Handball, the preparation has already started a week ago. Sports director Giordo: “We built the squad we wanted”
SASSARI. The holidays have also ended for Raimond Sassari who is preparing to face her third consecutive A1 men’s handball championship. The team, under the orders of the new coach Pipo Kokuca, started training for a week already. The company preferred to anticipate the times because the roster has undergone a major renewal. Six new players have arrived at the court of President Luana Morreale. These are Bosnian left-back Jakov Vrdoljak, former Siena Alessandro Leban (goalkeeper), Raul Bargelli (pivot), Umberto Bronzo (winger), Italo-Argentine right-back Leo Querin and Bosnian pivot Damir Halilkovic.
Old and new are struggling in the afternoon at PalaSantoru, while in the morning at the racecourse and in the weight room at Spartan Fitness under the guidance of Lorenzo Vosca. The goal is to get ready on 11 September at the league debut at home with Cassano Magnago and the following week against Dudelange in the first round of the European Cup.
So much to do in the Raimond house but also a lot of enthusiasm. «They are quite busy days but at the same time full of enthusiasm – confirms the sporting director Andrea Giordo -. The calendar has reserved for us the first 3 league games within the friendly walls and in the midst of these we will play both games of the Ehf European Cup always at PalaSantoru. A novelty compared to last season that saw us only involved in Europe away from home. We have reached an agreement with the Luxembourg team to give our audience the first European matches of a Sardinian men’s handball team ».
New technician and revolutionized roster. «We were able to build the team we wanted – adds Giordo – and remedy the ugly tile of Federico Vieyra’s stop by replacing him with a great player like Leo Querin, so we are satisfied. We wanted a radical change and there has been, we know that this involves a period of adaptation in which the players have to know and trust each other but we are confident ».
There is no lack of optimism. «The sensations are positive – Andrea Giordo closes – and it could not be otherwise, but we don’t want to make any proclamations. Our main goal is to finish in the top 4 and play our cards in the play offs, without forgetting the Coppa Italia and the Ehf cup where we hope to be able to go as far as possible.