Media Guide VELUX EHF Champions League Season 2012/2013 Group Phase Group D TABLE OF CONTENTS GROUP D – expert´s view 3 FC Barcelona Intersport 4 HC Croatia Osiguranje Zagreb 7 Kadetten Schaffhausen 10 Füchse Berlin 13 Pick Szeged 16 HC Dinamo Minsk 19 Schedule of matches 22 2 TEAMS 1. FC Barcelona Intersport 2. HC Croatia Osiguranje Zagreb 3. Kadetten Schaffhausen 4. Füchse Berlin 5. Pick Szeged 6. HC Dinamo Minsk Expert Francois-Xavier Houlet says: From my point of view, FC Barcelona is the red-hot favourite in this group. The Catalans have all what it takes to clinch the trophy – the experience, the depth and the quality of the roster and – through the recent signing of Strbik who will pair with Šarić – also the best goalkeeping duo in Europe. Last season´s surprise team Füchse Berlin is no surprise anymore! In their first ever participation in 2011/12, the club from the German capital reached the FINAL4 and this gained a straight ticket through their Bundesliga ranking. The Füchse could be a tough challenger for Barcelona and one of the competition’s outsiders with title chances. Szeged, Schaffhausen and Zagreb will vie for last two tickets to the Last 16 and the Hungarian side should have a slight advantage. Apart from Larholm replacing Máté Lékai the team remained the same and continues its promising development. They can also count on their home support and the fantastic atmosphere the fans create in the “Pick”-cave. Swiss team Schaffhausen made it to the Last 16 in the previous season and they will be aiming for the same feat this time, but Zagreb is likely to be in their way. The Croatian champions lost five key players before the season and basically entered a new era. Finally, be aware of Minsk! Nobody should underestimate this small outsider. Just remind yourself of their good results in the second half of the 2010/11 Group Phase. 3 FC BARCELONA INTERSPORT (Spain) Qualification for the VELUX EHF Champions League 2012/13 season: Spanish Champion Club Address: Season Preview: FC Barcelona Intersport After missing out on the VELUX EHF FINAL4 Xavier O'Callaghan for the first time in 2012, FC Barcelona Avda. Aristides Maillol, s/n Intersport are aiming for Cologne once again. 08028 Barcelona,Spain The current Spanish champion signed Martin Straňovský, a counter-attack specialist from Contact numbers: Leon, and replaced right back Konstantin Tel. +34-639-134628 Igropoulo (Berlin) with Leon giant Angel Fax. +34-934-967612 Montoro, who signed a six years contract with Email: [email protected] the Spanish outfit. Arena: At the end of August Barca made their top Palau Blaugrana transfer of this summer, signing a five-year Av. Aristides Maillol, s/n, 08028 Barcelona contract with world class goalkeeper Arpad Capacity: 7250 Sterbik (Atletico Madrid). However, the Hungarian team captain László Nagy made the Media contact: move to MKB Veszprem alongside his Gustau Galvache, +34 618522789 teammates Marco Oneto and Christian Ugalde. [email protected] With this partly renewed squad the record Online: winner of the VELUX EHF Champions League is Club website: www.fcbarcelona.cat aiming high again – with the focus on reaching Twitter: @fcbarcelona_cat the VELUX EHF FINAL4 and to win the Spanish Facebook: fcbarcelona championship again. ehfCL.com “Our main objective is to make it to the VELUX Club achievements: EHF FINAL4 and try to win it. We know that is EHF Champions League: so difficult because, in the VELUX EHF Participations (including 2012/13 season): 16 Champions League all teams play at an Winner (7): 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, amazing level. It’s mandatory for us to win all 2005, 2011 the matches at home in the first phase, and try Final (2): 2001, 2010 to get the best possible results away. It’s Semi-final (1): 2008 important to finish the Group Stage in the poll Quarter-final (3): 2006, 2007, 2012 position because this gives you the best Last 16 (1): 2004 possible start for rest of the competition," team Main Round (1): 2009 captain Victor Tomás said. EHF Cup: “Firstly we want to try to make it to the Last 16 Winners: 2003 from the best position of the first phase. We are Finalists 2002 in a hard group and I’m sure that nobody will Cup Winners´Cup: finish unbeaten,” coach Xavi Pascual predicted. Winner: 1994, 1995 “This is the main competition for handball Spanish champions: 18 titles(1969, 1973, 1980, clubs in Europe. It is the competition that 1982, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, everybody wants to win,” he added. 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2011, 20)12 Spanish Cup winners: 17 titles 4 The squad No. First Name Family Name Nat. Position Date of Birth Weight Height 21 Mikel Aguirrezabalaga Garcia ESP Left back 08.04.1984 89 194 33 Aitor Arino Bengoechea ESP Left wing 05.10.1992 81 18400 34 David Balaguer Romeu ESP Right wing 17.08.1991 83 184 40 Ignacio Biosca Garcia ESP Goalkeeper 17.07.1995 95 200 9 Raul Entrerrios Rodriguez ESP Centre back 12.02.1981 89 195 6 Juan Garcia Lorenzana ESP Left wing 28.08.1977 74 176 18 Eduardo Gurbindo Martinez ESP Right back 08.11.1987 89 195 20 Magnus Jernemyr SWE Centre back 18.06.1976 106 198 8 Angel Montoro Cabello ESP Right back 10.04.1989 105 213 27 Viran Morros de Argila ESP Left back 15.12.1983 92 197 3 Jesper Brian Nöddesbo DEN Line player 23.10.1980 101 199 26 Albert Rocas Comas ESP Right wing 16.06.1982 80 189 22 Siarhei Rutenka BLR Left back 29.08.1981 109 199 12 Danijel Saric BIH Goalkeeper 27.06.1977 93 194 11 Daniel Sarmiento Melian ESP Centre back 25.08.1983 85 188 10 Cedric Sorhaindo FRA Line player 07.06.1984 100 192 1 Arpad Sterbik ESP Goalkeeper 20.11.1979 119 200 24 Martin Stranovsky SVK Left wing 12.09.1985 78 187 8 Victor Tomas Gonzalez ESP Right wing 15.02.1985 89 178 New signings (including former club): Left the club (including new club): • Eduardo Gurbino (BM Valladolid), • László Nagy (MKB Veszprém) • Angel Montoro (Reale Ademar Leon), • Marco Oneto (MKB Veszprém) • Martin Straňovský (Reale Ademar) • Cristian Ugalde (MKB Veszprém) • Arpad Sterbik (Atlético Madrid) • Konstatin Igropulo (Füchse Berlin) 5 Key players Arpad Sterbik: The 2004 World Handball Player of the Year was part of the famous Atletico goalkeeper duo together with Jose Hombrados. Now he is aiming for an equal performance with Danijel Saric at Barcelona. Sterbik is known for his patience and the minimum of movements in the goal. He also counts on his brilliant reflexes and flexibility. Siarhei Rutenka: In 2011 Belarusian Rutenka became the second player to win five EHF Champions League titles with three clubs. After lifting the trophy in 2004 with Celje, he won three titles in 2006, 2008 and 2009 with Ciudad Real, followed by the victory with Barcelona in 2011. Left back Rutenka, who often switches to the pivot position, was the EHF Champions League’s top scorer twice. Juanin Garcia: The all-time record scorer of the Spanish Asobal league is still one of the best wing players in Europe. In this season Garcia is also supposed to integrate his successor Stranovsky in Barcelona. Garcia is 2005 world champion with Spain and two times EHF Champions League winner with Barcelona, in 2008 he was Spain’s top scorer at the Beijing Olympic Games. Coach Xavi Pascual: Xavi Pascual is a “double feature” at FC Barcelona Intersport, as the coach of the successful handball or the basketball teams both coaches have the same name, but are different people. Handball coach Pascual just extended his contract until 2015, which began on 9 February 2009. Pascual played for a lengthy period in Barcelona and some other Spanish clubs, before becoming goalkeeper’s coach at the record winner of the EHF Champions League in 2005, where he started working with Barca legend David Barrufet and others. Pascual then became the successor of Manolo Cadenas at Barcelona – and with this change came success: In 2011 his team won the VELUX EHF Champions League, making up for the lost the year beforehand. In addition he led Barca to three straight Spanish championship and several cup titles. 6 HC CROATIA OSIGURANJE ZAGREB (Croatia) Qualification for the VELUX EHF Champions League 2012/13 season: Croatian Champions Season Preview: Club Address: The coach remains the same, but the team will HC Croatia Osiguranje Zagreb change on several key positions: Four top Veprinacka 16,10000 Zagreb,Croatia players left the Croatian record champions after Contact numbers: a strong previous season: Ivano Balić and Jakov Tel. +385-1-5559695 Gojun signed at Atlético Madrid, Marko Kopljar in Fax. +385-1-3093001 Paris and Manuel Štrlek in Kielce. Email: [email protected] But coach Slavko Goluža is still confident that his Arena: team is able to keep up with the top teams of Arena Zagreb Europe in their 19th participation in the EHF Laniste b.b.,10000 Zagreb Champions League and show their strength in a Capacity: 15200 tough group. No other team had been part of the OR European top-flight as often as Zagreb. Dom Sportova – “Ice hall” Trg Kresimira Cosica 11, 10 000 Zagreb In Croatia, Zagreb are aiming to keep their clean Capacity: 6500 sweep with 22 championships in 22 years and 19 cup titles, aside they are determined to reach Media contact: the final tournament of the regional league Ante Ančić, +385 15559695 SEHA.