Return to top flight gives Sabirova “incredible emotions”

Last season, CSKA reached the DELO EHF FINAL4 in their maiden season in the continental top flight. No wonder the Russian side is aiming high again.

Their current fourth place in DELO EHF Champions League group B seems a little misleading: they failed to win just one match so far, and also have a match in hand since their season opener against Metz Handball was postponed.

Centre back Karina Sabirova thinks that it is too early to draw conclusions.

"After all, we have played only four games, and we've been missing some key players. But our team spirit is great, and we're fighting for each other, so I'm optimistic," she told eurohandball.com.

Without the injured Ana Gros and Polina Vedekhina, CSKA won at Vipers Kristiansand 27:24 last Saturday, taking revenge for a 33:30 defeat in the semi-final last season.

Sabirova expects that the victory against the defending champions will boost her team's morale.

"It was a really positive feeling, we earned two important points. Maybe Vipers lost some key players like Henny Reistad in the summer, but we were also not with our best squad. We were very happy to win, and this victory will give us more confidence," the 23-year-old said.

Now CSKA will face Odense Håndbold in the Match of the Week on Sunday (live on EHFTV at 16:00 CET), and the fight is expected to be very tight as both sides are level on six points.

While the Russian team has not dropped any points at home this season, their Danish rivals enjoy a perfect record in away games.

"It will be a tough match between two equal opponents. I watched some of Odense's matches, they are a strong team. But we want to make our fans happy, and we certainly have a chance to win. A lot will depend on our morale and team spirit," the centre back says.

Sabirova is CSKA's best scorer in the current DELO EHF Champions League season, with 20 goals after four matches – without even being aware.

"I am surprised to hear it from you. Honestly, I don't follow such statistics. Team performance is my priority, and if I score goals, I should give a credit for my teammates for giving me opportunities. And in my turn, I try to help them score."

Sabirova plays her debut season at CSKA following a move from her home team Astrakhanochka in the summer, and her performance suggests that she has settled quickly.

"I like it here. A lot depends on the atmosphere in the team which is created by players, coaches, and club management, and I already feel like home at CSKA. And when you are in a good shape mentally, your body feels good, too," the centre back says.

Physical health used to be an issue for Sabirova. She suffered a knee injury last February which ruled her out of the remainder of her last season at Astrakhanochka.

Prior to that, the playmaker had suffered from permanent pain in her back and even considered an early retirement.

"Actually, I was already going to tell our club director that I wanted to finish my career. But then my mom found a good masseur, who really helped. And I started to work on my mental condition, which also did me good," Sabirova recalls.

Sabirova is not new to Europe’s top flight, having played the EHF Champions League with Astrakhanochka in 2016/17. Despite claiming just two points in the group matches, her team surprisingly made it into the main round, and Sabirova became the second-best scorer of the group matches with 42 goals.

Five years later, she remembers that season with a smile.

"My approach to playing handball was different at the time, it was more childish. I was just 18 and wanted to score as many goals as possible. But now I have matured and realize that team result is more important.

"But it was a great experience. I remember a fantastic atmosphere at our home matches, and I was very happy to play at such a high level. But I think we were just lucky to squeeze into the main round. No one expected anything from us, no one set a goal of reaching the EHF FINAL4. At CSKA, it's very different."

An opportunity to play in the DELO EHF Champions League was one of the reasons behind Sabirova's move to Moscow.

"I was missing it a lot and wanted to come back to this level. And I have had incredible emotions so far, I have no words to describe them. I'm just happy," she said.

Born in Astrakhan, Sabirova started to play handball at the age of 10. Already three years later, she made her debut for Astrakhanchka's senior team.

"Honestly, I don't know how it happened, but our coach Vyacheslav Kirilenko believed in me. At first, I played only against outsiders, but anyway I was very happy. And now I think that such an early debut helped me to mature and get experience."

It was not easy for the centre back to leave Astrakhan after so many years, and while Sabirova enjoys living in Moscow, she still misses her hometown.

On Wednesday, Sabirova had the chance to return for a day as CSKA played a Russian league match against Astrakhanochka, and she helped her new team beat her old team 36:27.

"Of course, I was delighted to go there and see my mom,” she said. “But I enjoy to be at CSKA, too. I'm happy anywhere where I can do my favourite job."