Heine: “Six small finals await”

After a sub-par start, FTC moved once again, as Albertsen’s assistant, Allan Heine, took over the reins from the Danish coach in October, as the Hungarian powerhouse saw its progression to the play-offs under serious question due to a series of losses which saw them lingering around the red zone.

Since then, the Hungarian side bounced back and earned three wins on the trot against Ikast Håndbold and MKS Zagłębie Lubin (twice), and a hard-fought draw against Rapid Bucuresti, helping the Hungarian side jump to sixth place in the standings.

In fact, the battle for a play-offs spot is getting increasingly tough, with four teams – Vipers Kristiansand, Krim Mercator Ljubljana, FTC and Rapid - tied on seven points, with Ikast three points ahead in third place.

“We have six more finals. There are six small finals to be played, every match will be crucial from now on, there is no room for mistakes. Of course, there will be no team which wins all the matches, such is the intensity of this battle and the well-balanced nature of the group, but the room for mistakes is very slim,” says Heine before the Match of the Week against Ikast Håndbold.

Indeed, FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria had their share of issues in the EHF Champions League Women this season, but their resurgence started after a 37:36 win against their Danish counterparts in late October, a match which duly underlined how much potential Heine’s side has at their disposal.

FTC have an interesting mix of experience and youth at their disposal, one which helped them seal a place in the EHF FINAL4 last season, the maiden appearance in Budapest for the Hungarian side. But this time around, it looked like everything was going backwards until the three-match winning streak which helped FTC finish 2023 on a high.

“We have an excellent unity in the squad, we are like a family. I think this was the main ingredient for our resurgence and I think the players are now hungry to come roaring back once again and finish what they started,” adds FTC’s coach.

The first European match in 2024 will be the one against Ikast, the team which FTC won against in October and, in Heine’s eyes, fuelled the Hungarian side’s comeback in the bitter fight for a play-offs place. This time around, though, things might get tougher, as the Danish side lost a single home match this season in the European top competition, by the slightest of margins, 34:35, against Team Esbjerg.

Moreover, Ikast finished 2023 with a three-match losing streak, an exact opposite of FTC’s three-match winning streak; however the two-month break for club teams cancelled all the momentum the teams have built before last November.

“First of all, we need to shake off the dust and see what we can do better than the previous matches,” says FTC’s coach, who led his team to a perfect season in the Hungarian league, including a big win against Győri Audi ETO KC, which set up FTC as the big favourites for the Hungarian league crown.

“But, like I have said, there is no room for mistakes now, especially in this type of situation, where any mistake might be punished. But if we win against Ikast, things will be looking better for us, especially as they are only three points ahead. So every win is important, every win is crucial,” continues Heine.

So far, FTC have won only against Zagłębie in away matches, but they have been getting better and better since the 26:37 loss against Vipers in the start of the competition. A 23:27 loss against group leaders Team Esbjerg signalled there might be more to this FTC team than the losing streak in the start of the season.

Since Heine took over, FTC’s attack has been getting better and better, especially due to the excellent performances of Andrea Lekic, the centre back who has had one of her best seasons in the competition, scoring 52 goals – the second best goal scorer in the competition – also hitting the 1000-goal milestone this season.

Yet the match against Ikast might prove to be a stepping stone for FTC, as a team, and for Heine as a coach. The 43-year-old Danish coach, who has featured at Aalborg, Viborg and Les Neptunes des Nantes, is unfazed despite this being his biggest role so far in his career.

“It is different, sure, but it is something I really like. Hopefully, the results will be good in the future, as this would be excellent for the team and for the club, an excellent club which is loved by amazing fans,” concludes Heine.