The spectacle in Genoa brought a lot of surprises as Olympiacos won the title after 14 years. Their second title of the Championship would be unimaginable without the sturdy defense of their goalkeeper — Josip Pavic.
A Well-Earned MVP Title
Pavic, the captain of Olympiacos, carried his team with 15 fierce saves in the finals. The match against Pro Recco brought the team the gold medal, and Pavic earned the MVP title. Regarding his success in Genoa, Pavic had a word with vecernji.hr.
“I’m honored to be named the best player of the final tournament, but our success as a team is way more important than the individual prizes.”
What are your comments on the Final Eight?
“Apart from being in the winning team, I’m content about the whole season — this crowns all the great matches we played. Two years ago, we lost to Jug in the finals, but this time we managed to be the best. At that time, Bijač carried Jug to the throne and they played fantastically. This year, I did the same with Olympiacos and we got the gold.”
The match turned out to be quiet a shocker for Pro Recco?
“Frankly, I don’t care how they felt, but I’m sure it wasn’t a nice feeling. They did everything in their power to win the trophy, and that’s the exact reason why we had more support from the world.
Was it challenging to reach the European Champion title?
“In the first match against Spandau, we weren’t playing our best, although I knew we can do better than that. And we showed our capacity against Barceloneta in the semi-finals. When Recco beat Jug, I became aware that we could win the title. We would have had a tougher match against Jug. I will never forget that there wasn’t a single moment when we were losing, nor was the score tied. We led the game the whole time.”
Apart from being a great player, you are also the captain of Olympiacos?
“This was my third season in Olympiakos. The club welcomed me warmly and I enjoy playing here.”
Will you stay in Olympiacos for the next season?
“We still have to talk about that. I had a few offers from other clubs, but I must speak to the leaders of Olympiacos first. Buslje and Obradovic are in a similar situation, and it will all be resolved in the next few days.”
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