At 32, Nikola Kosteski will be one of the most experienced players in HC Alkaloid’s squad this season. The winger is currently in a special training program in Mavrovo, gradually returning to rhythm after last year’s injury. He is working with Marko Mitev under the supervision of physiotherapist Toshe Trajkovski, with cycling also being part of his rehabilitation.

On training with HC Alkaloid…

“We’re in a recovery phase with physiotherapist Toshe Trajkovski, who is leading the muscle rehabilitation process. I feel good, and I hope everything goes as it should. I’m training together with Marko Mitev to get back into form, under a special program that also includes cycling.”

On team goals and playing in Europe…

“I can say that our team is well put together, we’ve strengthened the roster, and we have set high goals. Our first obstacle in Europe is Hannover, and those will be our first two official matches. We probably got the toughest possible opponent, but we’ll fight. We won’t back down, even though Hannover is a Bundesliga side that was in first place for most of last season.”

On the Macedonian championship…

“At the moment, the Macedonian league is at a very high level, and this year there are four to five quality teams competing for the top of the table. Our goals are, of course, the highest, both in the league and the Cup. We’ll go all out against everyone.”

On sharing the locker room with his brother Nenad Kosteski for the first time in a club…

“It’s wonderful to finally play together and I’m very happy. As the older brother, I’m here to guide him in everything necessary so we can both improve and reach the goal, building ourselves and the team. We once played together in the national team, but this is the first time in a club. We have a strong roster this year, and ahead of us is a long and difficult season.”

Mihail Alarov is one of the newest additions to HC Alkaloid. The 27-year-old pivot didn’t need long to adjust to his new environment, as he now shares the locker room with plenty of familiar faces. Preparations are on track, ambitions are high, but as Alarov points out, predictions can wait.

“We’re working extremely hard, and we’ve got enough time to shape our form exactly the way coach Lazarov wants so we’re ready for a demanding season, one that promises to be the most exciting yet. We’ll face a tough rival in Europe, but as players we’re giving our maximum every day. The squad is united, and step by step we’re building toward our objectives.

I’ve blended into HC Alkaloid perfectly since I already knew most of the players. The conditions are top-class and fully professional, and I’ve got no complaints. As for expectations, I’m not someone who talks about trophies ahead of time. What matters is to work and earn results. Our goals are, of course, ambitious, we want to make it to the EHF European League group stage. Whether we get there or not, time will tell. What’s up to us is to work hard,” said Alarov.

Once again, Macedonian national team player Ivan Galevski will stand between the posts for HC Alkaloid. Preparations in Mavrovo are in full swing, and both his personal and team expectations for the season are at the highest, matching the club’s ambitions.

“We’re back together, working hard, and now comes the preparatory phase where we sharpen our technical and tactical play. We know these sessions are tougher than usual, but we need to push through and follow the coach’s plan to reach the level we want.

We’re sharpening every aspect of our game, building up our fitness as well, and it’s crucial to maintain this rhythm so we hit peak form at the end of August, just in time for the tough season opener.

We’ll open the EHF European League with a two-legged clash against Hannover from the Bundesliga, and then go straight into a tough Super League schedule at home. It won’t be easy, but preparations are on the right track, and the team chemistry is excellent. Our ambitions are clear, this team was built to win, and we’ll aim for victory in every match, showing our very best,” said Galevski.

This season, Nikola Markoski will be the most experienced player in HC Alkaloid’s squad. His leadership and skills in defense, his ability to force errors, and his knack for punishing opponents remain vital to the team’s game plan.

“We’ve been together in the club for several years now, and we know the principles of how preparations are run. This season we didn’t repeat past mistakes, everyone stayed in shape during the break, so we arrived ready for the work ahead.

This stage is crucial so that later we can handle the next phases, including the matches waiting for us. After Mavrovo, we’ll move into the next stage, which includes friendly games.

The conditions in Mavrovo are excellent, this isn’t our first time, so the surroundings are familiar. The squad is handling the preparations well, the atmosphere is great, and I’m confident we’ll be ready for the challenges ahead, especially in September, when we’ll play five key matches that could shape the entire season,” said Nikola Markoski.

HC Alkaloid has swapped its club base in Avtokomanda for Mavrovo, where the team enjoys the peace and top-notch conditions to go through the second phase of the preseason, focused on building physical form. Petar Basnarkov, assistant to head coach Kiril Lazarov, is in charge of getting the squad into top physical shape.

Basnarkov has been part of the club since the very start and has helped create the team’s training principles and system. A structure that is now fully embraced by the players, who have adapted to every element of it, making preparations smoother for both the players and the coaching staff.

Basnarkov says he is pleased with how the preseason is going so far.

On how preseason is progressing…

“The players, especially the ones who have been around longer, already know the principles. This is my fifth season with the club, and they are familiar with my style of work, just like I’m familiar with their performance levels.

Basically, we work throughout the summer. The players get about ten days off, and then we kick things off with what’s known as the off-season, a concept more common in basketball. That way, by the time official preseason starts, we are already 70–80% ready.

This is key because it shortens the time we need to build physical readiness and gives head coach Kiril Lazarov more time to focus on tactics. That is especially important this season since we have important matches coming up early. So, from day one, the players are already able to train with the ball.”

On how the players are looking so far…

“Honestly, I’m happy with where we’re at. Every year we keep getting better. The players clearly worked during the off-season, they came in ready. The same goes for the new team members. They have clearly put in work too. There are some minor things to iron out, old habits, automatic movements, but that’s normal. We are fully committed, every single day counts, and overall, I’m happy with how things are going. Marko Mitev and Nikola Kosteski are currently training separately with the physiotherapist, but they will rejoin the team sessions next week,” says Basnarkov.

HC Alkaloid has kicked off its preseason for the new campaign. The squad is getting into rhythm at their base in Avtokomanda, with eight new signings joining the team. Head coach Kiril Lazarov shared his impressions of the current roster and his expectations for the upcoming season.

“The whole strategy and direction of the club is to move forward year by year,” said Lazarov.

“We don’t want to take giant leaps–we want steady progress, building and developing the club gradually. As a coach, I’m happy and proud that we have stayed true to the Macedonian model again this season. Our roster will include 23 players–21 of them homegrown. We decided to stay the course, continue giving chances to Macedonian players, and aim to be more competitive both in the domestic league and on the European stage. I’m pleased we managed to bring in some fresh faces during the transfer window–eight new players in total. We’ll need some time to build chemistry, which is why we started a bit earlier than the rest of the Super League teams.”

The EHF European League qualifiers also play a role in that early start. We’ll work on integrating the new players into the system we are constantly upgrading. I’m feeling positive, motivated–and I believe as time goes on, we’ll keep taking steps forward. Uros Borzas knows Macedonia well–he’s a seasoned professional with international experience, and he will definitely add value to our setup. On the other hand, Ulfar Monsi comes from the Scandinavian school, has EHF European League experience, and even though he is still young, I’m confident he will slot into our system nicely, especially in fast transitions.”

– The preseason plan…

“We will spend the first week in Skopje, then we head to Mavrovo for altitude training. After that, we are back in Skopje, and then we hit the road on a tour through Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia, where we have lined up eight friendly matches.”

– Analysis of the Macedonian Championship…

“The Macedonian Championship is tricky and tough to play in, and you really have to know how to approach it. I did a lot of analysis over the summer, running comparisons, and what stood out was that in a European semifinal we are putting up over 40 goals, but in the domestic league we can barely crack 25, and this was my biggest dilemma.

Where is the gap, and how do we fix that–especially when it comes to our domestic performance. Europe should be our benchmark. We need to align with the pace and style of the clubs competing in European cups if we want to keep moving forward–on both the club and national team level. That applies to all categories, not just seniors, and to both men’s and women’s handball.”

This season, we will have four top-tier teams in the Macedonian league–but I wouldn’t underestimate the rest either. I’ve got respect for every team. For us as a club, the stronger the league, the better. The pressure and rivalry will only help us grow. Hopefully, one day it won’t be just four teams–but eight, all competing for trophies. That would be a big boost for Macedonian talent. With the current format, every match feels like a final.”

– On the EHF European League qualifiers and TSV Hannover-Burgdorf…

“As a club, we made the decision to step out of our comfort zone and enter the European League, after winning the EHF Cup–which already had some tough opponents. That is even more evident this season when you look at the list. We wanted to push ourselves, and that means taking on risk. The draw wasn’t exactly kind – we got a Bundesliga team. After the draw, I watched several of their matches and saw why they were top of the Bundesliga table for most of the season. They’ve got a structured system, a top-class coach–a former Germany national team head coach–with a clear answer for every tactical scenario.

They are definitely the favorites, but we are not going down without a fight.”