Manuel Štrlek: The Realistic Goal Is to Advance from the Group, Defense Can Be Our Forte
Manuel Štrlek returned to RK Zagreb after 15 years and believes the team can advance from the Champions League group, despite tough opponents.
Manuel Štrlek returned to RK Zagreb after 15 years and believes the team can advance from the Champions League group, despite tough opponents.
Manuel Štrlek (37) returned to RK Zagreb after 15 years and is confident that coach Hrvoje Horvat's team has the strength to advance from the group in the new Champions League format. The experienced winger backed up his belief with performances at the preparatory tournament Fresh Corner Cup 2026 in Hungarian Tatabanya, where Zagreb finished second, behind Polish side Kielce.
The Champions League this season is played in a new format, with groups. The draw in Vienna gave Zagreb tough opponents: Celje, Aalborg, and PSG. The top two teams from the group advance, while the other two drop to the European League. Matches are played both home and away.
Štrlek is aware of the challenge but believes in the team. "The group is really tough. The realistic goal is to be better than Celje and try to be among the top two in the group. I'm satisfied with the schedule; we open at home against Celje. If we beat them, and for that we need to be very good on the court, the door opens for us to advance. Of course, why not surprise one of the stronger opponents...", Štrlek said for 24sata.
Coach Horvat has already emphasized several times that defense will be a major weapon for Zagreb. Štrlek played only in attack at the preparatory tournament in Tatabanya, but his experience helps younger teammates make the defense look better. "Some players haven't really played that 5-1 defense, but once we fully gel, it can be one of our big fortes. We can set up two great defenses, 5-1 and 6-0, we have interesting players and various options we can play. We'll certainly have our aces this season," added Štrlek.
Štrlek has an exceptionally rich international career behind him. With Croatia, he won silver at the European Championship in Austria in 2010, bronze at the European Championship in Serbia in 2012, Olympic bronze in London the same year, and bronze at the World Championship in Spain in 2013. A special place is held by the European Championship in Poland in 2016, when he scored 11 goals in the match against the hosts.
Although he is no longer in the national team, Štrlek does not regret that period. "It's been many years since I've been out of the national team. Still, I feel fulfilled; we did great things. I'll give my all this season in Zagreb to play as best I can. I have some personal goals, so we'll see how everything goes from here," Štrlek stated.
Before returning to Zagreb, Štrlek played for Nexe, with whom he had ups and downs. He doesn't want to talk much about last season at Nexe, emphasizing that in sports you should never look back. His focus is solely on Zagreb and delivering results to the beloved club.
The Champions League begins on September 9 and 10, and Zagreb will play its first match in the Arena against Celje. Štrlek and the team will have a lot to say this season, and fans hope for a turnaround after a poor last season.
