Eurofarm Pelister have risen to be one of the great clubs representing North Macedonia in EHF club competitions. They have clear goals for this season and one of them is going further in EHF European League.
The North Macedonian side sits in group D along USAM Nimes Gard, AEK Athens and Grundfos Tatabanya. After a rocky start against French side and a big comeback against Kadetten Schaffhausen to earn a point, they finally secured their first win.
The team captain and one of the key players for the season is Josip Peric. The 29-year-old Bosnia Herzegovina international started his path in Ljubuski, played in Qatar, Romania and Germany before settling in Bitola in 2020.
‘’Defeat to Nimes was hard for us because it was the start of the European season and we played at home. We managed to get back on track, we showed our determination against Kadetten Schafhausen when we made a comeback and erased a five-goal deficit," says Josip Peric.
The first victory for Eurofarm Pelister was earned against AEK Athens, competing in the group phase for the first time. That 30:27 win for Pelister was the Greek team’s first European League loss of the season and decisive were the eight goals scored by Peric himself.
"We are improving and we managed to get two points in Greece. I am very satisfied with how I play and how the team looks. I would be happy if we continue to play like this. The win over AEK was important for us, these two points are a good push for us, but every match and every win has the same effect for us. It brings joy for both the club and our fans,” says Peric.
The next opponent for Željko Babić’s team is Grundfos Tatabanya. This will be the second home match after round 1 encounter with Nimes and Pelister will give their best to put another smile on their fans' faces. The match against Hungarian side is set for Tuesday in Bitola at 18:45 CET, live on EHFTV.
Tatabanya has a somewhat similar situation, after two initial defeats finally welcomed first victory. Pumped with that and a win in the domestic league, they will be a hard nut to crack. However, Peric believes in his team.
"We have a difficult match ahead of us. Tatabanya are rising and started to play better in the last few matches. I believe this will be a really exciting match with a possible nail-biting finish. We play a similar style of handball but I believe in us.”
When it comes to the domestic championship, the battle between Vardar and Pelister continues. Both teams have one defeat. Pelister lost to Vardar, who in turn surprisingly lost to Pelister’s second team. Both teams are fighting hard in European competitions, with clear goals. Winning a national title would be a cherry on top for the Bitola-based team.
"When it comes to the Macedonian championship, a big focus is on winning at least one trophy and of course all matches against Vardar. Our main priority is to train hard and give our best on the court. And then try to win that long-awaited title,” concludes Peric.
