Ratko Đurković named new coach of AC Loux Patras
Ratko Đurković named new coach of AC Loux Patras
Ratko Đurković has been unveiled as the new coach of women’s Greek champions AC Loux Patras. After working at Lovćen (in Montenegro, where he won the Cup in 2010) and Pelister (FYR Macedonia), the young Montenegrin will now coach in Greece for the first time.
"AC Loux Patras is currently the best women's club in Greece and this year they decided to slightly rejuvenate the team,” said Đurković. “This summer they brought in the best five or six young players from across Greece, and they wanted a young and ambitious coach. They chose me.
“We agreed a one-year contract to see what we can do with such a rejuvenated team. I am not afraid of this challenge, that's why I accepted the offer,” added Đurković, the former assistant coach with the senior Montenegro team and former head coach of the junior national team.
AC Loux Patras are celebrating the club’s 10-year anniversary in 2012, a decade in which they won six consecutive titles (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012) and four national cups (2007, 2009, 2010, 2012).
"Despite the fact that the team has many new faces the ambitions remain the same – to win at least one domestic trophy. That's a minimum", added Đurković.
Because of the new line-up in the team, AC Loux Patras decided not to play in this years’ qualifications for Women´s EHF Champions League, instead playing in the EHF Cup with their rivals Vardar from FYR Macedonia. Both clubs have agreed to play both games in Skopje.
“Vardar is a stronger team, this summer they brought in six or seven Russian players. That’s why the club agreed to play both games away,” added Đurković. “I am already working to get more information about them, to prepare for the game in the best possible way. For sure we are not going there as tourists, although they are favourites”, Đurković said.
It is the first time in his career that Đurković will coach a women’s team, and he said: “Really, I did not expect to be the coach of a women's club. It's still a little weird, but mostly because I'm taking on a team who I don’t know, just three weeks before the start of the season.
“But the club’s officials convinced me to accept this challenge," concluded Đurković, who as a player won six national titles and two national cups playing for Lovćen, Metaloplastika, Sintelon, Partizan, Bidasoa (Spain), Pick Szeged (Hungary) and Bosnia.
