Season summary: Champions League

 

Telekom Veszprém started this season in a way to be able to correct their disappointing last season as soon as possible. The series started well, we managed to beat PGE Vive Kielce 29:27 on home court, but right after this two losses came, against Barca in Spain and Vardar at home. The board sacked Ljubomir Vranjes and appointed István Gulyás, then David Davis as head coach. This decision worked, as first, we took two important points from Brest on a dramatic game, with Roland Mikler’s overtime penalty save, then we beat the titleholder Montpellier in France. Of course, there was a negative side of the change, as right after these performances came two losses. Löwen managed to win in Veszprém Arena, then we lost to Kristianstad in Sweden. Our run started at the group turn, with a comeback to Kristianstad and a nine goals win, which was followed by 11 consecutive victories. Such as the one against Löwen in away, Montpellier and Barca at home, and in away against Vardar and Kielce.

 

 

This impressive spring season performance and the increasing confidence in the team was prosperous, as we have finished the group phase on second spot, earning a lower seeded team in the eightfinals. From the lower house, we faced Sporting CP which we did with a double victory, in away 28:30 thanks to Petar Nenadic’s eight goals, the we beat them at home 35:29. We proceeded to the quarterfinals, where the last hurdle to the Final4 was the German champion SG Flensburg-Handewitt. We started this clash in away as well, and started it very well. Although, Flensburg took a bigger lead in the beginning of the game, we managed to take home a six goals advantage to the second leg. We won that one with four, advancing to the top four team of the Champions League for the fifth time. 4

 

 

In Cologne, we played against Kielce in the semifinal and won by three goals 33:30. In Sunday’s final we met HC Vardar, where we could not climb back the half time deficit of five goals and lost 27:24. With this, we could not conquer the top European handball series, once again.

 

 

Here are some interesting statistic, collected by Zoltán Lang: