AEK Athens HC have been placed in group B alongside TSV Hannover-Burgdorf, HC Kriens-Luzern and Górnik Zabrze. The newly-appointed coach, Dragan Djukić took over the helm from his predecessor, Alexandros Alvanos, just a few days ago and now, the experienced Serbian is getting the squad ready for the start of their European journey next month with seven new arrivals joining their ranks over the summer. Patrik Martinović is one of them, and the talented right back left RK Celje on the back of 25 goals scored in the Machineseeker EHF Champions League last season.
"Things and habits don't change overnight, I will try to keep all the good things that were characteristic of AEK Athens HC in the previous successful seasons, but also to add a little bit of the "taste" of handball that the teams I have coached have always had. I hope that with the support of my players, we will succeed in that together!
"Let's be honest, sport is so magnificently beautiful because it gives us the opportunity to dream beyond reality. The coach's role is not only to lead his team to realistic goals, but also to set goals that sometimes seem unattainable. Of course, there is a lot of work and sacrifice on the way to that goal, and it's just those who are ready for it who eventually succeed. Simple, right?" says Djukić
The club from Greece's capital featured in Europe's second-tier club competition back in 2021/22, but unfortunately for them, failed to nail down a place in the knockout phase, finishing in only fifth place out of six, with four wins and six defeats from ten matches in the group phase. However, the 61-year-old Djukić coached MOL Tatabánya KC back then and even faced the defeated AEK Athens in group D, but now he is eager to help the squad by using his expertise to leave a much better impression in the upcoming season.
"The EHF European League Men is a high-quality and balanced competition in which there are no easy opponents. If we're going to speak honestly, we're outsiders because, for example, TSV Hannover-Burgdorf or Kriens-Luzern are teams that have an advantage due to their rosters and ambitions. Also, the way Zabrze is playing this year in the strong Polish League shows that they are able to upset the favorites.
Our chances on paper are not that big, but I am sure that we will not give up without a big fight, especially in front of our fans, and every point won in this competition is important, both for our club and for Greek handball as a whole." says Djukić.
