Hard’s debut already a milestone

EHF / Björn Pazen

12 October 2022, 14:00

They know how to go about things the hard way. Thanks to four victories against Macedonian teams in the two qualification rounds, Austrian side ALPLA HC Hard made their dream come true and qualified for the first time in nearly 20 years for a group phase of an EHF competition.

In the upcoming weeks the team of Icelandic-born coach Hannes Jón Jónsson will face Skjern Handbold, Fraikin BM. Granollers, Balatonfüredi KSE, Sporting CP and 2022 EHF finals participant RK Nexe.

Main facts:

Hard are playing their 17th international EHF European Cup season, but have only reached a group phase once – in the 2003/04 EHF Champions League season
Hard’s biggest international success was making it to the finals of the EHF Challenge Cup in the 2007/08 season
seven-times Austrian champions – most recently in 2021 – and four-time Austrian cup winners
coached by Icelander Hannes Jón Jónsson since 2021
the biggest name among Hard’s new arrivals is Austrian international Nikola Stevanovic, although the squad has remained more or less the same as in the previous season
beat two different Macedonian teams in the two qualification rounds twice: first Eurofarm Pelister II and then Butel Skopje
left wing Luca Raschle scored 26 goals in those four qualification matches

Most important question: How will Hard’s journey continue?

HC Hard are on a highflyer after their qualification. But they were drawn in probably the toughest group, facing internationally experienced sides such as Skjern, Granollers, Sporting and Nexe. Those might be too strong for the Austrian club, but they have the surprise factor on their side, as they are the underdogs and nobody knows their true strength.

The party was already huge after making it to the group phase.

“This is outstanding and an absolute milestone in the club's history. The players rewarded themselves and deservedly made it through to the group stage. We are unbelievably proud,” said said Hard Managing Director Markus Köberle right after the second victory against Butel Skopje.

How they rate themselves

For Thomas Huemer, sporting director of ALPLA HC Hard, one of the major goals has already been reached.

“Being in the group phase for the first time is unique for us. In this we are the newcomers and we know that we are dealing with big names. But we won't let that put us under pressure and we will approach the games with concentration step by step. To make one or the other surprise would be awesome,” he said.

Huemer is sure that the whole club will profit from being part of the group phase, adding: “Being able to compete with the best teams in Europe is a really a cool story not only for us as a club, but also for the whole Austrian handball. Welcoming top teams in our region makes us particularly proud as a club and of course, to actively promote the importance of handball in Europe.”

Team captain Dominik Schmid is also looking forward to a great journey through Europe.

“Our biggest motivation was to reach the group phase. Now we want to show that we belong here. To be realistic we don’t have a chance for the title, but we want to bring some teams in trouble and to give our best. Maybe then it’s possible to pass the group phase what would be unbelievable for us,” Schmid said.

Under the spotlight: Golub Doknic

At the age of 40, Hard’s goalkeeper is definitely among the veterans of the competition, but he is still a cornerstone of the team’s success. Born in former Yugoslavia (today Montenegro), Doknic played for HC Vardar in North Macedonia, Italy’s Conversano and Serbian side Kolubara before he joined Alpla Hard in 2011, where he became five-time Austrian champion. In November 2020 Doknic took Austrian citizenship and had his first match for the Austrian national team in February 2021. At the EHF EURO 2022 he was the oldest player in the Austrian squad.

What the numbers say:

In previous qualifications for different EHF competitions, HC Hard had already locked horns with three of their group phase opponents. They lost in the third round of the 2014/15 EHF Cup qualification against Balatonfüred and in the 2017/18 Champions League qualification tournament against Sporting CP, but beat Skjern in the second qualification round of the 2019/20 EHF Cup.

Did you know?

Qualification top scorer Luca Raschle has never played for any other club than HC Hard. In 2009, he joined the club, with which he became six-time Austrian champion and twice cup winner. The “Austrian newcomer of the year” 2012 has two citizenships – Swiss and Austrian – as he was born in Swiss city of St. Gallen, but decided to play for the Austrian youth, junior and men’s teams.

Luca Raschle is the man to watch in 🇦🇹 Alpla HC Hard 🙌
He scored 10 goals for his team on Tuesday night 👏
How many more to come? 🚀 #ehfel pic.twitter.com/oFm0wiXLCp
— EHF European League (@ehfel_official) October 2, 2022