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HC Alkaloid is about to play a historic match in which it could secure its first European title. On Sunday at 20:30, the second leg of the EHF European Cup final will take place at the Boris Trajkovski arena in Skopje.

The first leg of the final in Athens ended in a 29-25 victory for Alkaloid, a lead they must protect to claim the trophy.

On the eve of the second leg, HC Alkaloid held a press conference.

KIRIL LAZAROV, HEAD COACH OF HC ALKALOID

I want to thank everyone for their support throughout this European journey. Reaching the final is of great importance for our club and for Macedonian handball. We delivered an outstanding performance in Greece, and I can confidently say the result exceeded expectations. Holding a four-goal advantage is excellent; the players executed our plan perfectly, and we head into the second leg with a substantial cushion.

On one hand, I remain cautious, aware of our mindset and the fact that 19 of our squad members are Macedonian… but on the other, sensing the atmosphere two days before the match, we need to approach the second leg with a bit more composure. We have to enjoy this moment… as a former player who’s been to more finals than I’ve won (I’m referring to Champions League finals), I believe that experience helps me prepare the team effectively. I don’t want the players feeling any pressure – I’m confident they’ll give their all on Sunday.

Our system is functioning well, though we do have some weaknesses. I don’t want to dwell on missing four or five key players in the second half of the season. I hope our younger players won’t be overwhelmed and that we’ll handle this positive pressure.

IVAN GALEVSKI, HC ALKALOID GOALKEEPER

“AEK is an experienced, high-quality team with players well-established in world handball. Even with our four-goal lead, nothing will be easy because we know what kind of opponent we’re up against in Skopje. We do have one advantage we lacked in the away leg, our home crowd. I’m sure that if we play well and follow the coach’s instructions, we can celebrate and lift a European trophy which is no small achievement for a club that has existed for four years.”

NIKOLA MARKOSKI, HC ALKALOID PLAYER

“AEK is a top-notch team full of quality players. Despite the four-goal deficit, I believe they’ll fight to demonstrate their best. It’s our responsibility to stick to our game plan. We’re preparing to minimize technical errors and, with a solid defence, secure another victory and a historic European title.”