Raicevic: “We’ll need a lot of strength, will and energy”

The Match of the Week, scheduled for Sunday 22 September at 16:00 CEST, promises to be a thrilling encounter, as ambitious Rapid take on last season's finalists and the excitement builds among fans. One of the players who will try to make a difference on the court is centre back Milena Raicevic.

The experienced Montenegrin player joined Rapid Bucuresti in December 2023 from Buducnost and could not help her Romanian side in the EHF Champions League Women in the rest of the 2023/24 season. That is why she welcomed the new season with a smile and positive attitude after being able to play again in Europe's top-flight.

Rapid threw off the new season with a win against Raicevic's former club Buducnost 32:27, marking their 11th home win in the EHF Champions League Women. In round 2 they had a chance to have a perfect start in Kristiansand, but only had to settle for sharing spoils. Still, without a defeat, they are eager to stay on the same course.

In Romania, they had a topsy-turvy start losing both games in the Super Cup, but head coach David Ginesta Montes needs time to tune the newly assembled team with six new players and, so far, they only lost one out of four domestic league games.

“Even though the start in Romania was not perfect, we managed to get back on track and have a good start in the Champions League. We can't say we are the team that will win the trophy in the Champions League but what we can say is that we will fight in every game until the end. That we will try to make progress in each game and be better every time. The award will come, I'm sure,” added the centre back, who scored four goals so far and fits perfectly in Rapid's puzzle while sharing the position with Estavana Polman and Eliza Buceschi.

As Rapid are preparing to face HB Ludwigsburg in the Match of the Week, Raicevic is aware of the German side's capabilities. The EHF FINAL4 2024 silver medallists have also undergone significant changes during the summer, as they bid farewell to Gabriela Moreschi, Kelly Dulfer and Inger Smits among others. 

“They did change their squad but we must not forget they were Champions League finalists, so we’ll need a lot of strength, will and energy to prepare for them. We have a busy schedule, playing two games a week,” said Raicevic.

Ludwigsburg, however, enter the game under pressure, having lost their first two matches of the season. Odense Håndbold left them powerless (28:22) and at home, in the rematch of the EHF FINAL4 2024 final against Győri Audi ETO KC, they were five goals short (31:26). Desperate to redeem themselves, they will come to Bucharest with high motivation, making them a dangerous opponent.

“They will be hungry for a win, especially after those losses. When you start a season like that it's almost 'to be or not to be' now. Despite their changes, they still have the same coach and system. We need to take them seriously and not allow them to impose their own game on us. We want to continue our good run and I believe we will be able to do it with the help of our fans,” added Raicevic.

Last season Rapid did not make it through to the play-off, ending in the seventh place — one point less than FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria. This season, the progression is their main task. 

“Our goal is definitely to reach the next round this season. However, we are aware it is not going to be easy. The group is tough with amazing teams fighting for the same thing and we need to believe in ourselves,” said Raicevic.

“I don't care about numbers, you will know better which season this is. I started playing handball for love and I want to enjoy it as much as I can. I believe these will be my two final years on court but never say never. Somehow, I would like it to be here in Rapid — they were big supporters to me when I thought my career was coming to an end,” concluded Raicevic.

Photos © Sabin Malisevschi / Rapid Bucuresti