In club competitions in last two years we are seeing "Star Wars" with ships commanders, Alfred Gislason and Talant Dusheibaev. Commander of Baltic forces is Icelander, who won already with SC Magdeburg, Champions League (2002.), EHF Cup and Bundesliga (2001.) and European Champions Trophies (2001&02). Last summer he came in THW Kiel and in first season won "double title", but lost the Final of CL in last 20 minutes from Ciudad Real. If we add to his CV, two title for the Best coach in Germany (2001&09), title for Sportsmen of the Year in Iceland (1989.), two Bundesliga championships as a player (Tusem Esen 1986&87), three kids and historical education, than it is obvious about how big human dimension we are talking about. Alfred Gislason (50), exclusively from the bench of "Boris Trajkovski" hall in Skopje…
Do you have sometimes problem to motivate your player, when you have weaker opponents, as a Vardar, for example, or that is going with T-Shirts which you players have on them?
– No, I have never such a kind of problem, but, in last two games with Barcelona and Flensburg, we were played with first setup, with minimal changes, so I must today to give a chance to some other player and hopefully, they will keep high standards and level of our performances. That is only way for other players to fit in the team, who are very important fo us, as Narcisse for example, who miss some games because of injury.
We know that are ambitions of THW Kiel are always the same -To win everything. Do you have for that aim, better team than last season? Kiel left Karabatic, Lovgren, Kavticnik, but new in the squad are Ilic, Sprenger, Narcisse, Gentzel, etc…
– It is difficult to say. I hope that we have team, at least good as last year. We are better in that way, that now we have more higher and strentgher players, and we can easier to compensate some injuries. For example, we have excellent righthanded players, excellent. We have a good situation on left side also, so I think that THW will be more stabile during the season.
Definitely, HSV Hamburg has a better team than before. What you say about their ambition to "smash" Kiel finally and win Bundesliga?
– They are always put big pressure on as. Its obvius that they have never as a this year, such a good reason for that. They kept same team and add to extremelly good players (Duvnjak and Vori). HSV doesn't have situation like we have, to build a new squad and play with five or six new players. Every year we are filling that pressure for other teams, but also, HSV is under pressure. If they dont win something this year, when we made a lot of changes, then when they can do that next time? Their chances in championships race are really huge, but it won't be easy for anyone…
HSG Flensburg, your second neighbor, has a complex from you. Probably, you want to make same situation with HSV…
– Yes, yeas (laugh). In fact, HSV has had that complex in the past, but now they change a squad and new players doesn't regret that. It will be interesting. That is only positive, because good opponents making you better.
Probably, the most handball fans in Europe wish that THW beat Ciudad Real in the Final of Champions League, after two defeats…
– Of course, we want also and that is the biggest aim for the club this year. However, if you look in the name of teams who are competent to take place at Final Four in Cologne, you will se that, at least four fantastic teams won't be there! Firstly, it will be big sucess to qualify to Cologne and then we can think about Ciudad Real.
What you said to Omeyer, when he became "World player of the year"?
– I just send him SMS. I was very happy because of him, because he deserved that afte last season and many seasons before. He is fantastic goalkepper and also, a guy.
Do you think that some other players from THW is ready to get that title of the Best?
– Yes, sure. Several players has a potential to get that prize. Unfortunately, playing for national teams is also important, when they deciding about nominations. So, player who hasn't win medal with his national team, has a small chances. I had Olafur Stefansson, wo was fantastic, but he didnt awarded, because Iceland didn't reach semifinals at major tournaments. That is also problem with Momir Ilic and Filip Jicha. They are very good players, but, just when theirs national teams start to count medals, they will have chances to win this title one day.
It will be interesting to hear, how Momir found himself in THW family?
– We worked together in Gummersbach, so I clearly know, who are coming in the club. He isn't just fantastic player, but also a character. It was very easy to fit him in the team. After just two, three weeks, he looked like he spend 10 years here.
You were national coach of Iceland, until two years ago. How do you see a chances of new generation of Iceland on European Championships in Austria, where they are in the group with Danmark, Serbia and Austria?
– We always made a surprises, when nobody believe in us. Iceland change squad a lot. Stefansson probably wont play anymore and some other older players, but we a have a lot, very good young players. Essence is that Icelandic understand handball as a team sport, they fight and live together and that is a reason, why Iceland is always danger. My opinion is that Iceland will have a good tournament, but, far away from the medals.
Iceland always making problems for Yugoslavia, now Serbia…
– That is question of mentality. I am waiting for Serbia to start to play, quite long. If you see Serbian players, where are they and how they are playing, you are in doubt. A lot of time, I talked with Momir about that, because I dont understand, why they dont have a results. It should be normal that Serbia play in semifinal or final in every tournament. Just if Serbia make same what Iceland has, that players work, live and enjoy together, than they can reach a medals. Hasanefendic as a new coach is a good choice, but I also have a good opinion about former coach, Cvetkovic, who done very good things for the team. Sead is a experienced coach and if he solve some deficiencies, Serbia can beat everyone…
ZIKA BOGDANOVIC
