In June 2012, the “Morača” arena witnessed the incredible victory over Sweden, granting the Montenegrin handball team their first entrance into the World Championship. Ten years later, the “lions” aim to re-enter the World Cup through Greece, facing Italy in what is seen as their easiest matchup yet in the playoffs.

The “World Cup 2025” preparations kicked off today in Croatia, Denmark, and Norway. The “lions” began their training in Podgorica for their upcoming matches against the “Azzurri,” scheduled for Thursday at 20:00 in Konversan and Sunday at 17:30 in Podgorica.

Despite being favored, Shola’s squad is cautious, as previous matches serve as reminders against complacency…

“I believe we will be fully motivated,” Shola stated. “The Italians have nothing to lose and are up against a team with a good reputation that performed well at the European Championship.”

The Montenegrin coach feels that the pressure will be less on the opposing team during the two-match playoff.

“Yes, they aren’t burdened by high expectations; everything they achieve is a bonus. They can afford to make mistakes, whereas we can’t,” the Croatian expert explained.

Branko Vujović is under examination; Čepić ruled out

Shola’s first training session took place without key players Vuk Borozan, Miloš Vujović, Stefan Čavor, Branko Vujović, and Radojica Čepić, who will miss the playoff due to injury.

“Overall, the situation is good. Branko Vujović is set for an examination tomorrow due to a knee injury, and we hope to get clarity on that. Čepić informed us a week ago that he couldn’t participate as he just removed his cast,” said Shola.

The absence of the Montenegro defender will impact both ends of the court…

“I hoped he could resume training at least ten days earlier to bolster our defense. However, it’s a handicap we need to manage,” stressed Shola.

European Championship performances guide us to the World Cup

The “Lions” have positioned themselves for a favorable playoff by delivering strong performances at the last European Championship.

“The Euro may seem distant, but this is the most critical week of the year. If we reference the Championship, we must replicate the quality of our performances there to advance,” the selector affirmed.

He provided insights into Italy’s strengths…

“Italy plays a ‘one-on-one’ style, akin to Iceland, but not as effectively. They can set up a solid defense, aided by an excellent goalkeeper who performs well when in form. I anticipate they’ll deploy a deep defense against us, as they previously did against the French and teams with strong shooters,” Shola elaborated.

What’s the strategy for countering such a game?

“We’ll prepare various strategies against their zone defense to ensure they don’t catch us off guard. The backs must maintain good synergy with the pivots, as most of their attacks flow through that connection. They’re strong in physical contact and will push to play ‘one-on-one’ throughout the match while being adept in transitions,” he added.

We are the better team; we must demonstrate it

Regardless, the selector embraces the role of favorite…

“When facing stronger opponents, the Italians tend to elevate their engagement and quality of play. Naturally, we are rated as the superior team, possessing better quality, but we have to prove it on the pitch this Thursday and Sunday,” stated the Croatian expert.

Italy reached this playoff round after defeating Belgium, who participated in the last World Cup.

“I’ve analyzed those games, but it’s unclear how well they played since I observed them at levels above their performance against Italy. Some players have also departed, which likely affected their play. I focused more on Italy’s matches against Poland in the last qualifiers, where they excelled, especially against France, as they attempted to surprise them with a deep zone defense rather than shooting from nine meters. They have strategies in place; we need solutions for their surprise tactics,” Shola concluded.

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