Vojvodina and Grozdanic ready for the rematch

One of the club's top scorers in the competition with 36 goals is Milos Grozdanic. The Serbian player returned to Vojvodina this season after two years abroad and is anxiously waiting for the second leg of the semi-finals against Alingsås HK on Saturday 22 April in Novi Sad.

The 28-year-old left wing netted six times in the first leg of the semi-finals when Alingsås secured a narrow 25:24 win with a buzzer-beater after Vojvodina held a two-goal lead five minutes before the end.

“I think we were too overwhelmed in the first game. We wanted to win so much that we started making some mistakes that were crucial in the end. We did not show the style of play we have throughout this whole season,” assesses Grozdanic.

“In the second half, we were in front and holding everything in our hands. Maybe less rotation, low energy and lack of concentration in the final minutes, as our main players were on the court for almost 60 minutes, were the reasons why we were defeated in the end in such a way.”

Since the start of the EHF European Cup in October 2022, Vojvodina successfully eliminated SSV Brixen, Förthof UHK Krems, ØIF Arendal and Gorenje Velenje before facing Alingsås in the semi-finals.

“We had a very good season. In the quarter-finals, we eliminated Gorenje Velenje, a very experienced team with young players. We gave our best on the court in what they say was a historic semi-final and I hope it will be a historic final also,” adds Grozdanic.

The match at Slana Bara Hall in Novi Sad will be one of the climaxes of the season for the Serbian club and the whole team believe they have a good chance of ending Saturday night with a victory.

“We played well in the first game and deserved at least a draw. We have good results ahead of the rematch and we are preparing well. If we want to win, we have to enter the court much calmer, have a solid attack and try to score from a secure chance. We have to reduce technical fouls to a minimum,” Grozdanic says.

The only thing that is assured is that on Saturday, Vojvodina will have huge support from the stands. Expecting to have a packed hall, the chants from the stands will be an additional boost to Vojvodina's players who are trying to prove their quality and the idea of the whole project behind them.

“We are expecting a packed Slana Bara. I believe it will be sold out, people already started calling us asking for tickets. Everyone wants to come and watch Vojvodina to support us and I am very happy. We will have a great atmosphere and fans will be able to witness a great match. Because of it, I would like to end with a win,” Grozdanic adds.

Grozdanic played his first European season with his hometown club Vrbas in the 2013/14 season. Later, he moved to Novi Sad where he spent four seasons before he moved abroad for the first time and made Germany his new home. After two seasons with HSC 2000 Coburg, the left wing was introduced as a big reinforcement for his old club in Slana Bara.

While fighting in Europe for a possible trophy, Vojvodina are equally successful at home. They are current leaders of the Serbian championship with only one defeat in 23 matches, have qualified for the Serbian Cup semi-finals and reached the quarter-finals of the SEHA League.

“I am very satisfied with the season. We have good results so far across all competitions. But the final lap is now, this last month and a half of the season with the domestic championship, Serbian Cup and EHF European Cup. We have to continue on the same path and make the best results we can in all three competitions,” points out Grozdanic.

Alongside Grozdanic and experienced players Barys Pukhovski and Zivan Pesic, seven more players came in the summer of 2022 to start a new page in Vojvodina's book, which has some great stories written in it. The club from Novi Sad hopes for another bright future with many new good results across European competitions.

“Vojvodina has a great vision for the club, a project for the future. We are looking towards the EHF European League, and why not even the Champions League? I believe if we continue on this path, we will make a stable European club, which will be a destination for foreign players,” Grozdanic believes.

“I believe our success is also important for Serbian handball, and for sports altogether. To keep up with us, other clubs need to give more and with that, we can all go forward, something that was missing in recent years,” he concludes.

Main photo © Jan Gregorc