At the age of 30, he practically became a pensioner, because after a serious injury he could not return to the field, and Flensburg did not want to wait for him either.
After four missed seasons, he returned to the sport to which he gave so much by chance.
And today, when he celebrates his 39th birthday, he is still playing. And not just anywhere, but in one of the strongest leagues in the world. And no matter what, because he is the third scorer of the team that is currently 12th in the table of the Spanish Asobal league.
At one time, the most expensive handball player in the world is living a second youth on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, in the small town of Kangas, which has become his second home. For those for whom these associations are not enough to understand who it is, it is Alen Muratović.
One of the best Montenegrin handball players of all time suffered a terrible shoulder injury in 2009, while playing in Germany. Flensburg waited for him for several months, but the contract was terminated by mutual agreement, because the wiry boy from Nikšić could not return to the field. He himself thought that his career was over, and then in 2013 fate played with him...
"I didn't play for four years, and then I came to Spain to give birth to my daughter, because my wife is from Kangas. I met with the president of Kangas, who asked me to help the team, and I suddenly regained my will and desire to I'm playing handball again. I'm very happy that it happened, this is my sixth season in a row in Kangas. Maybe I'll end my career in the summer, maybe I'll stay on the court for a few more years, but it's important that I enjoy myself and be able to help the club. If not, I wouldn't even be here. Sometimes I play too much," says Muratović with a smile to "Vijesti".
At his age, it is not easy to recover after demanding handball matches and many fierce duels.
"It's fortunate that I'm a little lighter, because 87 kilograms is not normal for my height. Apart from that serious shoulder injury, I haven't had any other serious ones, so I can withstand training and matches even at this age. During the week, I'm a little careful in training and take care for the matches, but I need two or three days to recover. No one is forcing me to train, it's just important that I give my best in the matches".
Muratović is Kangas' third top scorer with 23 goals in six games, and 33rd in the Asobal League, in which his team has two wins and four losses.
"We are currently 12th in the table, and the goal is survival. It is like that every season, I believe we will achieve it".
His teammate is a fellow citizen from Nikšić, 22-year-old Filip Vujović, and in Spain there are two more Montenegrins - the experienced Novica Rudović is in Puente Henil, and Admir Pelidija is in Alcobendas.
"Filip plays as a winger and sometimes as a center back. He has a lot of talent, he has shown that he can play in a strong league, and I believe that the selector will call him, to see what kind of player he is. I see Rudović and talk to him often, and there is also Pellidia, whose Alcobendas, like us, is fighting for survival. There is plenty of him, he can still improve, and as soon as he came to Spain, he certainly has quality".
In 2003, Muratović left Lovcen for Kangas, where he spent the first two seasons. He then spent three years in Valladolid, with whom he lost to Flensburg in the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2007 for a goal. In those matches, with 13 goals, he convinced the management of the German club to pay 800.000 euros in compensation a year later.
Unfortunately, that transfer turned into a nightmare for the phenomenal left-back, who couldn't last among the "alams" of the Bundesliga. The ligament in the shoulder of the right, shooting arm, disintegrated and he had to temporarily stop his career. He returned to where he likes the most...
"Kangas is my second home. When I left Lovcen, this was my first club in Spain. I spent two seasons there, then another three in Valladolid, and this is my sixth in my second term here. And my wife Angelika from here, and the children Mai and Ian were born in Vigo, which is a 20-minute drive away. This is a small place, where everyone lives for handball. I was well received, I behaved well and it was fate to finish my career in Kangas This is my 11th season in Spain, it would be good if there were 15", concludes Muratović, half in jest and half in truth.
Zoran and Draško are the right guys in the right place
The national team of Montenegro is now led by Muratović's former teammates - selector Zoran Roganović and director Draško Mrvaljević.
"It is a real goal, because these guys are in the right place and they are a real refreshment. It would be good if we qualified for the European Championship, because it is a great success to be in a big competition, considering that we are small and have a small pool of players Zoki, Draško and I were teammates, I know them as people and I know that they breathe for Montenegro. It's nice that former players came, who see Montenegro as their home".
He played with Mrvaljević and Roganović at the 2008 European Championship in Norway, the only continental championship where the "lions" won a point (a draw against Russia).
"I often remember that championship and the fact that since the restoration of independence we were the first national team in a major competition. It was a boom and we made a great success, because we passed the first round. It never happened afterwards, but the time will come for that too It is only necessary to work well and to have patience, and I have no doubt that Zoran and Draško will know how to arrange it".
The crisis weakened the Asobal League
The Asobal league used to be the strongest in the world, but it is no longer in the top. The economic crisis caused great problems for Spain, which was felt in handball, because former European champions Atletico Madrid (i.e. Ciudad Real), Portland San Antonio, Cantabria and many others no longer exist.
"There are no more crises, the economy has stabilized and life is nice, but the country is not too rich. There used to be a lot more money in Spain, so the league was the strongest in the world. Now the world's best players go to Germany, France, Poland... ., and only Barcelona remained strong here. The league is good for young players, to learn something and to be seen by someone," notes Muratović.
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