Brnovic: “Results are consequence of positive atmosphere in the team”

The record holders in terms of participating in the EHF Champions League Women, with 29 seasons, has had ups and downs in recent years and were determined to change the course. Signing Dragan Adzic as head coach was the first step and with the perfect mixture of hungry domestic players and experienced foreign stars, Krim have begun a new chapter.

Five new players moved to the Slovenian capital and Tatjana Brnovic is one of them. The 24-year-old line player came to Krim after a year in Brest Bretagne Handball but Ljubljana is no new place for her. She had a short stint there in the 2020/21 season, but this time Brnovic will stay in Krim until 2025.

“I decided to come to Krim because I know the coach very well and his system of work. They told me the idea and all the players who will be in Ljubljana, and right from the start I believed in that vision. Krim have a clear goal and from us players to preparations and training, everything is going according to the plans so far and I am very happy,” says Brnovic.

Krim are hosting the Match of the Week in round 5 against Vipers Kristiansand on Saturday 21 October at 18:00 CEST (live on EHFTV). The three-time EHF Champions League winners will be a real challenge for the Slovenian side but Brnovic says they have been preparing well and can't wait for the match to start.

“Vipers are a team that has undergone changes every year and still in the last three years they managed to win the EHF Champions League. Which is an amazing achievement. They have welcomed this season with the new coach and new changes in the squad but still, they are a big challenge for us. They are a strong and serious team and I think it will be a great match to watch.”

While Krim are having their best start to the competition since 2009/10, when they began with five straight wins, Vipers have had more of a bumpy road this season. Norwegian club have won two out of four matches, losing to the Danish sides Ikast and Esbjerg. In comparison, they only lost two matches in the entirety of last season.

“No matter their results so far, Vipers will be better with each game. They have great, character players in each position with Katrin Lunde between the posts. We need to try to impose our rhythm. That's our strength,” adds Brnovic.

Krim Mercator have the third-best attack in the competition, netting 133 times or 33.25 goals per game on average. Tatjana Brnovic has added 12 to her club's success but as she says, their defence is the starting point of everything. And she is right. Krim currently have the best defence in group B, conceding an average of 26 goals per game.

“We have connected all the segments of the game. We have an efficient attack, but it comes from our strong defence and our transition. Everything builds upon each other. Our defence is a powerful tool and we have very good communication between us players.”

“Yet, we approach each segment separately. No matter how our defence ends up, whether we did good or not, our focus immediately switches to transition. We never dwell on the mistakes we make. We always try to keep our rhythm and how we like to play. For now, it works great,” explains the Montenegrin line player.

Even though Krim have been successful and perhaps surprised a few, they are not getting carried away. With ten more matches of the group phase ahead, they want to go step-by-step while having their goals and vision as guiding lights.

“It is still hard to talk about anything as we have played only four out of 14 matches in the group. It is still the beginning of the season. However, we had a great start and it gives us additional energy and confidence for the upcoming matches. So far, we are satisfied. The results are the consequence of our good play and positive atmosphere in the team. And I hope it will stay that way throughout the season,” concludes Brnovic.

Photo credit: Sasa Pahic Szabo / kolektiff