Astroc willplay for a place in the final of the Champions League in Denmark

The Handball team, Astroc Sagunto, will play in the semifinal round of the ChampionsLeague against the Danish side Viborg. The draw, celebrated this morning in theheadquarters of the EHF (European Handball Federation) in Vienna resulted inthe first match being played in Sagunto on the 15^thof April and the second leg of the semifinal - one week later in Denmark.

The club’s president, Jose Ramon Gasco,was satisfied with the draw “for being able to play the semifinal in thecountry that most looks after women’s handball”, and added that “we knew thatin this round there wasn’t going to be any easy rival.”Gascoalso declared that Viborg is one of the strongest teams in Europe with enormouspotential given that “if they have just overcome the number one team it’sbecause they too are the number one.” 

The Danes come from a victory over their compatriotsfrom Slagelse, current champions of Europe, so that the two teams that wonagainst last year’s finalists will face each other in a match in which theNordic players are the clear favourites. Gasco thinksthat “it’s good that the favourites are our rivals because we have a verytogether team capable of giving a fright to anyone.” The president of Astroc declared that in the quarter finals “we were alsoconsidered a pushover in theory, but however we overcame the current runners-upof the competition with every justice.”

The trainer of the Spanish team, Cristina Mayo,independently of what might happen in the semifinal, was very satisfied to havereached this late stage of the competition and assured that “we have no limit,we’ll go out there to enjoy the prize of being in the semifinals and we’ll tryto play our options to the full to see how far we can go.”

Mayo emphasised the involvement of the players, inthis case in the Champions League, and was convinced about maintaining the sameintensity and style of play that has allowed them to be amongst the four bestteams of Europe and face the match positively.

The management thinks that playing the semifinalsagainst one of the big teams “is a prize from the players to the fans”,although the president warns that “ now it’s time toplay and make life difficult for the Danes”.