The NB I field is in awe of the colt team from Esztergom

Whatever sport we look at, it is extremely rare to find a newcomer around the podium, especially when it comes to such a strong championship as the Hungarian women’s handball NB I. This is exactly what the MOL Esztergom team is accomplishing, but Gábor Elek tries to restrain the horses.

“I’m trying with all my might to stay on the ground, and even I rarely allow myself to be really satisfied after the dream-like start,” said the former coach of Ferencváros and the women’s national team, who took over the team just one year ago, in the second division. management of the Esztergom club.

Every week is war

Elek said that he instills in the players to go into the series championship every week as if it were a decisive battle, because even though the start of the championship looks very good, the goals of MOL Esztergom have not changed.

“I would like everyone to understand: for us, staying in is the most important thing, everything else above that is great joy and happiness, and an important sign of our development. But the fact that many people already see the team on the podium is not only a huge exaggeration, but also very dangerous.”

“We have a young team, which is good on the one hand, because I can work with very talented girls, but at the same time, it’s unfortunate from the point of view that routine is important because of the stakes, the pressure, and the handling of the results on the spot. That’s why it’s good that there are players in the team who have already experienced this or that during their careers, and they can help the young people to process the events correctly,” the master coach referred to his wife, Zitá Szucsánszki, among others.

“Zizi has always been my extended hand on the court, and now her routine is also very useful. There is youth, enthusiasm, and momentum on the field, but when the going gets tough, we really need those older players who have experienced many big battles and who know exactly when to do what.”

They still lag behind in terms of stability

The specialist said that what has happened to the team so far is like a dream, since MOL Esztergom managed to defeat last year’s BL Debrecen on the road, they beat Kisvárda, a routine NB I team, at home, and most recently they took the points from the home of Vasas . This puts him on the table with a hundred percent performance.

“What we showed in Debrecen was extreme. We played a great game, and although everyone, including me, would like us to play handball like that in every game, this is just wishful thinking at the moment, because we are not yet stable enough to expect that. Against Vasas, for example, I didn’t like my team very much in the beginning, but in the end we just managed to win.”

Stability has yet to arrive (photo: MOL Esztergom)

“We are in flow, but this can easily turn into a spasm if we put too much pressure on ourselves. I’ve been reading a lot of articles lately about Lea Faragó, who really plays amazing handball, but just like with our other talents, Luca Kármán, Fanni Horváthi or even Bori Ballai, we also strive to ensure that her development is not broken by excessive expectations or by what is justified more pressure.”We build the girls up nicely, gradually, so that they can then pursue the career that awaits them based on their talent.” – stated Elek.

“The team plays my handball, we try to defend stably and score balls with good goalkeeper performance, from which we can then run. It’s a pleasure for me that the girls understand my intentions and can put them on the field, now we just have to be careful not to put our long-term goals at risk with narrow-mindedness. With two feet on the ground, we must continue to work confidently but modestly. This is the goal,” concluded the specialist.