No trip back home for Kovács

Péter Kovács was confirmed by Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea’s president as the coach of the Romanian champions.

Several Romanian newspapers had reported that Péter Kovács would be on his way out of Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea, after the Romanian champions were defeated twice in the EHF Champions League Group C against Randers HK and Larvik HK.

According to the Romanian newspaper "Gazeta Sporturilor", Kovács’ fate was thought to be sealed and his departure was only a matter of days. Several names were rumored, with former Oltchim coach Radu Voina being the favourite replacement.

However, an official statement issued by Oltchim on 2 November confirms that the Hungarian coach will stay in Vâlcea, denying all the rumours of Romanian media.

"After the defeats in Randers and Larvik, Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea issues a final warning for the technical staff and the players. If the team does not reach its objective and fails to qualify for the Main Round of the EHF Champions League, both the team members and the coaching staff will be facing harsh penalties from the management," is the official position of Ioan Gavrilescu, Oltchim’s president.