Interview with Árpád Sterbik

 

Árpád Sterbik will move to Veszprém from Vardar Skopje this summer. We asked the world-class goalkeeper about this transition, and he answered our questions happily.

 

 

I am waiting for the season, although the last one has just ended. Before the new season, I am looking forward to the resting period, because of the moving, there was a lot to do. Of course, I am waiting for the new season and the new challenges because I love challenges. This is going to be a new team; however, the city will not be new for me. I am curious and excited for the new season.

 

We had a tough year in Vardarm we had weaker and stronger periods as well, but we finally managed to get to Cologne. I think we closed a positive year, we won the championship, the cup, the SEHA League and we qualified for the Champions League Final4. We missed only a little bit at the end. We were not lucky with the injuries, many of our players were missing, and it was not like the last year with everybody being healthy. Final4 may have had another outcome if we did not have injured players. In conclusion we had a positive season.

 

I have spent 4 years in Skopje and I loved it very much. The club made progress step by step in results and in everything else. I had a great time there not only as a player but in my private life as well. My family managed to adjust the life there. Although we are happy to move back to Veszprém, our hearts ache that we have to leave Skopje.

 

 

I arrived here last Wednesday and most of our stuffs are just thrown into the house. We moved a bit in the winter as well, so everything should be in order soon. It is never easy to move with the whole family but I hope everything falls into its place soon.

 

Preparation games does not mean much for me as a goalkeeper. These tournaments are useful for the other players to work on team chemistry and for the new guys to get used to those who are in the system for a while now. It is more important for them than it is to me. These games does not give a real image of the power of the team because every coach alters the tactics and formations. We are going to play tough game against, we are going to Stasbourg to face tough opponents, but result is secondary in my opinion, to most of the teams.

 

There are always dreams and plans; this is what keeps a professional alive. We have to get Veszprém back to its deserved place in both the Hungarian championship and in the Champions League. We have to take both step by step and we will see what happens. We will have a great team but the opponents are strong. We have to have a bit of luck and I hope the injuries will not influence the results in the season as it did this year for Veszprém. I hope that when we close the season in next June we can look at a positive season. I am fortunate to have played in teams since 2001, from my first year in Veszprém, where the goal was to win the Champions League. This goal stays the same for the next season as well.

 

 

Photo: Dávid Vörös