The coach congratulated himself after winning in Montpellier and highlighted the defense “and the kid Petar Cikusa (17 years old)”
“The first game in the Champions League is always important and will help us continue growing,” said Richardson.
Barça has given a strong blow to the Champions League table this Wednesday with an authoritative 25-30 victory in front of more than 7,000 spectators on the Montpellier HB court and has vindicated itself after the doubts that arose after last weekend’s draw on the first day of the ASOBAL League in Irun against Bidasoa (26-26).
Carlos Ortega has had a large part of ‘fault’ when he decided to bring the young Catalan Petar Cikusa on stage (17 years old) in the most difficult moment of the second half with the score at 17-19 after a penalty goal from Villeminot. And the star from Bordils, twin of Djordje who has also made his debut in the first team, responded with four goals to definitively break the deadlock in the game.
For this reason, the coach highlighted it in his assessment of the match. “The defense has stood out above all and the kid Petar Cikusa, who came out when the game was more complicated and couldn’t cope with the pressure. It’s like he’s been playing with us all his life. “It’s something to be very happy about,” said the former Valero Rivera Dream Team player.
“Very happy. It was a game to grow as a group and we also had two last minute losses like Gonzalo and Haniel who on paper could weaken the team, but we have played an extraordinary defense, the goal has reacted, we have run when we had to run, we have been intelligent with long attacks and despite We were very serious about Dika’s loss in the end,” Ortega stressed.
Barça reigned in a spectacular atmosphere
| FCB
Regarding the message of the draw in Bidasoa, the coach indicated that beyond the result “it could have been a wake-up call to say that yes, we have lost players and we have casualties, but that we are Barça, that we have a squad, that we trust in everyone and that we still have to change our playing style at times, but we are going to be there competing and fighting until the end. “We can lose, but we are a champion team.”.
As always when visiting Montpellier, it was a nice match for a Melvyn Richardson who played there between 2017 and 2021. “I am always very happy to come here and to see how the fans have thanked me. It is something very special and I am very happy to return here and also to have won. The defense has worked well and in attack we have adapted well to every defensive change that they have proposed to us, which is a very important thing for the future,” said the French full-back now converted to center back after Domen Makuc’s serious injury.
“The first game in the Champions League is always important. We had to start winning and we have done it. We have started very well, the team has proposed different things in attack and defense and it has gone well for us. This is important to continue growing for the next games,” emphasized the son of the legendary Jackson Richardson.