Bojana Popovic’s chance to make history

Popovic won the Champions League six times with three different clubs — Slagelse, Viborg and Buducnost — but says she was not aware of the chance for another marker in handball history until she arrived in Budapest. While she admits to feeling excited about the possibility of writing her name in the history books, she says her main focus is on the semi-final against Metz Handball.

“I really didn't think about this. I heard this here [in Budapest], and for me, it's most important to do something with these girls.

“Believe me, what I did is in the past. I have on my mind this experience, but I really cannot connect those two things because now it's the other part. I'm a coach and I really enjoyed these six, seven months with CSM and these girls, how they worked for this,” Popovic says.

“It's only us who know this and then, these two days we really want to enjoy together and to do this for us. I didn't really think that I could be the first woman who can achieve the player-coach thing, but it could be nice if this happens really, to have this first in history’, it sounds good," she adds.

Popovic is vying with Brest Bretagne Handball head coach Raphaëlle Tervel to become the first woman to win the Champions League as a player and then lead a team to victory; with the two on opposite sides of the semi-final draw, there is also the chance for both finalists to be led by women.

However, CSM arrive in Budapest knowing they are on a on a five-match losing run against semi-final opponents Metz Handball in the EHF Champions League stretching back to 2020. Popovic's former teammate, Dragana Cvijic, has spoken about how Popovic taught her to "to write down all my feelings" after a disappointing loss, in order to get even bigger motivation when she faces the same opponent again.

When asked whether she will deploy the same tactic with the CSM squad ahead of the semi-final, Popovic says: “I want to tell them that this semi-final they need to look like it's a normal game, really. Don't [want] to put pressure with this, it's a semi-final. Just play the game and who is the better team will win tomorrow.

“We prepared all months for this, they know that they lost the last five games with them. And they have this not so good feeling in the body, so they need to put this out tomorrow. This can give little bit of extra energy.”

The former left back lifted the most prestigious trophy in women's club handball with Buducnost for the final time back in 2011/12. Her memories of winning the trophy are still vivid.

“ I really remember all these years when I got this trophy like a player, and I worked a lot for this and I gave everything on the court. And then after the game when I did it, I could feel always totally empty,” Popovic says.

“So, this time I'm a coach, and I really want to see how it will feel, because I will not be on the court, I will be out of the court. I will use all my energy again to help them, but maybe the feeling will be different because I don't play. Maybe I will have some extra energy when I get this trophy to have a little bit more celebrating and to have this party after," she adds.

Popovic was a world-class player and difference maker, capable of deciding a match on her own, not afraid of taking on challenges or making bold moves. Now, as a coach, she is not present on the court any more or able to directly influence the matches' final outcome, and like most of the coaches who were previously high-quality players, she admits having inner battles herself, watching games and not being able to make a difference.

"”If I see some opportunity on the court and I want to give them that idea and I want to help them and I give everything what I can, and they don't satisfy that, I'm a little bit sad because sometimes I think it's easy. This part is very difficult for us who played on the highest level and sometimes we really think it's easy,” Popovic says.

“But players on the court with pressure, they don't feel this, they don't do what we expect. So, it's not easy, and I fight sometimes with myself inside to not show this because of the girls, when they are under pressure, they don't need extra me to have this anger or something like this.”

But the first EHF FINAL4 appearance in eight years is a moment to savour for the 2016 champions, and Popovic believes in the quality of the squad ahead of the season-defining moment over the weekend.

"I really want to enjoy with this team in both games and to keep them on the level, we want to be [good] with the mental side and to do the things that we prepared for. And I really believe in the girls and I really want to give them everything and to be there on the court with good energy," ends Popovic.

Photos © kolektiff images, @hsnlau//Lau Nielsen, CSM Bucuresti, EHF archive