The IHF Super Globe is not only a chance for a trophy to add to the cabinet for the world’s best club team, but also falls at a point in the season when many teams are just beginning their domestic and continental competitions. As such, it is the first opportunity to see some of the best club sides in the world with their new transfers.
For the 2017/18 season, two-time IHF Super Globe and nine-time EHF Champions League winners FC Barcelona Lassa welcome three new players to their line-up: Slovenian right back Jure Dolenec, Cuban line player Alexis Borges, and French right wing Yanis Lenne. The 2017 Super Globe opened with the first official matches in the Barcelona jersey for Dolenec and Borges, though Lenne has yet to take the court due to an ankle injury – only weeks after he claimed the bronze medal with France at the Junior World Championship.
Barcelona began their Super Globe campaign with a decisive 42:24 win against Esperance Sportive de Tunis, and both Dolenec and Borges were naturally pleased to start with a victory.
“We won, we did the job that the coach decided for us, and I felt good,” said Borges, who came to Barcelona this season from FC Porto. “I was nervous before I got on the court but then once I was there everything was fine.”
“I think we showed a better presentation of our team than in the two preparation games. We are improving, it’s normal, we are just starting our fourth week of preparation so of course we are not on the top,” said Dolenec. “We are progressing – every game we are better.”
For both Borges and Dolenec it is the first Super Globe – so how do they find the competition fits with the start of their season?
“It’s hard to say – of course for most of the teams we are still in the preparations. Only German teams have started the season,” said Dolenec, who made it to the Champions League quarter-finals last season with his former club Montpellier HB and was a key part of Slovenia’s first ever IHF World Championship medal-win (bronze) in January. “It’s special – it’s unofficial, but it’s like a World Championship with all the best teams of all the continents, so everyone wants to win it.”
“Tournaments like this are important and we will work hard to meet our aims. What is coming next is going to be important [for the upcoming season] because we will be well prepared after,” says Borges. “At this competition, we have teams from other continents like Pan America. I think that’s a good thing because teams from all parts of the world can come here to play tough matches.”
It is clear both Dolenec and Borges have come well into the mindset of the team, and with each match are fitting increasingly more with the team’s playing style.
“It’s really nice, everybody is open. They’re trying to help me get into the system on the court and out of the court also,” said Dolenec. “I had some little problems with injuries so this is the only thing I would like to change if I could change anything, but the rest is going great and I hope that we can make a great season.”
“I arrived as short time ago so I’m going step by step to adapt to the way of playing. I’m working hard to incorporate everything as fast as possible,” says Borges, before commenting on the move to Barcelona itself: “The city is precious, and it’s my language so that’s OK. We all know that Barcelona is one of the most important clubs – for me the biggest. This is a really big thing. My dream is to help the team and to play many years for them.”
FC Barcelona play the 2017 IHF Super Globe final against defending champions Füchse Berlin on Monday August 28, with both sides looking for their third trophy at the event.