Interview with David Davis

 

It became official yesterday that David Davis will take over the head coach position of Telekom Veszprém after signing a 1+1 year contract with Veszprém Handball Team Co. Ltd. We had a little talk with the 41-years-old Spaniard after the signing of the contract.

 

 

It is fantastic. The fact that the Club chose me was a great pleasure. I am very happy and now that I am finally here, the feeling is much better.

 

My first Champions League game was a Veszprém – Ciudad Real in the old hall in 2005. I came here for my first match and I could not believe what was going on. The noise was so high that we could not hear the referee or anything. Year by year I came here as a player or as a coach and I have to say that we have great Supporters. They always support the team. They are very loyal, and no matter who the team plays against they always cheer for the team. When you come here to play, the first thing you notice are the Fans of course. Then also the players. When I came here with Vardar, we were in a very good moment but as soon as you notice players, you start feeling smaller and smaller. This is the feeling that we have to reestablish.

 

Veszprém is big Club, with a great team and even greater players. You have a city that lives around handball and it makes it appealing to come here to be the part of this team and this city as a coach or as a player as well.

 

 

Our short-term goals are to beat Montpellier and Szeged. We want to win every game until the international break. Szeged is the most important one, because of the big rivalry in the league. The middle and long-term goals are to win the Hungarian Cup, the Hungarian championship and to be in the Champions League Final4. I think nowadays it is impossible to say that you are going to win the Champions League, as you could see the last eight Final4s were won by eight different teams. It is impossible to predict who is going to win. The most important is to reach the Final4. I think the players have the quality and the Club has done everything to have a team that is a clear candidate for the top 4 in Europe. We will see, but it is clear for everyone who knows a little bit of handball, where Veszprém stands.

 

I have good players here. Normally in a team, you have one guy that only shoots, one guy who only defend, one who only runs. Here the same player can shoot, run, defend, pass and everything. It is easy to play because whomever I send in can do everything. Yes, he can change, and we are going to make changes naturally. But there is the possibility of not making changes. It is easy for a coach. You always have to find the chemistry between the positions, but here it is not so big of a problem.

 

I just want them to have a normal life of a sportsman. I know that they are young, and they are stars but a player should be professional. Normal things. If you want to drink a beer, I will not say anything, but if you have an organized life, it is better because what you do outside of the court is going to be inside of the court. On the court, I want professionals and they must be together. If one plays more than one will play less. If we lose, we all lose, if we win, we all win. If we win the Champions League, and they are giving out the medals, nobody will ask how many minutes have you played. Everybody must be happy to be here, and work every day, and fight every second on every centimeters of the court. That is all. I want them to be together and win. This is what I expect from the team on and off the court.

 

First, have players like these. Second, have a Club like this that can bring these kind of players to the team. Third, have these Supporters and to have a system. Very important for the players to know what to do. In case of an injury, the player coming from the bench will know what to do. You also need a little bit of luck. The luck of the champions. In crucial moments, you need luck. I can bring a lot of examples to this. When we won with Vardar, we won both games with only one goal. The small piece of luck that you always need. There is no magical formula really. Have good players and a system, win games and reach the Final4. Be prepared to play 2 hard games in 24 hours. The one in better shape will win.

 

 

I am proud of all of them. Every achievement is important. Now that I am in Veszprém everybody said how lucky I am to be here. Yes, but you have to see what I did before. I was fighting a lot to get here and to stay here I have to keep on fighting. I have to get better and better. You must always be alert and work, work, work!

 

I am open and versatile. I can talk with anyone. I like to be straight and serious when I am on the court. More or less this is what defines me.

 

My hobby is photography and editing in Photoshop. I like making videos, I even have my own website. Now I had to stop a bit but I always do it when I have time. Photography and making videos are my hobbies.

 

I love my family. I have two kids, David and Noah, 11 and 9. I have a wife, Anna. They will arrive to Hungary on Friday. They will live in Budapest because the kids are in the American school system and they have school there. I will live in Veszprém but the will always come on weekends, when we have games. During the week, we will see. They always come with me on my travels, now we have to be a little bit separated. They are in Egypt right now and will arrive on Friday.

 

My message to Veszprém Fans and everyone who loves the team is to fight for Veszprém! This is a very difficult time now and everybody who loves Veszprém should put a little bit of himself to help the team. Everyone is trying to do the right things now. If you can join to our ideas, we have to go into the same direction. The players, the Supporters, the media, the people from Veszprém and everyone from the Club. This is the only way, to push harder and to get rid of this situation.

 

 

 

Photo: Dávid Vörös