Relatively young, unknown to many, maybe a little inexperienced, but it is certain that you are a quality coach. How did you come to Belarus?

Manolo Cadenas, Raul Alonso, Sabastia Salvat have done an excellent job in Brest in the last three to four years. Spanish philosophy paid off and suited the club well. I think that is why Meshkov Brest wanted to continue moving in this direction. Of course, my name is not so well known in the handball world yet. Working for a Champions League and SEHA – Gazprom League club is a big challenge for me. But I love such challenges, so I agreed with pleasure. I am ready to help the club develop further. Add my own vision, my nuances.

You come to a club where the last two coaches were Spanish also. The club last season reached the Top-16 in the EHF Champions League and is constantly at the Final 4 tournaments in SEHA. The next step is logical, to go even further. What did the club ask of you when you arranged the transfer?

The most important thing is what I ask myself. The club had the best season in history. The circumstances are different now. As I said, this is a big challenge. But I am ready to do everything in my power to achieve a good result. Perhaps even better than last season.

Do you feel pressure, because expectations are high in Meshkov.

Of course, the expectations are high. But I don't feel pressure in a negative way. I use this pressure to get better and better. I look at the players, management, sponsors, fans and I understand that I have to do my best for them.

Spanish coaches are now trends in Europe. Their style undoubtedly brings results. From whom did you learn the coaching secrets? Who is your idol in terms of coaching?

The Spanish school is very large. There is no one main idea. There are many points of view. I came to big handball from Valladolid. This is a city where there was a high concentration of handball knowledge. I was visiting the Huerta de Rei arena, and the team was led by Manolo Cadenas, Juan Carlos Pastor helped him, Chema Rodriguez and Raul Gonzalez played as playmakers, Roberto Garcia Parrondo played on the right wing, David Davis played on the left ... I watched all the matches and grew up with these specialists. And all the time I asked different coaches about tactics, about the model of the game. I enjoyed talking to different coaches. I was constantly absorbing information. But also my formation was very strongly influenced by working in Ademar Leon for a long time - first with young people, then with the first team. Now I'll continue to improve and build myself.

What sets Spanish coaches apart from others? Success is guaranteed when a Spaniard sits on the bench.

Spanish coaches want to win. We work a lot with tactics, trying to help players develop. And we are ready to share our knowledge. Spanish coaches also want to win with a team, not with individual players. Handball is a team sport. And we like it when everyone in a team has their cause.

It is often considered that you need to be a successful athlete to be a successful coach. You played for a very short time, you were a goalkeeper, but you quickly gave up and dedicated yourself to coaching, which brought you much better results.

Yes, players with big careers may have some advantage. They understand the specifics of the top level slightly better, the secrets of the locker room, etc. But, I talk a lot with the players to understand this specifics. I constantly ask them some questions. I ask how they feel, what they need and learn from them. Perhaps even more than from coaches. We must be open to each other, as it is the key to success.

What information did you have so far about SEHA - Gazprom League, about the teams, about the quality?

I didn't know very much. SEHA League was on the other side of Europe until now. But I tried to watch the matches. There were some really interesting clashes. Top level handball. Some matches are comparable to the Champions League. Everyone here wants to win. Everyone wants to be in the Final 4.

Can you compare it with the ASOBAL league?

ASOBAL League was the best competition in the world for the last 10-15 years ago. But the financial situation in Spain is not the best right now. I think SEHA is now slightly better than our championship. The sponsors are better here and the atmosphere is better.

You should play another quarter-final match with Eurofarm Pelister, but you did the job in the first match. Are you thinking about possible opponents of SEHA Final 4.

We had a good match in Bitola. But the issue of qualification for the Final 4 has not yet been resolved. We could have done better in Macedonia. We had a chance to win with six to seven goals. But this did not happen. And now all thoughts are about winning a home match. Now this is the main and only one goal. I don't like to dream - especially before the match.

Who do you think is the most serious candidate for the SEHA title now?

There are many good teams. Of course, Motor has a strong squad. They have been playing together for two or three seasons under the leading of Gintaras Savukinas. Also Veszprem is one of the best clubs in the world. Let's see who else can surprise. Many interesting teams. For example, Vardar has an updated team. Zagreb has strengthened which will be interesting to watch.

Only 2 new players arrived in the transfer period. Is it enough to be competitive on multiple fronts?

I'm really impressed with how the newcomers have adapted to the team. It happened very quickly. They reached a high level in just a month. Bonnefond and Kasparek helped us a lot. But, unfortunately, we have four players injured now. And this is the main problem. In such a situation, young players must take a step forward and become an important part of the team.

Defense is the key to any success. Are you satisfied with how Meshkov play on defense? Will Meshkov play even better in the future?

It's too early to talk about it. We continue to work in different directions, including paying a lot of attention to defense. We are trying to play in a slightly different way compared to last season. And I am happy with the defensive behavior of the players, including the goalkeepers. We are moving forward and improving our ability. But there is still potential after returning injured players to the squad.

What improvements are necessary in Brest?

We will improve the game if we play as a team. When we play as a team, we are strong. For instance, Chicago Bulls had Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, but still played as a team.