Montenegro squad for crucial qualifiers announced

Montenegro squad for crucial qualifiers announced

Montenegro men's national team's head coach, Zoran Kastratović, announced a list of 21 players for the upcoming EHF EURO 2014 qualification games against Germany (12 June in Podgorica) and Czech Republic (15 June in Brno).

Although he did not respond to call-ups for the last two national team events, the 2013 World Championship in Spain and the qualification matches with Israel, the right back from German club Frisch Auf Göppingen, Žarko Marković, is again on the list.

"Montenegro is too small to give up from quality players such as Žarko Marković, who is relatively young player," Montenegro coach Zoran Kastrović told ehf-euro.com.

“Žarko has to know that he should act in accordance with the regulations and that the national team always comes first,” Kastratović added.

Compared to the team which played the last two games against Israel in April, there are only two new names on the list: OCI Nitrogen-Lions line player Marko Pejović and Tatran Presov centre back Žarko Pejović.

Marko Pejović missed the last two games due to injury, while Žarko Pejović missed out on his last call-up (against Sweden in the World Championship play-offs) as he had a wedding scheduled in June of last year.

His last appearance was in January 2012 in Cetinje against Latvia.

“Several players are just not in the best shape, some are currently without a club, so I think we need help from Žarko Pejović, who is constantly playing in Tatran Presov”, Kastratović said.

After four games, Montenegro is first in Group 2 with six points. Germany and the Czech Republic have four, while Israel is in last place with two points.

Montenegro are very close to a berth at the tournament in Denmark, needing just a point from one of their remaining matches.

Even in the case of two defeats, Montenegro could potentially go through as the best third-placed team.

“We're in a great position, everything is still up to us, but we have to confirm that on the court in the final games,” concluded Kastratović.

Montenegro will gather on 3 June in Podgorica to begin preparations for the first clash with Germany.

Montenegro squad for EHF 2014 EURO qualifiers on 12 and 15 June:

Goalkeepers: Rade Mijatović (HC Dinamo Minsk, Belarus), Marko Rajković (Valence handball, France), Nebojša Simić (HK Malmö, Sweden)

Left wings: Igor Marković (Lovćen), Petar Kapisoda (unattached)

Right wings: Fahrudin Melić (Gorenje Velenje, Slovenia), Marko Lasica (Pick Szeged, Hungary)

Line players: Mladen Rakčević (HC Metalurg, FYR Macedonia), Nemanja Grbović (Lovćen), Marko Pejović (OCI Nitrogen-Lions, Netherlands)

Left backs: Vladimir Osmajić (RK Cimos Koper, Slovenia), Vasko Ševaljević (HC Dinamo Minsk, Belarus), Goran Lasica (Lovćen)

Centre backs: Draško Mrvaljević (Bregenz Handball, Austria), Stevan Vujović (Sélestat Alsace Handball, France), Mirko Milašević (Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto, Spain), Žarko Pejović (Tatran Presov, Slovakia)

Right backs: Zoran Roganović (H43 Lund, Sweden), Žarko Marković (Frisch Auf Göppingen, Germany), Marko Simović (Al Ahli, Qatar), Ivan Perišić (Lovćen)

Reserves: Miloš Kaluđerović (left wing, Ulcinj), Mirko Radović (right wing, Lovćen)