Since their debut on the big stage, now far away in 2010, the end of the year has always been a period when Montenegro has cheered on women's handball.
Our handball players have not missed a single European or World Championship since then - they hope that it will be the same 15 years later when the world's best national teams meet in Germany and the Netherlands in November and December.
A new major competition, a new World Cup, is visible through Portugal, which seems to be the ideal rival in the play-offs - the first match is scheduled for tomorrow evening at 20 pm in Fafe.
"We have to take these two matches seriously. It is necessary that from the first to the last minute we play as if our opponent is France or any other top team," is the clear message from Marta Batinović, goalkeeper of our national team.
Except for the battles for the last Olympic Games, the "lionesses" had no problems in the qualifications or play-offs, but they learned from their colleagues from the men's national team how much relaxation is forbidden.
"We know how happy the men were when they got Italy out," Marta recalled that just a year ago the "lions" were sensationally eliminated by the underdogs in the play-offs.
If things go bad...
Suzana Lazović's chosen ones are ready for any scenario.
"If things do go badly, we have to try to close the gap, so we can beat them at home and go to the World Cup," Marta is clear.
The Montenegrin goalkeeper and her teammates are aware of what Montenegro is like in women's handball compared to Portugal.
"We are definitely the favorites, but we know it will be difficult because we are a young team. Portugal is unknown to us, we have not played against them and we have to take them seriously from the first minute and get the best possible result before the game on Saturday in our hall. We are going for the win, we are not going to think about anything else," emphasized Batinović.
Young people must justify their place in the selection
To qualify for Germany and the Netherlands, our national team will have to do without several players who were symbols of the "lionesses", such as Milena Raičević, Marina Rajčić, Itana Grbić, and this time Nina Bulatović, Đurđina Malović, Tanja Ivanović and Nikolina Vukčević will also be missing.
Some new "lionesses" will have to take on important roles.
"We have to take our rivals seriously, because we are a very young team and a lot of players have said goodbye. The young girls will now have to justify their place in the national team," concluded Marta Batinović.
The rematch will be played on Saturday in Podgorica, starting at 18 p.m.
Bonus video:
