Vori: “Progress and growth don’t happen overnight”

MRK Sesvete, formed in 2000, have come a long way, since they entered the Croatian first division only in the 2017/18 season. Since then, Sesvete had three consecutive third places and reached the final of the domestic cup competition.

All that led to the highlight of the club’s journey — taking part in the group matches of the EHF European League. They still wait for their first point of opening group G with three defeats against SG Flensburg-Handewitt, MOL Tatabanya KC, and HCB Karvina, though they have demonstrated their fighting skills.

The guide during Sesvete’s journey is head coach Igor Vori, Olympic and world champion with Croatia and EHF Champions League winner with Hamburg in 2013.

Vori returned to his childhood club, first as sports director, but since October 2023 as head coach.

“When I first came on as coach, it was meant to be just a two-month arrangement, but here we are almost a year later,” Vori says.

“My approach with the players is open and supportive — this is just my style. I believe that respect is earned by what you show on the court.”

For Vori, the main focus is helping his young team grow into the sport.

“Helping them understand the demands of professionalism and preparing them for what’s to come. Most of these players are young, and while I provide them with tactical-technical guidance, I also teach them about discipline,” he says.

“They are starting to see their progress, and that’s the best motivation for me and them. So, it’s not only that they are learning from me, but also me learning from them.”

For a small club from the eastern side of Zagreb, being among the top European teams is something everyone at Sesvete has been dreaming of.

“This is a historic success, an honour, and a privilege to compete at such a level,” Vori says.

“For these young players, this experience is invaluable, coming perhaps sooner than they expected, but they are handling it remarkably well. Our focus is on finishing this competition with at least some points, it would be an important milestone for us.”

Sesvete lost their opener 42:25 against defending champions Flensburg, but only suffered closed defeats in the following weeks against Tatabanya (31:27) and Karvina (32:29).

“Except for Flensburg, where we managed to keep up for around 35 to 40 minutes, we have shown resilience against teams with far larger budgets. Naturally, there will be ups and downs, particularly as this is our first time playing two competitions and having two games per week,” Vori adds.

Their first home game in Jelkovec provided Sesvete with great fan support that, however, also put some pressure on the young players and affected them.

Vori hopes his players handle the circumstances better and that Sesvete’s first win might come when Karvina come to visit in round 4 on Tuesday (at 18:45 CET, live on EHFTV).

“I certainly hope we will win, but these things take time. Progress and growth don’t happen overnight. Karvina may not be as well-known as Tatabanya or Flensburg, but they are a well-balanced team with a strong defensive style,” Vori says.

In the first game in Czechia last week, Sesvete were level for almost 50 minutes, but Karvina managed to make a break with the help of their left back Dominik Solak and centre back Jonas Patzel.

“They play defence something between a 4-2 and a 3-3, which can be challenging,” Vori says. “We will need to adapt quickly to their defence and their impressive backcourt line. Mistakes we made in the first game are all part of our learning process and I hope we will show we have learned from them.”

Sesvete have the second-youngest team in the competition, behind IK Sävehof, with an age average of 21.5 years.

The squad has been playing together for several seasons and have created a unique blend of youthful enthusiasm and growing experience with the likes of Ivan Dumencic. With many talented players, one player stands out in the competition: Davor Gavric.

Initially a centre back but playing on the right, Gavric has netted 23 times in the three games, making him Sesvete’s best goal scorer, and the third-best of the entire competition so far.

“It’s nice to be on the top scorers list, but I would prefer we had won one or two of the games where we came close. Playing in this competition means a lot to us, and despite still not winning we can be satisfied with the progress we have made so far,” Gavric says.

“Also, playing right back is not new to me; I have gotten used to it and the coach has adjusted the tactics around that. We have adapted as much as possible to this system, and so far it’s working pretty good.”

Gavric draws praise from his coach for his performances so far.

“Not just in these three matches, but throughout the past year,” Vori says. “It’s impressive, particularly because he isn't even playing in his natural position. He has shown himself to be a complete player, both offensively and defensively, and is demonstrating that he can compete on this level.”

However, according to Vori, the whole team deserves praise.

“I could talk about every player in my team, like Zlatko Raužan and Patrik Hršak, both around 22, who are also showing tremendous progress. Then we have Josip Tomic, an 18-year-old who already plays an important role on our team,” the head coach says.

“I am proud of how quickly they are learning and exceeding my requirements. For me as a coach, that is rewarding.”

photos © 2024 Jozo Cabraja / kolektiff images