von Sascha Staat

First of all, your team performed extremely well during the group stage of the EHF EURO 2022. Obviously the last game against Poland stands out. It was your last game in front of your home fans and it must have been absolutely special for you.

Jovanka Radicevic: Yes, I did, for sure. But it was a really hard night, to be honest. I couldn’t sleep and I was afraid of the game because I knew that this game is really important – for me and for my team. Then, when I entered the court, it was also very difficult. I imagined it to be very emotional – I’m proud of myself and how I played.

Was it more emotional than you expected?

JR:  No, because I knew that this day will be very special for me – really emotional and hard. And, I knew that this day will come and I’m really proud that I had the privilege to finish my national team career in front of my friends and my fans. I actually don’t know what to say, but it couldn’t have been better. The jersey of Montenegro just means everything to me.

Let’s talk about the games at the EHF EURO 2022. You will start the main round with four points, did you expect it?

JR:  Yes, I expected it because I know that nobody can beat us in front of our fans – they’re really crazy. They let us fly – they are like an extra player on the court. You probably saw that we were a bit lost in the beginning as it was so emotional. But I’m really proud of my country and of my team. We played against three very good teams, but in the end, I think that the fans made the difference because they pushed us so hard.

What can we expect from you and your team in the main round?

JR: Now, we have two days to rest and that’s really important for us. Some of our fans will come to Skopje and will support us. This will be a big help. I think that this team can go far andI just want us to stay healthy. I can only repeat myself: We can go really far. Obviously step by step.