Following their defeat to Bietigheim, who are currently third with an 18-point difference (34:16), the players of Buducnost Bemax concluded what has been their toughest journey in the Champions League history.

Bojana Popović’s squad struggled from the outset, allowing the hosts to jump to a staggering 7:0 lead with a series of 10:2, leaving no room for recovery.

The main concern was whether the club record would be eclipsed, as the “blues” had previously suffered a 39:21 loss to Djerba and a 44:26 defeat against ĆSM Bucharest, whereas the German team ultimately finished with an advantage of 18.

“I’m really disappointed. We failed to apply pressure. Right at the start, we missed numerous shots, which resulted in a significant deficit. Being a young team, some inconsistency in play is understandable, but the motivation and commitment to fight for the club should always be present. Even our more seasoned players didn’t meet expectations; they should lead by example, but that wasn’t the case,” remarked Bojana Popović.

The head coach of the Podgoričanki held the team accountable for their lack of fight.

“Bietigheim’s goalkeeper was outstanding and denied almost everything we attempted offensively. It’s tough to compete when the opponent’s goalie is on fire and making so many saves. While I understand the mistakes stem from being young, the fighting spirit needs to be there for the full 60 minutes,” Popović added.

Goalkeeper Anne-Katrin Gigerich expressed her discontent with the performance in Germany.

“We aimed to put forth a much better showing. We lacked aggressiveness, struggled defensively, and our offensive execution was poor. We committed a lot of errors,” shared the German national player.

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