Clash of former national coaches in Bitola: Eurofarm Pelister v Partizan
Regional League opener in Bitola at 18:00 brings Lino Červar and Raul Gonzalez face to face for the first official time as club coaches.
Eurofarm Pelister host Partizan in Bitola on Sunday evening as the newly formed Regional League gets underway; the match kicks off at 18:00 and is the first competitive fixture in the competition for both clubs.
The game draws extra attention because it will pit two former North Macedonia national team coaches against one another. Lino Červar leads one side while Raul Gonzalez is in charge of the visitors. Both men are widely credited with positive contributions to Macedonian handball in recent years — Červar with Metalurg and Gonzalez with Vardar.
For both strategists this will be their first official match at the helm of their current teams, after being brought in with the explicit goal of pushing for top results in domestic and regional competitions.
Eurofarm Pelister arrive here having played several friendly matches during preparation and recorded wins in those warm‑ups. The home team will have local support in the stands, although the club’s most vocal fan group, the "Chkembari," announced they will boycott Regional League fixtures and will not attend.
"We finished this phase of preparations and now the serious part begins. I think we had a good three weeks of training, especially the work in Slovenia. Our thoughts are already on Partizan and we are preparing for this match. The team chemistry is good; I think the newcomers have integrated well. A new coach also arrived and brought new ideas, his style of play, and we are working on that every day," said Pelister player Nik Heningman.
"Eurofarm Pelister have a strong defence and combine several different defensive tactics. They played in the Champions League last season, they have quality players and it is especially difficult to beat them on their home court," said Raul Gonzalez.
Expectations are for a competitive opener: both coaches will try to stamp their ideas on the match and the result in Bitola will be an early barometer of how the new season and the Regional League may unfold for both sides.
Photo: press material from the event
