The biggest crisis of the Women's Handball Club Budućnost on its journey of more than seven decades occurred last year, when the Club was on the verge of closure. It began with the decision of the general sponsor Bemax to terminate the sponsorship contract (01.07). There will also be conflicts within the Club. And, the reflex of this will extend all the way to the participation of the Montenegrin national team in the European Championship that same year.
The crisis in the Club was exacerbated by a misunderstanding with Milena Raičević, which will soon take the form of an affair. The European Handball Federation (EHF) also intervened with its verdict and statement: “... ŽRK Buducnost is obliged to pay its player Milena Raičević all unpaid wages for the 2020/21 season (€158.000) with statutory default interest starting from August 1, 2021”. Buducnost believed that the handball player was not at fault, because during the period of pregnancy and maternity leave, she did not play and left the Club. It was not accepted.
There is evidence that the affair was intensified, albeit discreetly, by a smaller group from handball, with an outside influence.
After the announcement of the closure, several handball players left Buducnost. Among them, the best, Džina Jauković. However, a healthy core of the team remained with well-known handball players who, if they wanted to leave, would have been welcomed by the biggest clubs in Europe. As expected, the professional team also remained loyal to the Club with By Bojana Popović i Maja Savić.
An urgent solution was found by deciding to transfer the ownership of the Club to the City of Podgorica. The City, as a first step, took over the Club's debts. Later, much more than that would be achieved (18. 02. 25).
And in the Club, they are first trying to remedy the turbulent situation. So that the handball players, especially the younger ones, gradually recover from the psychological shock. And with a reduced number of handball players to continue competing in the Champions League. They are also working with young teams, which is confirmed by the Women's Cadet Handball National Team of Montenegro, which recently won a silver medal at the Mediterranean Championship.
Unfortunately, the realistically expected victory of Buducnost against the Romanian Rapid in the Champions League (22. 02) was not achieved. The draw meant that the opportunity for the rejuvenated team to gain experience in two more League matches was lost. This happened in that incredible finale in which Buducnost, in the final two minutes, as they say, “lost the game they had already won”. The Romanians surprised both the Buducnost players on the field and the coaching staff with their tactical twist. They say that the consolation is that even without that victory, they have already secured direct participation in the next cycle of the Champions League.
National team at the 2024 European Championship, success or failure
Winning eighth place is evaluated differently on two sides of the same coin.
The first side is satisfied. It starts with the events before the championship, and emphasizes: The RSCG executive body made a good move when it chose Suzana Lazović for the new national team coach. A player from the golden generation of Montenegrin women's handball. The coaching staff has also been selected. The coach has been given a free hand.
Lazović immediately announced her philosophy of handball, defense as a key factor. She was well known for her defense as a player. The first concrete move was to invite (return) Milena Raičević, a player with the epithet of a handball legend, to the national team.
The other side, however, does not dispute Milena's invitation, but considers the decision to award her the captain's armband to be questionable. Because, the assumption is that the memory of the recent affair in the Club, which is connected to her name, is still present. And the armband, as is known, also has the role of creating harmonious relations in the team. Harmony, the first five for success in any team sport.
The press recorded unisons, short statements from both the coach Lazović and the Executive Board of the RSCG that eighth place was a success not only for women's, but also for Montenegrin handball in general. No analyses appeared after those flash ratings. Ugh! We have never underestimated the golden lionesses like this, admiring such success. It is true that the composition of the players was not quite at the level of 2012, but it was very respectable, up to the competition with the strongest.
Somehow, in the context of the story about coaches, it brings to mind a coach of the Montenegrin national team, who was our NBA ace. Vučević He dosed the minutes in the game. The noble Vučević tolerated it.
Problems from the beginning to the end of the European Championship
Along with the list of invited national team players, came the unfortunate news that Jelena Despotović Radivojević, cancels participation in the national team. For personal reasons? Thus, the focal point of the attack will be weakened, the left-back position for which Jelena is planned in combination with Đina Jauković. However, the available playing squad of the national team is of extremely high quality, so a good result could rightly be expected.
There was also a major setback at the start of the championship. Captain Raičević was injured in the first game (against Serbia), and her participation in the game could not be counted on for the rest of the championship. As a consolation, the center back position was well covered by Pletikosic-Grbic.
However, this is where special problems begin, incomprehensible to many. Milena was kept on the team and thus took the place of one of the active players at every game. Instead of Milena, they watched the game from the stands.
For once, a legend of this sport, a goalkeeper, found herself in the position of a spectator in the stands. Marina Rajcic.
And another decision is more absurd than all of them. Milena was kept on the reserve bench and the captain's armband. And, the captain, as even laymen know, replaces the coach during the entire match on the field, except in timeouts. To suggest or, in an unexpected twist, determine the current course of action, to encourage... With the right to object to the referee, if necessary. None of that could have been achieved. (Such incredible arbitrariness by the coach could only have happened in a system in which the devastation of everything that is state-owned is possible...)
And so on. There were not only shortcomings in what was done, but also in what was not done. Racmo.
One of the most talented young players in Europe has not been given a real opportunity to show off at the scarce right-back position, Jelena Vukčević (Buducnost's top scorer in the Champions League). To take advantage of the recovered, high Katarina DžaferovićOr to Djini Malovic given the right opportunity. She didn't feel like going to the stands, she decided to leave herself. (If this continues, there is a danger of even more departures).
The right-back position was combined at the expense of other positions.
In short. Were the coach and her closest associate Milena given, and accepted lightly, a burden that exceeded their endurance?
***
During the European Championship, handball professionals only indirectly indicated some of the problems in the national team. Probably, so as not to psychologically burden the team with remarks while the competition is in progress. It is less logical that there was no, or not enough, broader analysis after the end of the championship. It can be useful to make a thorough analysis not only after the competition is over, but also before the next one. As in the situation when the women's handball national team is expected to compete in the World Championship at the end of this year.
It is also expected that the Handball Federation will create conditions for each competition. And that the meaning of the old wisdom is respected that, before entrusting someone with a jug to fetch water, one should carefully assess whether their hands are reliable. So that they do not break it and cause damage. And the jug of our lionesses is made of the most noble metal.
***
We conclude the topic from the title (about roads and byways), with ŽRK Budućnost, in the environment and atmosphere of a stable sports organization. It has been a short but turbulent journey, from the threat of closure to the recent decision of the City of Podgorica, published in the media, which delighted all fans of not only handball, but also sports in general: “The Mayor Saša Mujović has agreed with the OTP group, i.e. Montenegrin Commercial Bank, to be the general sponsor of the two-time European champion. With the help of the bank, which is the largest in the Montenegrin market, the "blues" will finally gain financial stability. A prominent businessman will be appointed as the president of the Club's Board of Directors Nikola Tripkovic". This, the Club says, will create the opportunity for reinforcements, thus filling the void created by the departure of several players during the known crisis.
It is believed that the leaders of the City, Mayor Saša Mujović and the President of the Assembly Jelena Borovinić Bojović, have already shown that they highly appreciate the multiple importance of sport. Not only as a prerequisite for the development of the physical and mental health of young people, but also as a good way of overall promotion of both the City and Montenegro. “Sport is, or can be, more than sport”.
And most importantly - the conditions are being created for the Women's Handball Club Buducnost, and through the Club and the national teams, to return to the path that leads to the top of Europe.
(The author is a long-time TV creator and publicist)
Bonus video:
