2022-02-15 18:25

MAGYARUL

We have spoken with Blaz Blagotinsek before our match against FC Porto.

How was your holiday at the end of last year? How did you spend your time?

It was superb, I spent most of my free time with my family in Celje, but we also went on a 2–3-day holiday to the Slovenian mountains, we went skiing. We weren’t skiing properly, just messing around, however despite all the COVID regulations – a lot of places were closed – we really enjoyed ourselves. I had about 2 weeks to rest; we were with my family, my wife’s family, this is how we spent the festive period. Fortunately, I was able to recharge both mentally and physically.

What do you think about the European Championship? How did Slovenia perform?

We cannot be too satisfied with ourselves as we are good team (Slovenia was eliminated in the group phase) with a bunch of world-class players. A lot of us play in Hungary, Germany, Spain, all around Europe; naturally we were quite optimistic before the Championship. To be honest, I cannot really put my finger on the reason why we got eliminated so early on, altogether I felt the same vibe when we finished fourth in Sweden. I really don’t know, the relationships are great between the players and the team altogether, we’ve been playing together for years now, but something was missing. I can’t even say that it’s the coach’s or the management’s fault, they put in the work and effort just like always. To sum up, we played three matches and we were eliminated.

What do you think about your own performance?

I think it was alright but of course there is always room for improvement. To be honest I’m never satisfied with myself, this is an essential part of my mentality. I am constantly looking for areas to improve in. I think, if you start to convince yourself that you are great and you become satisfied with yourself, then something is not right. Everything can be done better and better, this is my opinion; this is what drives you forward in life. Regarding the European Championship, I think my performance was fine, however as we only played 3 matches, I cannot be satisfied. It doesn’t matter if my performance is good or bad if the team doesn’t reach its goals. I am doing everything I can to be successful together and to win together as a team.

Of course, it wasn’t easy to play in this European Championship because we only found out who can and can’t play 30 minutes before every match. If someone’s test came back positive, then came quarantine and health examinations. It was a bit stressful and to sum up, it was a strange international tournament to say the least.

How did it feel coming back to Veszprém? How is the atmosphere in the dressing room?

Like in every other season before, the atmosphere is very good in the dressing room. During this period, when we return back to the team from an international tournament it’s always a bit strange, because those who played through the entire tournament start off the year more tired than others. Those who stayed behind in Veszprém trained a lot and are in good physical condition, but they lack game time. These little differences in our conditions need to be ironed out in the coming weeks. Of course, we’re professional sportsmen and we know why we’re here, so this won’t be a problem.

It won’t be easy, but we’re ready for the new season. Soon we’ll continue the Champions League campaign as well. We’ll have to start off strong, like against Tatabánya. I think we’re heading in the right direction as a team, but like I said before we’re always looking for areas to improve in.

What do you think the upcoming matches? We’ll be playing against the likes of Barca, PSG and Kielce? How can we manage to win points from these clashes?

I think if everyone is healthy and available to play, we’ll have a strong chance against all these teams. We have proved previously in Veszprém, that we can win against Barca and PSG. We have nothing to lose, we must fight for each other, bring out the best from ourselves and we’ll see how far this can take us. It’s always harder to play away from home, but we’ll have to try our best. This period will be comparable to the one during the EUROs, regarding who can and cannot play. These factors can strongly influence the outcome of any game. Furthermore, I believe this season all the teams are much closer to each other in terms of quality and ability. Every team has a reasonable chance of reaching the final, this is an opportunity we mush grasp. This what we hope to achieve, this what we want!

What do you think about your current role in the team?

Most of the time, I play in the center of our defense, but this season with Momo, I’m getting more and more chances to prove myself and help out in offence as well. I would like to improve in that area as well, this why I’m training each and every day, because like all handball players, I want to score goals too. I’m feeling good in the middle of our defense with Sipi and Liget. It’s extremely important that we’re comfortable with each other and that we’re familiar with each other’s movements; when you need to help out your partner or when you need some help. These things become automated after a while, if the chemistry works between us. And like I said in the beginning, the atmosphere and the mood around the team is exceptional, so this gives us a good foundation to go forward and improve. When this team chemistry and cohesion starts to near perfection that will be perfect; we’re definitely on the right path, so we’re not lacking behind in this area neither. I really like this group of players and I always try to do everything I can in service of the team’s success, and to be a useful part of the team.

What do you think about our upcoming match against Porto? 

I am expecting a tough game, as we know Porto is a really strong team, who plays very good handball. They’re always very well prepared both physically and tactically against their upcoming opponent. I think the key to victory will be our defense. They love to play 7v6 and they’re very efficient with it. We must be well-prepared against their 7v6 attack because I believe there is no other team in the world who utilizes 7v6 better than Porto does. We’ll have to concentrate during all 60 minutes and minimize our technical errors throughout the game, and break Porto’s spirit with creative attacks and a lot of fast counters. If our goalkeepers can help us out in defense with their usual saves, I believe everything will be fine. I am very excited; I cannot wait to play in the Champions League, in front of our fans again! 

MEGOSZTÁS