The Fenix Toulouse knows how to travel
At the end of a fruitful week with two successes in Malmö and then in Chartres, the Toulousains showed that they had character.
They finally hold this first victory of the season in the league. Coming victorious from Chartres (33-31), Friday, the Toulouse residents took a breath of fresh air and turned their point counter which had been blocked at zero until then. “It is true that this victory is good,” admits Danijel Andjelkovic, Fenix coach, reassured by the progress of his team. “We had not played well so far and I feel that it is improving”, confirms the Toulouse technician who will not climb trees for all that but who admits: “These are important points for the future.”
Indeed, the Toulousains were rather bad at the beginning of the week at the time of rally Malmö for their European League match. Beaten at home by the promoted Nancy last Saturday, they had something to be worried about. Finally, this week away from Toulouse was rather favorable to them since they validated their ticket for the group stage of the European competition by dominating the Swedes (29-25), then followed by this first success in the championship in Chartres. “Two wins in the week will give us strength for the future,” said Nemanja Ilic, the experienced Fenix winger. “I hope that will give us a new dynamic”, adds his teammate Maxime Gilbert.
In Eure-et-Loir, Pierrick Chelle’s teammates have always led in a meeting where everything was not perfect but they showed character in the final, carried by a very precious Erik Balenciaga. “Erik was exceptional this evening (Friday, Editor’s note)”, confided also Maxime Gilbert about the Spanish center-half at the microphone of our colleagues from beIN.
It’s go again
After their trip to Sweden and Chartres interspersed with a stopover at the Maison du handball in Créteil, “which allowed us to live together, to discuss, to exchange”, appreciates Danijel Andjelkovic, the Toulouse residents are leaving next week for a new round with a trip to Rennes from Tuesday to face Cesson-Rennes on Wednesday in the Coupe de la Ligue. From there, they will reach Dunkirk where they are expected on Saturday in the championship, via Créteil and its House of handball which will still serve as a base for accommodation and training. A new journey that promises to be complicated for Toulouse residents who will still have to show character to hope to get by.