Gábor Dany, Gyor’s coach, said in an interview with the Hungarian media that his team has nothing to fear and that he is satisfied with the preparation period so far and the victory in Siofok.
Jokingly, it could be said that you won the European Super Cup with a 29-27 victory in the preparatory match against the winner of the EHF Cup in Siofok on Friday, but joke aside: what was the test like?
- True, Oftedal dropped out of the team early due to a minor foot injury, but we got out of the situation well, Estelle Nze Minko coped well – the team showed a different face, so the overall picture of the game against Siófok is extremely positive. I asked the girls to pay attention to the beginning, to concentrate on the defense, and that’s how it was.
The fight was much fiercer in the second half?
- All in all, it was a good match. Once again, it turned out that if one or two players – this time Eduardo Amorim and Anne Mette Hansen – don’t have their day, the others will take over. We played like a real team, for me this is the best indicator.
After two training camps in Balatonboglár and five preparatory matches, how would you summarize the impact of these preparations?
- We put together preparations for ten weeks, which is not usual, but we had to start early due to the postponement of the Champions League Final4, which was postponed for September and then canceled. In the spirit of that, we also finished training and played with strong opponents, such as FTC, Siófok and here I also include Debrecen. The most important thing is that we have avoided injuries so far – we also take care of rest and regeneration. We are really looking forward to the start of the Hungarian championship on the first weekend in September, and seven days later in the Champions League.
Are you sure the next season will start on time?
- I really believe. It is obvious that we are not determining the exact extent of the coronavirus epidemic and the regulations and restrictions that exist in every country, but we are preparing for the beginning. We have no influence on how the situation develops, we simply try to adapt.
How does news from other team sports – football, hockey, water polo – affect you?
- This is not good news, we are not satisfied in such moments, because people have doubts, but we try to follow all the rules, take care of ourselves and each other. We must take all possible measures, especially if we watch the first match of the Champions League group in Moscow on September 12. At the same time, the management of the club is professional enough to prepare everything properly. Regardless, we don’t get up and lie when we think about who’s sick, any of us, the player or the professional staff.
The team never seems to have worked so well. Why is that?
- Due to the long break, each member could hardly wait for the start, everyone was „hungry“ for handball. The physical data and test results of the players are much better than before. The work ethic that characterizes us in today’s trainings and matches has never been so uniform and cohesive. We have to work like that every day to keep it that way, and we must not be affected by a worse period or a weaker game. In any case, it is completely normal to have ups and downs.
You said last summer that you want to get even more out of the team, that it is possible to increase the performance by another 50%! Last season, the end of which was declared premature and without a final result, this could hardly have been fulfilled, but do you keep this claim?
- I’m staying with her! We have not been able to measure how much progress we have made last season since we failed to finish the season, but I still believe and admit that we can still improve by thirty to forty percent. This improvement can be achieved by increasing the efficiency of our previous performances and incorporating new elements and variations. We have to progress further, because what was enough in the previous two seasons will no longer be in the new one. In the Hungarian league, one can also see that Ferencváros and Siófok are excellently strengthened, have two identical, internationally experienced lineups, and difficult matches can be expected at home and against other teams. New clubs will join the international scene, and Metz, Brest, CSKA Moscow and Buducnost will also appear. We are facing a great test of strength, not only abroad, but also at home.
In the end it turns out that Győr has something to fear ?!
- It’s not about that, I didn’t even want to think about it, let alone do it. „We have nothing to fear, I’m not even afraid, I never start to panic. However, I always respect my opponents. Concluded Gábor Dany.
