Managarova: “If you fight and help each other, everything can work”

“She’s quite open to talk with the players, what we would like to play, how we feel, what is better for us or what is not,” says RHF’s right wing Iuliia Managarova to ihf.info about her national team coach Liudmila Bodnieva, who took the role back in September.

“For the game, she, of course, tells the younger players to listen to us (older ones) so we can just help them, with words to support them and maybe calm or maybe speed up, the game.

“She always supports us, like a woman,” adds the Rostov-Don player about Bodnieva, the first female coach for a women’s team of the Russian Handball Federation. 

“Maybe she understands us more mentally and our mood let's say, because we are also women. She supports us and all the time is speaking about that we have to fight – this is the most important thing: that even if you are losing or maybe you are not so good, for example in the opening of a match, if you fight and help each other, your teammates, then everything can work.”

Everything is working so far at Spain 2021 with four wins out of five games and a draw against Slovenia. Already qualified for the quarter-finals where they face one of Norway, Sweden or Netherlands, Managarova and her fellow RHF players are performing under their coach, who knows what it is like to win World Championship gold.

“It's even more exciting when you get closer and closer [to the medal rounds],” says Managarova in reference to qualifying for the last eight. “On the other hand, it's harder and harder, [as a team] we have to keep a union, help each other, support each other and work 100%.

“We are used to long tournaments,” she adds. “Actually, we have one day game, one day free, so it's enough to recharge, let's say. Actually, we don't make many practices, well, most of the time it's work maybe some 30 minutes, gym and that's it.”

Even with that schedule, injuries do happen and when Managarova and her teammates were warming up in their last match – a 31:25 win against Montenegro on Saturday – first choice line player Anastasiia Illarionova went down in pain, with her squad surrounding her. Despite lining up for the team introductions, she did not play in the match, but there was an interesting replacement for the position – centre back Karina Sabirova.

“She [actually] twisted the ankle in the game before, against Slovenia and repeated the injury,” said 33-year-old Managarova. “Something happened, but she's okay and didn’t need nothing, just some tape, so it's fine.

“No never, maybe she will requalify for the pivot,” laughed Managarova about the temporary replacement player on the line. “She did a really good job. Actually, we don't have a nominated normal pivot. It's only Illarionova and sometimes it's Karina. I'm glad for her that she did a really good job.”

There is a second choice line player in Astrakhanochka’s 18-year-old Kseniia Zakordonskaia, but with a game to be won against the Montenegrins, Bodnieva opted for experience early on in with Sabirova, with Zakordonskaia coming on later, a common theme for her with her RHF side and Spain 2021.

“Because we had one COVID with a pivot player [before Spain 2021], she came late and joined us really late,” said Managarova. “She is a really young player. She is so excited and wants so much and of course – it's hard to say – she's afraid a bit maybe? So our job is, of course, to just support her and talk to her, even if she makes mistakes or whatever, so she will be open and play more brave.

“It's like, you cannot believe that there is so big difference now, you know in the age [between us],” laughs Managarova, the oldest player with the RHF squad in Spain. “It's like 10 or 15 years, she’s a child, a little kid. I remember myself [when I started] I didn't understand what's going on. I just enjoyed and I have to do what I like, listen to coach and of course do my best.”

RHF will be hoping to continue doing their best as they face France on Monday with the top spot in the group up for grabs and when the business end gets underway with their quarter-final, set for Wednesday.