Remili: “We have the greatest vibe in Veszprém”

Perennial contenders in the EHF Champions League, Telekom Veszprém HC have made the EHF FINAL4 six times in the past 10 seasons – but aways faltered, three times at the very last hurdle: in the final.

Nevertheless, the Hungarian powerhouse has relentlessly pursued their big ambition and always assembled a strong squad, trying to position themselves in the best possible way to secure the coveted trophy.

One of the moves made by Veszprém was to sign right back Nedim Remili last February, with the French stalwart slotting in immediately in the Hungarian side. It showed both a statement of intent, but also improved on that position, as Remili had a huge hand in creating a good start for Veszprém this season.

Remili is the team’s top scorer with 40 goals so far, six more than another French player brought over in 2023, line player Ludovic Fabregas. The two France national team stars have been superb for the Hungarian champions this season.

In fact, this season, Veszprém have registered their best start in the European premium competition since 2014/15, when they made their second appearance in the EHF FINAL4, losing the final 28:23 against Barça.

In fact, this season, Veszprém have registered their best start in the European premium competition since 2014/15, when they made their second appearance in the EHF FINAL4, losing the final 28:23 against Barça.

The fate has it that Barça are Veszprém’s next opponent in the Match of the Week of round 9 on Thursday at 18:45 CET (live on EHFTV), a clash which could create a path for the Hungarian side to deliver a quarter-final berth and win group B, which would improve the chances for a return to Cologne.

“We have a new vibe here, we have talked about this and we are nurturing this, to be honest. Even the guys who have been here for a lot of time, like Gasper Marguc or Andreas Nilsson, say that the atmosphere in the team is great right now. And, of course, this helps us, because we are not only playing for ourselves, we are playing also for the fans, these amazing fans that keep up with us every match,” says Remili.

“Plenty of us are coming from big cities, but here, it is different. Veszprém is not that big and I think that brings everybody together, it helps create a unity, it helps create something special, something that is hard to replicate. Even if you are going on the street to do your shopping or going to have a haircut, fans are coming to us and talking about the previous and the future matches.”

That might sound difficult for plenty of players, but this level of unity, feeling that the fans are behind the team is what keeps Veszprém ticking this season. There have been plenty of new faces brought in this summer, with other players leaving. And with only a handful of players realising their dream, winning the EHF Champions League, Remili and others are really focused and determined to do their best.

It showed on the court as the Hungarian powerhouse won seven of their eight matches so far and displayed a hugely entertaining attack with 290 goals scored so far, the largest number of all 16 teams in the group phase.

That spirit – with an aggressive and attacking brand of handball – proved to be a key ingredient for Veszprém’s success so far this season, as previously shown in the first game against Barça, when Momir Ilic’s side took a 41:36 win in Palau Blaugrana.

“We know we have a duty for this city, for the fans, for the people in the office. It is like a big family, so whenever we take the court, we know that this is the thing we have to do, to give everything and try to win, because it will make everybody happy,” adds Remili.

“When we played in Szeged, in the Hungarian league, we had 700 fans coming for us and cheering all the match. In Barcelona, we had 100 fans there and it really motivated us. It was something special and we really want to preserve this spirit and win more matches.”

The first chance will be in the second match against Barça in this group, when Veszprém Aréna will be sold-out as another giant of the EHF Champions League tries to stop Veszprém’s red-hot form.

The clash between the two powerhouses is a true classic of the European premium competition, with the two sides meeting 26 times in European competitions. Veszprém won  eight matches – including two of the last three at home – and their rivals taking 17 wins.

“I will not predict what is going to happen, because I am not a medium. I can only tell what we expect. And we expect a tough match, because Barça have lost the first match against us, they will come here to win and strengthen their position in the group,” concludes Remili. “But we are ready and we will give absolutely everything we have to secure that win.”

photography © 2023 Roland Peka