In the 2020/21 season, their European League season was cut short in the quarter-finals after a 55:60 defeat on aggregate against Fuchse Berlin. This time, they are looking to break that and go past Sporting CP. They have it all to play for in the reverse fixture after the first leg match ended in a draw (32:32).
One of the young talents helping Montpellier in that quest is the Croatian international Veron Nacinovic. The 23-year-old line player joined the club from the south of France in 2021 from Celje. Since his start in Rijeka (Zamet) he has come a long way.
Nacinovic played his first European season in 2016, playing with Zamet for three rounds of qualifications in the former EHF Cup. His talent was recognised by Slovenian champions Celje Pivovarna Lasko and he wore their jersey in the EHF Champions League for one year, before moving to the French powerhouse.
“Since I came here I improved my game, gaining valuable experience. Those first matches against strong teams and star players meant a lot to me when I came. We have a wide squad, with many rotations, sometimes you play a lot, sometimes you don't but whenever you get a chance you want to take the most of it. I am satisfied here, and my jump from Zamet to Montpellier came quickly”, said Nacinovic
Montpellier started their EHF European League Men journey in the second qualification round, and in 15 matches played so far they finished as the victors 11 times, had two draws, two defeats and finished as Group B winners. When you add a leading position in the French league and a place in the finals of the French Cup, you get the explanation for why Montpellier is considered a heavyweight this season.
“Until now, the season is very good for us. However, there is still much to play. We have a chance to win three trophies but also to lose all three. We will see what will happen but what I know, is we must stay focused and give our best on the court”, said the line player who scored 28 goals in the competition so far.
If Montpellier wants to reach their first EHF Finals they need to beat Sporting in the second leg. The first match on Portuguese soil ended without a winner even though the home side had a three-goal advantage near the end of the match. It would be a success for Sporting who haven't won against Montpellier since the 1996 EHF Cup match.
“We had a draw in the first game and in a way, we should be satisfied with it even though we are always going for a win. We were trailing and it's good we rebounded. We were focused on the goal in a very good atmosphere”, said Nacinovic.
With goals galore in the first half, the second was more on the strategic moves and Montpellier earned a draw with a last-second goal by Francisco Tavares. In Nacinovic's opinion, what helped Sporting to play at a high level?
“We had too many technical fouls in the first half and Sporting used them for counter attacks. The pace was very high on both sides. In the second half our defence was much better, and more aggressive but they responded in the same way.
The duo leading Sporting once again this season were the Costa brothers, Martim and Francisco who scored 14 goals altogether. Nacinovic, who is showing his skills on both ends of the court, knows what will be crucial for the second leg match on Tuesday (18 April at 20:45 CEST) in Montpellier.
“The Costa brothers are their two most important players, they are where Sporting's play begins. They have freedom and if you don't stop them, they can score high numbers. We need to perform strongly in the defence and be good in 1-on-1 duels. In the attack, we need to play our standard game, which we showed throughout the season. If we impose our rhythm, that could be the key to a break. I think Sporting are not that tough when they are playing an away match, as they are at home.”
If you thought Veron's last name sounds familiar to you, you are not wrong. His father Alvaro Nacinovic was also a famous line player, and the two have worn the same jerseys twice - at Zamet and Celje.
The elder Nacinovic won the IHF European Champions Cup, the predecessor to the EHF Champions League, with Zagreb, and with Croatia national team Alvaro won the country's first-ever Olympic gold medal, bronze at EHF EURO 1994 and silver at the 1995 World Championship. Also, he has a bronze medal with Yugoslavia at the 1998 Olympic Games. Talk about strong genes and proving the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
“My father is my support and he is proud of what I achieved so far. He is still in handball, he watches all the games, not only mine. We talk to each other after every game, we are commenting all the good and bad things”, concluded Nacinovic.
