Croatian handball team at the European Championship finished fifth, which is, they all agree – failure? But before the match for the fifth place against the Czech Republic it was clear that at the next meeting Croatia will be led by a new selector.
Instead of gold or the smallest fight for the medal, Croatia’s men’s handball team on the Euro, where they were hosts, took the fifth place. Aware that he did not meet expectations, Lino Cervar announced his departure after the Czech Cup victory.
– It’s true that I had a contract until the end of this championship, I led the national team for the 166th time and I really did not save myself. Of course, without me, Croatian handball and national team have a future. I believe that there are professional people in Croatia who can continue a series of medals, and I will support the new selector. We need to believe in the man we want. I did not support any short work, no wonder and magic was clear Lino Cervar.
The whole situation has caused Croatia to have no selectors at the moment. And soon they will play matches of additional qualifications for the World Cup 2019, at which Croatian opponents will be Montenegro.
In the Croatian Handball Federation they decided to ask a new selector through a competition. Although there are absolutely no signals at this time or come up with the names of potential candidates, in handball circles, but also among fans, one name has a special weight. It is Nenad Kljaić, the legendary handball player of Zagreb, but also the Croatian national team, with whom he won Olympic gold in Atlanta in 1996.
Before we touched upon the possible candidate candidacy, Neno Kljajić turned to Croatia’s appearance on the Euro.
– We all expected that our handball players will take gold and we will use the household. Unfortunately, we did not succeed, Kljai started, who had the last coach engagement as the coach of Saudi Arabia.
Could we expect more at all? What was the problem, the choice of players, lack of luck or better opponents?
– Definitely not, but it must have been more. And the reasons are all a bit. But the biggest was that the goalkeepers defended us badly. Without them, you can not expect a fight for the highest ranking. The coach Cervar was wrong in the selection of the goalkeeper coach (Vlado Sola) and I do not hide it. That’s Cervar and I said when the Euros draw was held in Lisinski.
The son of the legendary expert Velimir Kljajić continued in the same tone.
– In my opinion, neither player’s choice was the best. However, it would now be incorrect to ask for justification for a bad result because each coach has his own vision. And surely he thinks that every player is best used. But it is easy to speak now because we know the folk – it’s easy to be general after the battle.
How much is it justified that Domagoj Duvnjak, the best Croatian player, injured in the first game?
– We all know how much Duvnjak means for this team, but we also knew that behind Domagoja was a long pause. I’m sure that without him we had a medal team.
Your teammate Patrick Cavour has said that this story about the selection contest does not really appeal to him.
– Frankly, I do not even know what to say.
Okay, but will you sign up?
– I will, but only because someone can not tell me later – why did not you answer? Because they in the Alliance already know who they will choose. They also know who they can win with a medal, and with whom I can not. Are they satisfied with the statement that the team is always here somewhere? Or want to go to Olympic 2020 in Olympic gold? We have not won any gold medals since 2004 and Olympic gold in Athens, and I am sure that we could have taken at least one more, concluded Nenad Kljaić, who, due to his views and beliefs, never wanted to bow down his head.
