Panic: “A goal would be to claim that first historic win”

With a new head coach, a line of experienced players and many young talents, Bosnia and Herzegovina want to prove they belong here and enjoy playing in front of thousands of Bosnian fans in Mannheim. 32-year-old right back Marko Panic made his comeback to the national team after missing out on the Men's EHF EURO 2022 and with his vast experience will try to help the team achieve their goals.

“For me, it is always a special feeling to play for the national team. You are representing yourself, your city, for me my hometown Jajce, your country and for me it is an even bigger honour to be at the major competition. Being among the best teams shows we have the potential to play handball. Honestly, people in Bosnia and Herzegovina need to invest more in handball,” says Panic.

The strong Montpellier back player scored three goals in Bosnia’s nine-goal defeat against Sweden at the start of the EHF EURO in Mannheim. Even though Bosnia suffered a convincing defeat, there was a glimpse of hope after a good defensive display in the first 15 minutes of the game where they closed the gap to three. That game is something Bosnia and Herzegovina need to build on.

“No matter the result, we always give our heart on the court, fighting until the last minute and that is something we will never stop doing. We will always show our strength. We showed that against Sweden also. We opened the European championship against the reigning champions, it was a tough game but I can say I'm satisfied,” says Panic.

“Our main problem was the lack of efficiency in the attack, we were struggling to score and lead too many attacks in passive play. We need to work on that. We have potential and I believe we can be 30 to 40 per cent better.”

Whether they were down, making mistakes, or up, forcing Sweden to make a run for the win, thousands of Bosnia and Herzegovina fans were singing and jumping on the stands, not giving up until the last minute in SAP Arena.

“Our fans are some of the most loyal fans. They really know how to create a good atmosphere and they impress wherever they come. Their support means a lot and I can't thank them enough for being there for us,” Panic says.

Goalkeeper Benjamin Buric, his twin brother Senjamin on the line, Mirsad Terzic and Marko Panic are the true leaders of this squad, but some young talents are showing off their skills – like Zagreb's line player Adin Faljic who had to take it over after Senjamin Buric's injury and delivered in style with five goals against Sweden.

Yet there are numerous young players still playing in the Bosnian domestic league. Those are the players who still have a lot to learn but training and playing next to the stalwarts makes it all easier.

“Our domestic league made a little progress this season with a couple of teams playing in the European competition but I have to be honest, still there is a huge gap and you can feel and see that when we come to the national team. Our young players can't make true progress without playing tougher games,” Panic says.

“In those terms, this EHF EURO is a great opportunity for them to gain valuable experience even if they don't get big minutes on the court. Being at the European championship for a third year in a row means a lot for our handball and for our country. I hope we will leave our mark, showing we have a good heart and that we are a hard nut to crack.”

Bosnia had a tough start but they will not have it any easier in the second game in Mannheim. On Sunday, they have a clash against the Netherlands and Panic knows what it means to play against fast-paced teams and tricky players like Luc Steins. However, he also reveals what Bosnia need to do to keep up with the Netherlands and maybe even put up a surprise.

“The Netherlands are a very strong team with amazing back court players. Even though they are missing Kay Smits they still have great players like Luc Steins and Dani Baijens. Steins is one of the best centre backs in the world. He is their main engine and it will be our priority to stop him, he is the starting point for most of their actions,” he thinks.

“We need to impose our rhythm because we can't keep up with their fast players. With our strong defence and good goalkeeper, I think we can play against them. To enter the 50th minute levelled, for example, that would be great,” explains Panic.

After participating at the 2015 IHF Men's World Championship, EHF EURO 2020, EHF EURO 2022 and now EHF EURO 2024, Bosnia and Herzegovina are still waiting for their maiden win at a major competition. They have set a clear goal and never stopped dreaming of making it even better.

“On the sports side, a goal would be to claim that first historic win. If we dream, if we are humble and we respect our opponent, then we can give 100 per cent. If we have a different approach, winning against Georgia will be hard,” Panic says.

“We need to dream about progressing further to the main round no matter how unrealistic it may sound to some. We should keep our heads high no matter the result after the first two games and give our maximum in the last game against Georgia. After all, why shouldn't we dream about winning against the Netherlands or Georgia? We want to have that historic win,” concludes Bosnia's all-time EHF EURO second-best top scorer.

Photos © Kolektiff Images