Gabriella Szűcs: “We have to be perfect”
Gabriella Szűcs: “We have to be perfect”
HC Zalău is one of this season’s most surprising teams. The Romanian side managed to sneak into the Women’s EHF Cup’s final, setting up a great match against Russian giants Lada Togliatti. eurohandball.com talked to Gabriella Szűcs, one of Zalău’s most experienced players, before the showdown against Lada.
eurohandball.com: Did you ever think that HC Zalău could qualify for the Women’s EHF Cup’s Final before the start of the competition?
Gabriella Szűcs: At first I didn’t think that it was possible, but as soon as we reached the quarter finals I knew we had the strength to play in the final. Four matches later, we are here and it is an honour to play against Lada. These matches mean a lot for the whole team. We will do everything we can to please the fans and the management. We aren’t here just to play, we want to win!
eurohandball.com: The second leg of the Women’s EHF Cup’s final won’t be played in Zalău, but in Oradea. Is this a big disadvantage for your team?
Gabriella Szűcs: Personally, I am thrilled to play in Oradea because it’s my hometown and I miss playing there. Of course, we will miss our home court in Zalău, but I am sure that our fans will be in Oradea and will cheer for us in the second leg.
eurohandball.com: HC Zalău has a lot of young players, who must be very nervous before playing important games like this. What’s the general feeling in the Romanian team?
Gabriella Szűcs: These two games are probably the most important ones in Zalău’s history, so it’s normal for us to feel a little nervous. However, we are very focused and poised to play two great games. We put a lot of effort in this season to be here and we will try to surprise our opponent.
eurohandball.com: How would you describe Lada, your opponent in this final?
Gabriella Szűcs: They are a great team, very talented in attack and a hard nut to crack in defence. They have a core of experienced players, who have played many times for the Russian national team. Moreover, Lada has a great coach in Evgeni Trefilov, who is able to pull a rabbit out of the hat and win any game. We have to be perfect in these 120 minutes to win the final.
More information HERE
Watch the first leg live on ehfTV.com HERE
Watch the second leg live on ehfTV.com HERE
