Niko is in airport, waiting to check in for Wetzlar. The Zebras will play tomorrow there against the local team in order to reach the German Cup Last Four in Hamburg. Nikola talked to us about his physical shape, the Champions League quarter final´s draw and the defeat against Ciudad Real.
RK Zagreb - THW Kiel: "There I will be, ready to go back to Croatia to hug my family again. I am pleased because I have great memories from my last journey there", jokes Niko, before he speaks about the draw. "Well, we were not exactly lucky, Zagreb is the strongest rival we could get. It will be very difficult, but if we can count on our complete roster, then we have no reason to hide ourselves."
Talking about injuries, how about yours? "I still feel pain in the knee and my ankle aches as well after I flexed against Gummersbach. But now it comes the game against Wetzlar, than it follows the match in Hamburg and after them I can repose. I called Claude (Onesta) to ask him to not call me in the team for the two games counting for the European Championships 2010 Qualification (on 19th March against Portugal and on 22nd March against Latvia). I really need at least one week of repose."
The defeat against Ciudad Real has been the first one for Kiel since May 2008. Was it strange? "To be sincere, no, it wasn´t. However, we ended the group in the first position and this fact says enough. We were there with a understrength team: Vid was injured at knee, Stefan was ill and injured, Filip was ill, by the way he is not able to play in Wetzlar, and I was with pains in knee and ankle. In such conditions, to lead with three goals within five minutes to go was an heroic deed. Our goal was to not lose with more than seven goals. We reached our aim."
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