Danijel Andjelkovic, Fenix Toulouse Handball coach: ‘We have the ambition to get back to Europe’
Elected “best coach” at the NHL Trophies evening last June, the 44-year-old Fenix Toulouse coach began his second season at the head of the Toulouse club with the firm intention of bringing the Fenix back to the European scene.
Danijel, what is your assessment of your summer preparation?
I think we are on time with a stable group that lived through the last season. We have had as important change only that of the defender in position 3 with the arrival of Bakary Diallo. I’m happy with him. Defensively he is very involved, his adaptation is on the right track, the main lines are there. There is also the arrival of Baptiste Bonnefond on the rear base. Because of a few small injuries and private matters that require him to be absent from time to time, he was not always present. But once deposited in the shot, I think there will be no problem. All the new ones (the 3rd recruit is goalkeeper Teodor Paul, editor’s note) quickly integrated.
You are flawless in preparation (5 wins in 5 friendlies), which is a pretty good sign.
Yes, but that doesn’t say much because it’s still friendly matches. We faced teams of our level, apart from PSG. In the league, it will be totally different.
This one resumes this week and you already have to deal with a lot of absences on your back base. What about?
Regarding our two right-backs (Marmier and Abdi, editor’s note), we have known since the end of June that they will not be available for the recovery. On thought about it. It’s a handicap but we manage with Erwin Feuchtmann and the young Quentin Didelot who is the only “surviving” left-hander (laughs). But since the Pamplona tournament (August 26 and 27, editor’s note), we have uncertain players on the back base with Vieira, Bonnefond, Piovan and also Gilbert. They all have little sores. We will see this week if they will be restored for the championship match against Créteil.
What is Fenix going to be aiming for this season?
Instead of talking about objective, I prefer to talk about ambition. Ours is to play Europe again. Difficult to give a precise place when you see all the competitors fighting for 5th and 6th places. Every year, it’s very complicated and it’s going to be even more so this season, the level goes up a notch each time. In my opinion, between 5th and 10th place, there will be very, very little difference. Afterwards, the seasons are so long that a lot of things can happen.
During the last exercise, you collapsed during the final sprint to snatch a European place. You have played 51 matches in total. Isn’t it a blessing in disguise not to have the European League to play this year?
It depends how you take it. These 51 matches, including 16 in the European League, made us progress. There are matches that we played without pressure, others where we sought to achieve the feat, we faced different playing cultures and then we were on a dynamic of matches every three days, which left little time to think about defeats. Afterwards, with a workforce of 14 professional players and 2 young people from the training center, it is insufficient to play on three tables as was the case during the last exercise (championship, Coupe de France, European League, editor’s note).
You are going back to a rhythm of one match per week, does that suit you?
We have to see how to keep the team ready for one game a week. We are thinking about it. Did we drop out at the end of last season because we went from two games to just one a week following our elimination from the European League? You know, I’ve just spent seven seasons on the bench as an assistant or number one and I’ve never had the same season. So I tell myself that this one will also be different.
Game-wise, are you going to continue to rely on that fast, attacking style?
Of course. We haven’t changed squads so we’ll have the same style of play. A nice game with speed and lots of goals. It should be clear to the public. Besides, I hope there will be even more of them this season, I found that there were sometimes a few people missing last season (smile).
What about young people in your workforce?
After signing their first pro contract with Téo Jarry and Mathieu Marmier last season, we will continue to integrate them into our training. The Piovans, Firmesses and Didelots have potential and I think they are progressing more by training with us than with players of their level. The club’s policy is also to rely on its training center.
Let’s come to you. You were voted “best coach” for your first season in Starligue as number one. Three months later, what remains of this consecration?
It was very nice, I’m proud and happy. Well, there was my name and my photo put forward but this trophy rewards all the staff who worked alongside me and all the players too. They still played well. You can be a great coach but if there aren’t the players to follow your ideas, well it’s useless. So this reward is also for my staff and my players. I admit that being elected, I did not expect it. I didn’t ask for anything, I accept it and I took advantage of it. But as soon as the recovery, I turned the page, it is forgotten. A new day has dawned, a new challenge ahead. We are at the bottom of the mine and we have to work to get back up.
Managing a team was new for you because when you’re an assistant, you no longer manage the training sessions, the tactical aspect. There, number one, you also have to manage the men. How did you approach the thing?
When I had doubts, when I asked myself questions about my functioning or my choices, I consulted my staff of course, but I also referred to my past as a player, I tried to remember what I liked. compared to a given situation when I was a player. In my work with my players, the hardest part is convincing them that my ideas are the right ones, getting them to trust me. Last season, I had to manage different situations, sometimes I had to intervene, others not. I learned a lot of things from this first experience, I was wrong a few times but overall, the results are positive.
Your achievement and results are not shown in the previews. We imagine that you are the subject of solicitations.
President Dallard was very satisfied with our work, me and my staff. Very quickly, it is desirable to discuss the continuation. Me, I am good in Toulouse, good in this club. So I extended for two years, until 2025. Afterwards, it’s true, I had contacts but nothing concrete or in-depth.