The line player of HC Chekhovskie medvedi Aleksandr Ermakov shared his impressions at the end of the season in a conversation with Handballfast editor-in-chief Alexey Lebedev.
— How satisfied are you with the Final Four? And with the results of the team’s performance in SEHA-League, taking into account the whole season?
— We played with dignity in the group. Probably, except for one last match in Minsk, when, although, nothing was being decided for us from a tournament point of view, so it’s possible to be content with this stage. As well as with the first play-off round.
Concerning the Final Four… I’m happy that we reached it from the very first attempt — Chekhov team has never participated in SEHA-League before, but, of course, it was a pity when we lost to SKA Minsk in semi-final. I wish we could win that meeting and the tournament. I hope we will have an opportunity to do it!
The game with Minsk didn't start out well. We have been catching up with almost the entire match. And it didn’t work out. How did the Minsk team surprise? They amazed with their freshness — they have been running all the game! The team is fast and young… The players are good and they reached the Final Four in great shape.
There was no way out other than to play with Perm with a winning attitude. We just wouldn’t be understood: we didn’t play in the championship final, and if we had lost medals also here… We had to prove everyone that we meant something.
— What can you say about your play? How physically hard is it when such a tournament was added to the national championship and the Cup?
— It’s not worth talking about your play when you loose the tournament. Indeed, undoubtedly, it pleasant to be awarded as the best line player. But I would emphasize once again: you don’t think about your personal merits.
Exhaustion? Yes, it affected, we were decently busy at the end of the season. I suppose, the fact that the Spartakiad was added, right after pre-seasonal training session, eventually played a important role. It is not that easy to have matches every day with decent competitors…
I felt on the Final Four of the Russian Cup, that forces and emotions are not infinite. Especially after the second match of the championship in the series for the 3rd place with Stavropol. But still we tried to save the last of what’s left for SEHA-League! — said Ermakov.
Photo: Elena Razina / SEHA-Gazprom League
