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HC Alkaloid is entering its second season in Europe. After last year’s performance in the EHF European League, where they secured their first-ever victory and earned their first point away, this season, HC Alkaloid will compete in the EHF European Cup.

The club has ambitions to go as far as possible in these knockout battles, starting with a clash against Lithuanian vice-champions Klaipeda Dragunas. The Lithuanian side has big ambitions this year, having brought in a Spanish coach to bolster their title aspirations. Dragunas also has high hopes for making a deep run in the European Cup. A press conference was held where HC Alkaloid’s head coach Kiril Lazarov and captain Igor Gjorgjiev addressed the media.

Kiril Lazarov: “We are facing a new challenge in the European Cup. Specifically, we have a rival that might not seem relevant to us, but they are certainly dangerous. They come from a tricky school, and with a Spanish coach at the helm, Klaipeda is visibly improving. If we compare them to last year, I’d say, without exaggeration, they’re about 35% better. So, I’m cautious with my predictions. Along with my team and players, we know this is a home-and-away knockout system, not a group stage, so we have to be very careful. From the information we have, this is a team that scores a lot of goals, averaging over 40 in most of their matches. They play at a high tempo, no matter the opponent. We’re staying grounded, preparing well, and I can promise we won’t underestimate them. I expect a quality match, exciting handball for the fans. I invite everyone to come to the Avtokomanda arena and support this young Macedonian team.”

Igor Gjorgjiev: “After a fantastic start to the season, where we’ve racked up seven wins, we now face a European Cup match against a team from Lithuania. We’ve analyzed our opponent over the past period. We gained experience in the European League last year, but this season we’ll be playing in the European Cup, which has a different format. Our first game is at home, and whenever we play in front of our fans, we aim to be at our best. As captain, I can assure you the team is ready. Our roster is the same as last year, but we’ve added a few new players. I call on the fans to support us, and I’m hopeful for a victory.”

Heading into their first European challenge, HC Alkaloid is in excellent form. Domestically, they’ve already lifted the Super Cup and have seven wins out of seven games played in the Super League, including a derby win against vice-champions Vardar 1961.

As a reminder, the EHF European Cup operates under a different system compared to the European League. A total of 74 teams entered the competition, with 64 progressing to the second round, where they will face off in knockout rounds until a new champion is crowned. The reigning champions, Valur, defeated Greek side Olympiacos in last year’s final. However, Valur won’t defend their title as they’re competing in the EHF European League this season, while Olympiacos remains in the Cup.