Podravka Opens Regional League with Victory in Ljubljana
Podravka Vegeta handball players defeated Krim 30:31 in the inaugural match of the newly established Regional League, with coach Obrvan and player Šošo analyzing the performance.
Podravka Vegeta handball players defeated Krim 30:31 in the inaugural match of the newly established Regional League, with coach Obrvan and player Šošo analyzing the performance.
Podravka Vegeta handball players opened the newly established Regional League with a victory. In an extremely dramatic finish in Ljubljana, they defeated the home team RK Krim OTP Group Mercator 30:31 (16:14).
Podravka didn't start the match poorly, but went into halftime trailing by two goals (16:14). In the second half, the visitors from Koprivnica played significantly more aggressively, and by the middle of the period, in the 35th minute, they already held a three-goal lead (17:20). However, the match was decided in the final moments. The home team managed to equalize at 30:30 in the last seconds, but Podravka remained composed. The club's new signing, Kouyate, scored the winning goal for the final 30:31.
Head coach Ivica Obrvan is satisfied with the outcome but emphasizes that this is just the beginning. "I would primarily call this a friendly-preparatory match, which was the first after quite tough and demanding training sessions. We have about fifteen days of work behind us. Krim started a week earlier, which was noticeable at times. At this moment, it's important that we won, since the opportunity presented itself, because besides being a crucial preparatory match, it also carries regional significance for the newly formed league. We started with an away victory, and we now turn to the upcoming training sessions and days to prepare for the start of the other championships," Obrvan stated.
Player Matea Šošo was self-critical after the match, noting that there is room for improvement. "We need to work on that, but first and foremost, we must improve our defense and reduce technical errors. It's always nice to win; it feels good," Šošo said. The club briefly added that they "won a bit luckily, but deservedly."
In Group A of the Regional League, Podravka Vegeta competes alongside Ljubljana's Krim, Zagreb's Lokomotiva, and Belgrade's Crvena Zvezda. Group B consists of six clubs: ŽRK Jagodina, ŽORK Bor, ŽRK Naisa Niš, ŽRK Stars-Lavice, ŽRK Đorče Petrov, and ŽRK Čair Skopje. After the group stage, a playoff follows, with the top four teams qualifying for the Final 4 tournament.
Podravka's next match is already scheduled for Friday, August 14, 2026, at 2:00 PM, when they will play a friendly against the formidable Györi Audi ETO KC at the Audi Arena in Győr.
