HC Alkaloid have now been in pre-season training for around ten days, and since the beginning of the week, the team has been based in Mavrovo for its altitude training camp, where ideal weather conditions are providing the perfect environment to build fitness, recharge and prepare for the challenges that lie ahead this season.

Alongside their campaigns in the Super League, the Macedonian Cup and the EHF European Cup, HC Alkaloid will also compete in the newly formed regional competition next season, bringing another demanding competition to the calendar and making thorough preparation even more important.

The first friendly matches are approaching, but the current priority remains physical conditioning. The encouraging news from the club is that the entire squad is fit and healthy, with every player training at full intensity from the opening day of pre-season.

That is particularly significant for those who struggled with injuries last season. One of them is Nikola Kosteski, who spent time on the sidelines but has now fully recovered and is training without any limitations.

“The most important thing is that I am back after a long absence. It was a serious injury, so I am delighted to have started pre-season healthy and ready to train. Above all, it is important that we all stay healthy and have the full squad available.

During the summer we followed a program to ensure we could begin preparations at the required intensity. We are working in a great atmosphere. Right now, our main focus is on physical conditioning and tactical preparation. Everyone is pleased; we have a very strong roster…

I know Borozan and Cehte very well, while Suholežnik is new to the team but has settled in quickly. We have been part of this project for a long time, and we all understand how it works. Everyone here is a professional and knows exactly what is expected of them.

We have excellent conditions here; the temperatures are ideal for training, the coaching staff has clearly defined the objectives for this phase of the preparations, and everyone is fully committed to doing their part,” said Nikola Kosteski.

Martin Velkovski is one of the more experienced players in HC Alkaloid and is well acquainted with the standards demanded by head coach Kiril Lazarov and what is expected from the team during this stage of preparations.

“First of all, I want to wish everyone good health and a successful preparation period. We began training intensively in Skopje before moving to Mavrovo. The arrival of several new players has brought fresh energy to the team, and the atmosphere is excellent. This season we have to be better than we were last year. We have strengthened the squad with quality additions; we have depth in every position, and now our job is simply to keep working hard, stay healthy, and make sure we start the season the right way.

The conditions here are outstanding in every respect. The accommodation is excellent, the weather is ideal, and we have everything we need to prepare properly for the season ahead,” said Martin Velkovski.

After several days of introductory training sessions in Skopje as part of the team’s pre-season preparations, HC Alkaloid have relocated to Mavrovo, where significantly more favorable weather conditions are providing the ideal setting to recharge their batteries ahead of the demanding period that awaits once competitive action gets underway.

With a full squad available, apart from cadet national team goalkeeper Gjorgji Nikolovski, who is representing Macedonia at the M18 EHF Championship, the players are currently focused on improving their physical conditioning. For most of the squad, the summer mountain camp is a familiar destination, and they know well that this phase of the preparations is both demanding and essential. The lessons from previous seasons have clearly been learned, with the players returning from the summer break in excellent shape. The task now falls to the coaching staff to raise the collective to the desired level.

The players’ fitness has certainly not gone unnoticed by head coach Kiril Lazarov:

“We have been working together for quite some time now, and we have established order and discipline. As time goes by, everyone becomes more aware of what it takes to perform at a higher level and to play the style of handball demanded by Europe and by the top clubs. I am very pleased with the way we have started our preparations. The atmosphere is excellent, the conditions are outstanding, and everyone is working with great enthusiasm and commitment,” said Lazarov.

The club’s strategy remains unchanged, with the squad entering the new season with greater experience.

“Since the club’s establishment, HC Alkaloid and HC Multi Essence have been developing step by step, following a clear strategy aimed at strengthening both the club and Macedonian handball as a whole. Last season, the HC Alkaloid and HC Multi Essence project produced national youth and junior champions, while the cadet team finished as runners-up. At present, we have more than 50 national team players across all age categories, and we remain fully committed to developing players for both our club and the national teams.

As our rivals continue to strengthen and the Super League becomes increasingly competitive, we have decided to make a few carefully considered additions in order to further improve the quality of the squad and remain competitive on both the domestic and European stage.

We have retained the core quality we have built over the years while adding three experienced, high-quality players who we believe will bring additional value. Big names alone do not make a successful team. Building a team requires hard work, discipline, and a well-established system. Based on everything I have seen so far, I am completely satisfied with every player. When you have quality players willing to work, everything becomes easier, and training sessions are more relaxed.

If I had to sum it up, although it is still early in the preparations, I am very satisfied as head coach. We are professionals, but at this stage our professionalism is also bringing us genuine satisfaction,” Lazarov added.

The preparations have been carefully planned, with a series of friendly matches already scheduled…

“During the planning process, we revised our schedule several times because there was uncertainty surrounding the format of the Regional League. Once our participation was officially confirmed and the fixture list was released, we decided to remain in Macedonia and arrange several friendly matches, even though it was already quite late. It was also too late for us to accept invitations to the tournaments in Ohrid and Struga. Instead, we will play two friendly matches against the Egypt national team, while HC Nexe will visit us. We begin here in Mavrovo with a match against HC Prilep. Our opening Regional League fixture is against HC Partizan on 26 August, and before then we may arrange one additional match,” said HC Alkaloid head coach Kiril Lazarov.

HC Alkaloid have officially begun preparations for the new season, with the team’s roll call taking place today at the Avtokomanda arena. The players were welcomed by Zhivko Mukaetov, CEO and President of the Management Board of ALKALOID AD Skopje, who wished the squad good health and success in the campaign ahead.

The club’s pre-season preparations will be conducted in three stages. The initial phase, serving as an introduction to the training process, will take place in Skopje. The team will then head to Mavrovo on 3 August for the second stage of preparations, before wrapping up the final phase with a series of friendly matches. During the 2026/2027 season, HC Alkaloid will compete on four fronts. Alongside the Macedonian Championship and the Macedonian Cup, the club will participate in the newly established Regional League, featuring teams from Serbia and Montenegro. On the European stage, HC Alkaloid will once again compete in the EHF European Cup, where it claimed the title in the 2024/2025 season.

The squad has also seen several changes during the summer. Martin Ivanovski, Nikola Markoski, Kristijan Simonoski, and Martin Serafimov have left the club, while Slovenian internationals Matic Suholežnik and Nejc Cehte, together with Montenegrin international Vuko Borozan, have joined HC Alkaloid.

Thirty-one-year-old Matic Suholežnik is a 202 cm pivot who arrives from RD Slovan. His previous clubs include HC Celje, French clubs Dunkerque and Saran, Portugal’s Benfica, and Croatian champions HC Zagreb.

Nejc Cehte (33) strengthens the team at right back after concluding last season with Füchse Berlin, finalists in the EHF Champions League. Earlier in his career, he played for Krško and Gorenje Velenje in Slovenia, Germany’s Hannover, Danish GOG, and HC Eurofarm Pelister.

Montenegrin left back Vuko Borozan is a well-known handball player with extensive experience across Europe, the Middle East, and Macedonia. He is 32 years old and stands 203 cm tall.

HC Alkaloid has been named the third seed for the 2026/2027 EHF European Cup, Europe’s largest club handball competition. The European Handball Federation (EHF) has published the official ranking of participating clubs and confirmed that the competition draw will take place in Vienna on 14 July.

Thanks to its ranking, HC Alkaloid has secured a place in the top seeding pot and will enter the competition directly in the second round.

The EHF is expected to confirm whether the draw for the second round will also be held on 14 July, in line with previous practice, or moved to the newly proposed date of 22 September.

After lifting the EHF European Cup trophy in its debut season in 2024/2025, HC Alkaloid will make its second appearance in Europe’s largest club competition. The upcoming EHF European Cup season will feature 83 teams, 10 more than in last season’s competition and the two preceding editions.