Won 13 national championships, celebrated 13 cup victories, triumphed in the Champions League, twice the best scorer of the royal class, the player with the most goals scored during a tournament at the World Cup (92) and European Championship (61): Kiril Lazarov is one of the very greats of handball. Before the European Championship in Croatia, Macedonia’s legend talks to SPOX about unpaid bills in the restaurant, its status, group opponents Germany and Dominik Klein. The right back room player also reveals why he never played in the HBL.
SPOX: Mr. Lazarov, you have been revered as a folk hero in your homeland for many years. Can you still take to the streets in Macedonia without being permanently addressed?
Kiril Lazarov: So it’s not that bad again. (laughs) First of all I would like to say that I love my country very much. Therefore it is a pity for me to be able to spend so little time in my home country. After all, I’ve been playing abroad for half an eternity. Since I moved to Zagreb 17 years ago, I haven’t been running for a Macedonian club. When I get home, it’s even nicer. I really enjoy being in Macedonia. Here I can recharge my batteries, here I regain strength. And then I can sometimes feel the affection of the people.
SPOX: On what occasions?
Lazarov: It happens more often than not that I don’t get an invoice in the restaurant. The waiter or the owner then comes to my table and says:”Mr. Lazarov, it was an honour for us. I will never accept these invitations, however. As a person privileged by sport, it is out of the question for me not to pay my bill at all.
SPOX: You have already mentioned it: Since leaving Bitola in 2000, you have played for Zagreb, Veszprem, Ciudad Real and Atletico Madrid as well as FC Barcelona. How did your move from Barcelona to Nantes come about last summer?
Lazarov: After a total of seven years in Spain, I just had the feeling that I needed a new challenge. On the one hand, it can be a good thing to play for a long time with the same club or at least in the same country. On the other hand, I believe that there is a danger of getting into a routine that hampers performance. Sometimes changing your club just gives you a new motivation boost.
SPOX: In the Champions League, Nantes are on course, but in the French league, the club is a bit behind the leaders. Do you still feel that you have done everything right with the change?
Lazarov: In the beginning I had a bit of trouble getting used to it. Of course, the language played a major role. But that’s already much better, on the bottom line I’m really satisfied with my decision so far. As you said, we’re good at the Champions League, but we need to improve our league. We will succeed because we have a really good team. This club will grow enormously in the future.
SPOX: One of your teammates in Nantes is former German international Dominik Klein. What do you think of him?
Lazarov: I knew Dominik only as an opponent and as an excellent player. But you know what really surprised me?
SPOX: Tell us about it.
Lazarov: One thing first and foremost: I don’t tell this story because I want to tell nice things about Dominik in a German medium. I mean that really exactly as I say it now: Dominik is a great guy! He is an incredible team player who always gives everything for the team. He impressed me with that. Every club can only wish they had a guy like him on their team. I was also allowed to get to know his family – it’s great too.
SPOX: Just as you rave about Klein, you might have liked it in Germany. Over the course of your career, there have been repeated rumours that you had received an offer from the Bundesliga, for example from Magdeburg. Why didn’t you ever play in the HBL?
Lazarov: It is indeed the case that I have repeatedly received offers from Germany over the past 15 years. I do not want to mention any of the clubs here. Frankly, I’m sorry I never tried. However, offers from clubs such as Veszprem, Ciudad or Barcelona are not easily rejected. Unfortunately, it is not possible to play for two clubs at the same time. (laughs)
SPOX: For a long time, the Bundesliga was regarded as the best league in the world. It is probably still the case, even though international competition has become much fiercer in recent years. How do you rate German handball?
Lazarov: I have great respect for German handball and the Bundesliga. You Germans love handball, which is very important for our sport. The halls are full and the atmosphere is therefore always excellent. To compete in the European Cup with a German team is always a great pleasure and at the same time a great challenge. I agree with you that the other leagues, such as France, have caught up, but the quality of the HBL is still extremely high. In my opinion, this is also an important reason for the strong national team.
Page 1: Lazarov on his status, Klein and German handball
Page 2: Lazarov on the German danger, the EC as a whole and its future plans