Gobac: I Don`t Need Duvnjak, He Can Leave Now!

With Duvnjak`s departure, Zagreb would probably get 800,000, and Gobac would be left with Balic.

Domagoj Duvnjak has stirred wind in the handball area, announcing his departure from Zagreb when his contract expires, which is in two years` time. The transfer has been arranged with Hamburg, Blazenko Lackovic`s club, but without heads of the Croatian champion club knowing about it. Of course, Zagreb HC head manager Zoran Gobac took the news badly.

At first, he thought reporters were misinforming the public and did not wish to comment, but when Duvnjak and his manager Tomislav Grahovac elaborated things, i.e. presented the already realised deal with the German club, the alarm went off.

It is odd, announcing such a thing two years in advance, without us not having the same treatment as HSV and Kiel. What are we? What is this club? There is no need for him to play for us, we want an alternative.

Zagreb head manager Zoran Gobac

- There are plenty of twisted things regarding the matter and as far as I am concerned, Duvnjak is leaving this season already – Gobac was decisive, especially about the “as far as I am concerned” part, because everyone knows who the alpha and omega of Zagreb HC is.

He was very hurt because the biggest young star and the world`s future best player was leaving the club in such a fashion, before reaching the top in Zagreb. Of course, the young many claims he wants to win everything that can be won in the next two seasons.

- Look, Duvnjak can win this when he gets back, but we will not prepare anyone for foreign clubs. We have had enough of being the training ground for players. We are not counting on him and this is reasonable of the club. We have to agree a compensation fee with his manager – Gobac said.

“We did not get the same treatment like HSV and Kiel”

This is a bad situation, because all three back players have extended their contracts (Josip Valcic is off on a loan to Kopar, Tonci Valcic has signed, just like Lazarov) and Duvnjak is now off. It will be really hard persuading Gobac to change his mind, because this hurt him the most.

- It is odd, announcing such a thing two years in advance, without us not having the same treatment as HSV and Kiel. What are we? What is this club? There is no need for him to play for us, we want an alternative – Gobac pointed out, but did not wish to say who the alternative might be, because nobody knows this at the moment, everything was so sudden.

Therefore, Zagreb will get rid of their best player, but they are left with Ivano Balic, which Gobac confirmed, and probably 800,000 euro, a sum much needed when the club is not nearly as well off as it was a year ago.