Media Guide VELUX EHF Champions League Season 2012/2013 Group Phase
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Media Guide VELUX EHF Champions League Season 2012/2013 Group Phase Group A TABLE OF CONTENTS GROUP A – expert´s view 3 Montpellier Agglomération HB 4 Chekhovskie Medvedi 7 SG Flensburg-Handewitt 10 Reale Ademar León 13 RK Partizan Beograd 16 HSV Hamburg 19 Schedule of matches 22 2 TEAMS: 1. Montpellier Agglomération HB 2. Chekhovskie Medvedi 3. SG Flensburg-Handewitt 4. Reale Ademar Leon 5. RK Partizan 6. HSV Hamburg Expert Francois-Xavier Houlet says: Obviously, Montpellier, Flensburg, Hamburg and Chekhov seem to have the upper hand in this strong group. Montpellier have wisely strengthened themselves by the three “M”: Metličić, Mamelund and Malmagro. These three players will bring the necessary experience to the team for the Champions League and I am confident that the French champion can race for the “pole position” in the group. German runners-up Flensburg is back in the game! They played a really strong season and can rely on one of the best-rehearsed teams. In addition, their Campushalle is a “lion´s den”, where it is always extremely difficult to grab a point or two. Hamburg only sneaked into the Group Phase through the Wild Card Tournament. And even though their engine might not be running as smoothly as two years ago when they won the German championship and reached the FINAL4, their line-up of players is still among the best in Europe. Chekhov can rely on the prowess of many experienced players and have furthermore been reinforced by the former goalkeeper of Montpellier Richard Štochl. Talking about Montpellier, in 2010 the Russians beat the French side only in a penalty shoot-out in the quarter-final to reach the FINAL4. So we can expect an exciting clash again. I do not believe that Spanish team Leon can repeat last season´s achievement. Unfortunately, a lot of players left and the team therefore a considerable bit of its strength. However, Leon can still rely on “Grinta” and their raucous crowd! Belgrade is the minnow in this Group A and will a face tough time against its stronger opponents. 3 MONTPELLIER AGGLOMÉRATION HB (France) Qualification for the VELUX EHF Champions League 2012/13 season: French champions Season Preview: Club Address: Patrice Canayer is starting his 19th season as Montpellier Agglomeration HB Montpellier coach with mixed feelings. Not Centre Jean-Paul Lacombe only will a strengthened Paris team fight for the 1000 avenue Val de Montferrand French crown, but right wing Vid Kavtičnik is 34090 Montpellier, France still suffering from a ruptured crucial ligament which he picked up in March, when the French Contact numbers: champions were eliminated by Barcelona in the Tel. +33-4-99614455 Last 16 of the VELUX EHF Champions League. Fax. +33-4-99614454 They signed experienced Croat Petar Metličić Email: [email protected] as cover, but Kavtičnik is not supposed to return in 2013. Arena: Arena Montpellier Montpellier lost goalkeeper Štochl (Medvedi), Rue de la Foire Bojinović and Honrubia (both Paris), and signed 34470 Pérols/Montpellier Erlend Mamelund (Haslum) and Christian Capacity: 8000 Malmagro (Kobenhavn). OR Palais des Sports René Bougnol As preparation for the new season, a major 1000 Av. du Val de Montferrand part of the team took part in the IHF Super 34090 Montpellier, Capacity: 3000 Globe with six players and coach Canayer strengthening the squad of hosts AL-Sadd Media contact: (Doha, Qatar). And on top of that the squad will Suzy Demonte, +33 499 610358 have many more training sessions in the newly- [email protected] built fitness centre. Online: "We are in a very difficult Group Phase. Club website: www.montpellierhandball.com Furthermore, we will have to compete against Twitter: @ MAHB the winner of the Wild Card Tournament in our Facebook: montpellierhandball group which is in general a very strong team. ehfCL.com We were not fortunate in the draw, but the aim is to be the best-placed team after the Group Club achievements: Phase," the club manager Remy Levy said. EHF Champions League: Participations (including 2012/13 season): 15 “Our participation means two things: The Winner (1): 2003 possibility for us to play at the top European Semi-final (1): 2005 level, and the increased media coverage that Quarter-final (4): 2001, 2006, 2010, 2011 brings. We hope to take advantage of the Last 16 (4): 1996, 2004, 2007, 2012 profile that gives us. And another important Main Round (2): 2008, 2009 point is the positive economic impact for the Group Phase (2): 1999, 2000 sustainability of the club,” coach Canayer said. French champions: 14 titles(1995,1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012) French Cup winners: 12 titles 4 The squad No. First Name Family Name Nat. Position Date of Birth Weight Height 7 William Accambray FRA Left back 08.04.1988 94 194 Arthur Anquetil FRA Left wing 23.07.1995 5 Maxime Arvin-Berod FRA Left wing 19.08.1991 77 182 Lenny Bakana FRA Left back 11.08.1995 Samir Bellahcene FRA Goalkeeper 20.02.1995 3 Baptiste Bonnefond FRA Left back 22.01.1993 89 193 Yasser Boukheda FRA 15.03.1994 Maxime Bouschet FRA Right back 02.04.1996 79 183 Clement Branco FRA Right back 25.08.1996 74 185 Laurent Corade FRA 06.06.1993 Tanguy Delmas FRA 28.01.1995 92 Remi Desbonnet FRA Goalkeeper 28.02.1992 81 182 Ludovic Fabregas FRA Line player 01.07.1996 80 190 30 Dragan Gajic SLO Right wing 21.07.1984 83 190 Thomas Gomez FRA 22.06.1995 10 Mathieu Grebille FRA Left back 06.10.1991 94 188 14 Michael Guigou FRA Left wing 28.01.1982 79 179 Antoine Gutfreund FRA Right back 05.10.1992 85 195 Tristan Hattu FRA 22.02.1992 88 Wissem Hmam FRA Left back 21.04.1981 104 197 25 Luka Karabatic FRA Line player 19.04.1988 90 202 22 Nikola Karabatic FRA Left back 11.04.1984 102 196 23 Vid Kavticnik SLO Right wing 24.05.1984 85 190 Theo Lavabre FRA 08.08.1994 Simon Lejonc FRA 29.04.1992 Remi Leventoux FRA Line player 12.02.1992 100 202 Clement Liard FRA Right wing 03.05.1996 80 190 9 Cristian Malmagro Viana ESP Right wing 11.03.1983 88 191 11 Erlend Mamelund NOR Left back 01.05.1984 100 197 Kevin Mesnard FRA Goalkeeper 11.01.1993 19 Petar Metlicic CRO Right back 25.12.1976 96 194 16 Primoz Prost SLO Goalkeeper 14.07.1983 96 186 1 Mickael Robin FRA Goalkeeper 28.05.1985 82 190 21 Alexandre Saidani FRA 30.07.1994 6 Issam Tej FRA Line player 29.07.1979 98 187 20 Vincent Thouvenot FRA 30.05.1994 Mael Vandelannoote FRA 20.04.1995 Allan Villeminot FRA 24.05.1995 Romain Zerbib FRA 31.07.1993 New signings (including former club): Left the club (including new club): • Erlend Mamelund (Haslum/NOR) • Richard Štochl (Chekhovskie • Petar Metličić (RK Celje/SLO) Medvedi/RUS), • Cristian Malmagro • Mladen Bojinović (Paris SG (AG København/DEN) Handball/FRA), • Maxime Arvon Berod, Mathieu • Rémi Salou (Tremblay/FRA) Grebille (both MAHB youth • Samuel Honrubia (Paris SG programme) Handball/FRA) 5 Key players Nikola Karabatić: The former World Handball player of the Year is a key figure in the Montpellier team. Karabatic has already won everything there is to win in handball, indeed has won the Olympic Games, world championships and EHF European Championships twice with the French national team. The left back is one of the most complete current handball players with strengths in attack and defence. He has won the EHF Champions League two times – in 2003 with Montpellier and 2007 with THW Kiel. William Accambray: The new star of Montpellier and the French national team. The powerful left back is one the most powerful shooters in Europe. He rose to prominence at the 2011 World Championship, where Accambray won his first international title. In 2012 he was one key players responsible for the French Olympic gold medal in London. Dragan Gajič: The Slovenian is a counter-attacking expert. The right wing is fast and extremely self-assured in front of goal, as well as being cold as ice from the penalty line. Gajic continues the line of successful Slovenians players at Montpellier including Vid Kavticnik and Primoz Prost in the current team. Coach Patrice Canayer: 15 French championship titles, 12 cup victories, 15 participations in the VELUX EHF Champions League since 1995 including winning the title in 2003 – these are just some of the achievements of Montpellier coach Patrice Canayer. In 1994 he started his coaching career and coached players like Nikola Karabatić, Thierry Omeyer and Didier Dinart. Now Canayer’s 19th straight season on the Montpellier bench has begun. In his active career the 51-year-old coach played for Bordeaux and Racing Paris. 6 CHEKHOVSKIE MEDVEDI (Russia) Qualification for the VELUX EHF Champions League 2012/13 season: Russian champions Club Address: Season Preview: Chekhovskie Medvedi In the 2009/10 VELUX EHF Champions Poligrafistov str. 30 League season, Chekhovskie Medvedi made it 142300 Chekhov, Mosk. oblast to the VELUX EHF FINAL4, two seasons later Russia the Russian champions were eliminated in the Group Phase. Now the team of coach Vladimir Contact numbers: Maximov is hoping for a return to Cologne and Tel.+7-985-9991624 to hold onto their role as the dominant team in Fax +7-495-6132618 the Russian league. Email: [email protected] His highly experienced and well-rehearsed Arena: squad has not changed that much in the past Sport Hall "Olimpiyskiy" Chekhov few years except for long-term captain Vitaly Poligrafistov Str.