An inspired Elche squad had only one defeat on the way to the EHF European Cup Women title, but head coach Joaquín Rocamora says that following the first leg's loss to Madeira Andebol SAD in the Last 16, the dominant comeback in the return leg made them believe they could go all the way.
"The key moment is January, after eliminating Madeira Andebol SAD with a really good game we played at home, being much superior and managing to qualify comfortably,” Rocamora explains.
“After that elimination, not only did I believe that we could win the competition but so did the team. I am also lucky that I manage a very competitive team that always goes out 40x20 (the size of a handball court, ed.) to win the matches regardless of the results achieved before," says Rocamora.
The trophy in the EHF's third-tier club competition is the first-ever continental trophy in Elche's history and the long-serving Spaniard at the helm says the success is important.
"This title means that the club enters the history of national and especially Valencian handball. But it is also a reward for many years of work. We had been improving our last classification in the European competitions for four editions and a large part of the staff have been working together for many years.
“The secret is none other than the work of many years. I've been managing the first team for nine years but three to four players have been with me for that long and another four or five players have been at the club for at least four to five years. The squad is like a family, everyone respects each other, helps each other with personal goals but sets clear collective objectives and we are lucky to have many players with a predisposition to work and personal improvement,” Rocamora adds.
