Karkut ends 23-year wait to return to Champions League stage

It could not have been a more lopsided match for Lubin – maybe WHC Buducnost BEMAX, the team with 306 matches so far in the European premium competition, would be tougher in terms of experience – but it also underlines the challenge ahead for the Polish champions who have only played once in a Qualification Tournament in the EHF Champions League Women, in the 2011/12 season, but failed to make the cut for the group phase.

“Despite all the euphoria and the emotions surrounding this debut, it is a big challenge for us, both from a sporting standpoint, but also from the organisational standpoint for Zagłębie. It is a beautiful piece of the club’s history, with us making our debut in the Champions League,” says Bozena Karkut, Zagłębie’s coach.

Karkut is the only common denominator between Zagłębie’s participation in that qualification tournament in 2011 and the current team, having been on Zagłębie’s bench in that season as well.

In fact, the Polish coach and former player who featured for Hypo Niederösterreich in the European premium competition, winning the title twice, in 1998 and 2000, is the longest-serving coach of any club in the competition, taking over Zagłębie in 2000, when she came back to Poland from Austria.

“This is my 24th season at Zagłębie, and I love it here. There were so many difficult years, especially when we failed to win any trophy, because we also had seasons without medals where we underachieved. For these many years I have been loyal to Zagłębie Lubin, because I got much support from everybody, and I really am proud to be now in the Champions League,” says Karkut.

Season number 24 will definitely be the most challenging so far, as Zagłębie will open two fronts for battle: One in the Polish league, where they aim to secure the fourth title in a row, having dominated the competition in the past three seasons, but also deliver some good performances in the EHF Champions League Women.

However, Zagłębie drew the short straw and are heading into a very tough group in their maiden season in the European premium competition, with the reigning champions Vipers Kristiansand, last season’s finalists FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria and powerhouses like Metz Handball and Team Esbjerg, all sides aiming for the trophy.

“The basic goal is fighting in every game and for every available point in the group. We are debutants, we are playing such games for the first time and we do not have so much experience at this level. But we have some players who have international experience, which could bode well for our future in this group,” adds Zagłębie’s coach.

Zagłębie have three players – centre back Patricia Matielli, left back Karolina Kochaniak-Sala and line player Joanna Drabik – who have featured so far in the European premium competition, but many of their Polish players have featured in the national team at the EHF EURO or the World Championship.

That might be helpful, especially in the matches against experienced sides like Krim Mercator Ljubljana, Zagłębie’s first opponent in the group phase, where things might get difficult through the nerves and sheer emotion.

“This is sport. Krim have a lot of experience, with their coach, Dragan Adzic, or players like  Barbara Arenhart, Daria Dmitrieva, Allison Pineau or Jovanka Radicevic. They also have our polish accent on the left back - Aleksandra Rosiak, so we might know a thing or two about them. But they have played for 29 seasons in the competition and they are favourites,” adds Karkut.

Braveness, grit and a desire to win: This is what Karkut says she will demand for her team, as they embark on an interesting journey, which will see them measure forces with some of the best teams in Europe. For Zagłębie, it might be only the beginning, but this is an ambitious club, who took up the challenge and tried to improve.

“We will do all what we can to deliver good results. This is a promise,” concludes Karkut, who after 23 years, is ready to lead Zagłębie, a team she worked so hard for, on the biggest of stages.