Handball club VZV from ‘t Veld is in Spain this weekend to play the third round of the European Cup. Club Balonman Atletico Guardes must be beaten to progress. “They are a step further than us, so they are the heavy favourites,” says trainer Rolf Schulte from the team bus.
The handball players from West Friesland were too strong for the Finnish Dicken in October, so they now play against Atletico Guardes. “These kinds of European competitions are important for the learning process,” says Schulte. “You gain a lot of experience and it’s interesting that you don’t have to make the game. It could give a turbo boost to the competition. In that respect, this game comes at a good time.”
VZV is ninth in the Eredivisie after nine matches. In recent years, the team has finished in the top four. The handball team often also has high expectations in Europe. They have now been adjusted. Schulte: “We have had to give up too much in the past two years to keep catching up in Europe. That is also one of the reasons why we decided to play both games in Spain.”
Another reason is the financial aspect. Atletico Guardes has bought the rights to host both duels, which means that VZV has lost a lot less money. “That saves thousands of euros. The club can use that money very hard, especially after corona.”
The Spanish league has become a lot stronger in recent years, says Schulte. “That is due to the World Cup, which was organized in Spain last year. A number of Spanish internationals have returned to their home country. Although I must say that the European Cup has been dominated by Spanish teams for a while. We are going to try to give Atletico Guardes a leg. .”
The first game is tomorrow at 7 p.m. and the second leg starts around the same time on Sunday.