Interview with David Davis

 

The Hungarian championship will kick off this weekend, which means the end of the preparation period. We asked our head coach about the experiences of the training camp and preparation, also about his expectations on the upcoming games.

 

 

The preparation is preparation. We can speak about Kranjska Gora but we did the same job there as we would have done in Veszprém. Training camp was good, because I think that it does well when in the beginning everyone is in the system, without any distractions, without family, or having dinner here or there. Only focus on handball, do the physical work and rest. You have the maximum time to rest between trainings and then sleep well without any distractions. I think these eleven days in Slovenia was good because of this. We also have new players who need to enter into the system. We always do the first week here, so everyone can finish their things, finish moving to their new homes and so on. The second period of preparation takes place in a training camp. I like to go places with high altitude. Kranjska Gora was amazing. It was very beautiful; you could go out for a coffee or just relax. The court was a five-minute walking from the hotel. The hotel was great as well; we could have our own menu. It was a great place to go. When we returned, we continued the preparation. It is different a bit, because we need to start the season this week. We usually take five weeks to prepare, before the first game of the season but this one is different. We need to start the season soon, even though the calendar was complicated to make as best as we could. Nonetheless, I am so satisfied because of Marija (Lojanica), because she is a professional. I have known her for a long time, and she did a really good job with the guys. We had time to prepare with the tactics. I am also satisfied because of the players. From the first day, the handball was really high level, the trainings were high level, the players were fit and everybody was working during the summer. The boys are ready to start the season.

 

 

I was not worried about the goalkeepers, because they are working with the goalkeeper coach, most of the times when the team is in the gym. I see that they are in a really good shape and that they have good sensations in the goal. About the other new players, Paczkowski is still recovering, Moraes and Borozan have already known the system. They only need to adapt to the rhythm and the quality of the training and to know the plays, where should they attack. It is a matter of time. Borozan was injured for a long time, and did not play for a while. Moraes was playing in the Pan-American games in the middle of the preparation. He needs to get the rhythm again. I was a bit worried about Lauge, because he did not play this system in Flensburg, and he played almost all his career in the Bundesliga. I thought that it would be difficult for him, even though he is an excellent player. However, he adapted very fast. In defense, he defends hard, in attack, he understands everything. I am very surprised because he adapted so fast and well. I am satisfied with the new players, because the only one, who arrived and did not play the system, was doing his job really well from the first day, like a natural.

 

We started with full gas from the first day. We did not care if it was a preparation game or anything. We prepared for the games like it is the beginning of the league. The highest priority is always the Hungarian league because that is what gives you the Champions League. We need to win it to play in the CL. We tried to play with teams in the beginning that allowed us to play with them. We managed to play these games now, and we will do it with full power, with 14 players. We need to do with all the rotation. We will try to use these matches as preparation before the Champions League start. We should play 9-10 games before that. The players need to be fit by then, without losing, because the most important in the Hungarian league.

 

 

Photo: Dávid Vörös