Can Xavi Pascual break Veszprém’s Champions League curse?
Hungarian side Veszprém, known as the biggest “loser” in handball when it comes to the EHF Champions League finals, once again has a realistic chance of reaching the Final4 tournament in Cologne this season. With four final defeats behind them, the most successful Hungarian club playing in “Veszprém Arena” still boasts one of the strongest squads in European handball. Spanish coach Xavi Pascual has already won Europe’s most prestigious trophy three times with Barcelona, and in his debut season at Veszprém, he now has a chance to reach the Lanxess Arena. This is underscored by the 26:26 draw in the first leg of the quarter-final against Magdeburg, giving Fabregas and his teammates a solid chance of securing another ticket to the city on the Rhine.
If he achieves success already in his first season, Xavi Pascual will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with previous coaches who excelled in their first year at Veszprém. Xavi Sabate famously lost the 2015/2016 final against Kielce after a spectacular comeback in the final 15 minutes, while David Davis led the men in red jerseys to the final in 2019, only to be defeated by Vardar Skopje.
Serbian coach Momir Ilic also reached his highest European accomplishment in his first season of a three-year term, playing in the Final4 semifinals in Cologne.
Two coaches who failed to make similar breakthroughs were Antonio Carlos Ortega and Ljubomir Vranjes. Vranjes’ Veszprém was shocked by Danish side Skjern in the round of 16, while Ortega failed to reach the semifinals in his debut year, although he set the stage for the team to play in two consecutive finals in 2015 and 2016.
Where are the limits for Pascual’s Veszprém?
First season’s achievement:
Antonio Carlos Ortega 2012/2013 – Quarter-finals
Xavi Sabate 2015/2016 – Final
Ljubomir Vranjes 2017/2018 – TOP 16
David Davis 2018/2019 – Final
Momir Ilic 2021/2022 – Semi-final
