Kudlacz-Gloc: “I love this sport with all my heart”

That memory is still fresh in Karolina Kudlacz-Gloc’s head, as Bietigheim were left shocked by their elimination after such a strong start. With a new coach at the helm, Jakob Vestergaard, who replaced Markus Gaugisch, who is now focused solely on the German women’s national team, Bietigheim vowed to come back even stronger this season.

“I hope we learnt from what happened in the previous season and we improved and are more aware. It is important to know what we have to do better and maybe, more importantly, how to think in a different way to prevent another scenarios like that unfolding right in front of our eyes,” says Kudlacz-Gloc.

“We learnt the hard way that winning a few games could mean nothing, so we will not get so excited. We have to give our best in every match we play from now on, but we will see how we translate that from theory to reality.”

At 37 years old, Kudlacz-Gloc has seen everything there is to see in handball. This is her 14^th season in the top European competition and certainly one of the best so far in terms of her output. While she did score 79 goals in the 2010/11 season and 84 in the 2014/15 season for HC Leipzig, the right back has been nothing short of spectacular in helping Bietigheim’s cause now.

The Polish back scored 39 goals – the same output from last season – and was the top scorer for the season before round 6, when nothing worked for Bietigheim in the loss against Odense. She is currently placed third in the top scorer standings, behind Metz’s Sarah Bouktit and Vipers’ Anna Vyakhireva, both with 40 goals.

“The season is still long, there is still a long road ahead of us, we know that and the most important matches are still to be played, therefore we must stay humble and try to address the issues which plagued us last season,” says the Polish back.

While the saying is that wins bring wins in the future, losses can also set a dangerous precedent and create a streak which can send a season into a tailspin. Therefore, a doubleheader against Györi Audi ETO KC, the sole unbeaten team in the competition, is not the perfect scenario for Bietigheim, as they try to retain second place in the standings.

While facing Györ once is more than a difficult proposition, two games in the space of two weeks is even more daunting for Bietigheim, as the German side prepares to host the Match of the Week of Round 7 in the MHP Arena in Ludwigsburg.

“Györ are top of the top, if you ask me. One of the big favourites to win the EHF Champions League. They are a complete team and we know this, we know that it is going to be hard. But we are fighters, we will fight until the last minute to surprise them. We like a challenge,” adds Kudlacz-Gloc.

Bietigheim have won against CSM Bucuresti, Brest and Buducnost so far, therefore they have an ace or two up their sleeve, especially with such a smooth transition from Gaugisch’s style to Vestergaard’s, with the German champions firing on all cylinders immediately from the start of the Danish coach’s stint.

“We made some good progress in the past years and Jakob did help with that, because it is not easy to take over a side and deliver good results. He is respected by the players and I think the development is good. I hope that the results will confirm this,” adds the experienced Polish back.

It is impossible to predict what is going to happen for Bietigheim in the future, but one thing is for certain; Kudlacz-Gloc is still enjoying playing handball, despite being 37 years old. The back has scored 428 goals so far in the premier European competition, but is still in top form, playing in one of the best seasons in her career.

“I know my career will be ending sooner, rather than later. But I love this sport so much, with all my heart. I enjoy every second I spend on the court,” concludes Bietigheim’s top scorer this season.

Photos © Marco Wolf