Mate Lekai has led both Telekom Veszprem and Hungarian national team towards some great achievements in the last few seasons. Middle back who can score but also makes his teammates look better when he's on the court already knows what it takes to go all the way on SEHA - Gazprom League Final 4.

Before the second Quarter-Final leg, at home versus Nexe, we talked to Mate about his expectations from the match, life under new coach Momir Ilic and challenges he sets for himself in order to stay motivated and hungry.

New season begins right after SEHA Gazprom league Final4 tournament. What are your goals?

Goal is of course the same as always – to win SEHA League. We know that, in order to do that, we'll have to defeat some very strong teams but our goal remains the same.

You already know what playing in Zadar feels like. What are your memories from the last season?

Last season we've managed to go all the way so I have some really happy memories from Zadar despite of the fact I lost my engagement ring there...

You have been a part of the Veszprém squad for many years now and have three titles under your belt. How demanding is it to compete and eventually win a competition like SEHA League?

There are many EHF Champions League teams competing in SEHA league as well which means the standard is very high. A real sportsman, professional is determined to every time he steps out there regardless of the opponent and the competition.

Is Telekom Veszprém ready for the new season with the new head coach and a slightly different squad?

We need some time to catch the right rhythm considering the fact Olympics disrupted our pre-season a little. Rasmus Lauge is not 100% yet either but we'll try to use every training session and every match to focus on our mistakes and improve.

What will be the team’s goals?

Our first and main goal at the moment is to win SEHA - Gazprom League.

In the past you've shared court with Momir Ilic and now he is your coach. Can you describe his coaching style?

I did have the pleasure of playing alongside Momo and I think he is the same as a coach. He is very passionate, wants to bring out the maximum out of everyone, really expects it all the time. Besides that, he is constantly using special coaching techniques he learned from his Spanish coaches back in the days.

You have managed to win a lot of competitions throughout your career. Do you still have dreams, goals and motivation for years to come?

Of course, I still have a lot of those. I'd like to see us win Hungarian Championship back, win SEHA League and a lot more.