprém HC) Round 5: Buster Juul-Lassen Engelbrecht (Aalborg Handbold) Round 6: Niklas Landin (THW Kiel) Round 7: Nikola Karabatic (Paris Saint-Germain ) Round 8: Vuko Borozan (HC Vardar) Round 9: (Paris Saint-Germain Handball) Round 10: (HBC Nantes)

6 HC Vardar players’ career statistics against FC Barcelona Lassa

Goalkeeper GP W D L G AVG HI PIM

Daniel Gjorgjeski MKD 0 0 0 0 0 0,00 0 0 Marko Kizic MKD 0 0 0 0 0 0,00 0 0 Strahinja Milic SRB 6 2 1 3 0 0,00 0 0 Arpad Sterbik ESP 9 6 0 3 0 0,00 0 0

Player GP W D L G AVG HI PIM

Ilija Abutovic SRB 6 2 1 3 3 0,50 2 2’ Vuko Borozan MNE 2 2 0 0 11 5,50 6 0 Joan Cañellas ESP 7 4 0 3 21 3,00 6 (2) 2’ Luka Cindric CRO 5 3 0 2 20 4,00 7 0 Ivan Cupic CRO 9 4 2 3 39 4,33 10 2’ Timur Dibirov RUS 7 2 1 4 28 4,00 8 2’ Rogerio Ferreira Moraes BRA 3 3 0 0 1 0,33 1 2’ Igor Karacic CRO 6 2 1 3 17 2,83 7 2’ Dainis Kristopans LAT 1 1 0 0 0 0,00 0 2’ Jorge Maqueda ESP 4 2 0 2 9 2,25 5 10’ Mijajlo Marsenic SRB 4 2 0 2 2 0,50 1 (2) 4’ Vlado Nedanovski MKD 6 1 0 5 0 0,00 0 0 Toshe Onchev MKD 0 0 0 0 0 0,00 0 0 MKD 0 0 0 0 0 0,00 0 0 Daniil Shishkarev RUS 5 2 0 3 8 1,60 3 (2) 0 Stojanche Stoilov MKD 6 2 1 3 0 0,00 0 4’ Janja Vojvodic SRB 0 0 0 0 0 0,00 0 0

Joan Cañellas Reixach (Renovalia Ciudad Real 2010/11, BM Atletico Madrid 2012/13, THW Kiel 2015/16); Luka Cindric (HC Metalurg 2013/14); Ivan Cupic (Rhein-Neckar Löwen 2010/11, KS Vive Targi Kielce 2012/13, KS Vive Tauron Kielce 2014/15, KS Vive Tauron Kielce 2015/16); Timur Dibirov (Chekhovskie Medvedi 2009/10); Rogerio Ferreira Moraes (THW Kiel 2015/16); Igor Karacic (HC Bosna BH Gas Sarajevo – DNP); Vlado Nedanovski (HC Metalurg 2008/09); Daniil Shishkarev (Zarja Kaspija Astrakhan 2007/08 – DNP, Chekhovskie Medvedi 2009/10); Arpad Sterbik Capar (Fotex KC Veszprém 2003/04, BM Ciudad Real 2004/05 – DNP, BM Ciudad Real 2005/06, BM Ciudad Real 2008/09, Renovalia Ciudad Real 2010/11 – DNP); Stojanche Stoilov (HC Metalurg 2008/09)

VELUX EHF Champions League 2017/18 - MOTW #11 Media Information by EHF Media & Communications, 8/2/2018 Contributors: Björn Pazen, Roy Knoppert

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