News

HC Alkaloid secured a second win over Italian side SSV Briksen (38-31) and booked their place in the quarter-finals of the EHF European Cup. Following the match, the standard post-game press conference was held, with the coaches and one player from each team speaking to the media.

KIRIL LAZAROV (HC Alkaloid, Head Coach): “I believe we rightfully passed this round of 16, playing with a fast and dynamic team. Perhaps the opponent didn’t have the depth in rotation, but the eight to nine players they used played quality handball, as we saw in the first half. Brixen lacked two to three players to be able to match us. We broke the game open in the 35th minute, turning the score in our favour. In the first half, we were reacting too quickly in certain situations and made mistakes—this is something we need to work on.”

MARKO STOJKOVIKJ (HC Alkaloid, Player): “We played a great match. We started well, and it was tight until the 35th minute. We played fast and maintained the pace. In the second half, we turned the score in our favour. There’s still plenty of room for improvement in order to take our game to the next level.”

RUDOLF NEUNER (SSV Brixen, Head Coach): “I would like to express my thanks for the hospitality here in Macedonia. Congratulations to Alkaloid, they are clearly a team of a higher calibre. We gave our best, and I wish them success in their future matches, both domestically and internationally.”

ANDREA BASIC (SSV Brixen, Player): “At 40 years old, playing a match like this in such an incredible atmosphere is a true honour. My respects to Kiril Lazarov and his HC Alkaloid team. We gave our all. This match wasn’t a must-win for us as we’re focusing on challenges ahead back home, but we’ve worked on refining aspects of our game here. Congratulations to our opponents once again on their victory.”