Chekhovski Medvedi

Team

About Chekhovskie Medvedi

The club: After the fall of Soviet Union the “Chekhov Bears” became successors of infamous CSKA Moscow. Ever since then the club has been playing an exceptional role in Russian handball. As they have no real competitors in their national league, they are used to winning all possible titles. Over 90 percent of the Russian national team players are in Chekhov.

International success: For the first time in EHF Champions League history a Russian team has qualified for the semis. Before that last season’s Quarterfinals were Chekhov’s biggest EHF Champions League success. The only international title the club has won was the 2006 Cup Winner’s Cup.

The current season: Chekhov is unchallenged number one in Russian league; despite losing two key players to Spanish club before the season: Egor Evdokimov (Ciudad Real) and Konstantin Igropoulo (Barcelona). Coach Vladimir Maximov tries to refresh his team with younger players.

The way to the EHF FINAL4 in Cologne: Chekhov lost twice to Montpellier in the Group Phase, but still secured second place very early. In the Last 16 they defeated Ademar Leon, before they were the lucky winners in the heart breaking Quarterfinals, where the Russians managed to beat Montpellier in the penalty shoot-out.

The coach: Vladimir Maximov is one of only two people in handball (with German Heiner Brandt to have become world champion as both player and coach. In personal union Maximov is coached the Russian top club and the Russian national team. Officially he is only assistant coach for the national team since 2009, but he’s still the uncrowned king of Russian handball.

The key players: In actual fact coach Maximov is the star – but on the field the tall and physical strong players like Alexander Rastvortsev, Alexey Kamanin or Alexander Chernoivanow play this role.

EHF Champions League 2009/10 Results:

QUARTERFINAL
Che. Medvedi vs Montpellier HB 32 : 27 (18 : 13)
Montpellier HB vs Che. Medvedi 32 : 27 (12 : 14), 4 : 5

LAST 16 - ROUND 4
Reale Ademar vs Che. Medvedi 36 : 37 (20 : 18)
Che. Medvedi vs Reale Ademar 29 : 25 (15 : 14)

GROUP PHASE / GROUP A
Pick Szeged vs Che. Medvedi 32 : 32 (15 : 16)
Pevafersa Valladolid vs Che. Medvedi 34 : 34 (17 : 19)
Che. Medvedi vs A.C. PAOK 37 : 25 (18 : 9)
Montpellier HB vs Che. Medvedi 33 : 28 (19 : 14)
HCM Constanta vs Che. Medvedi 22 : 28 (11 : 14)
Che. Medvedi vs HCM Constanta 37 : 32 (17 : 19)
Che. Medvedi vs Pevafersa Valladolid 36 : 24 (16 : 12)
Che. Medvedi vs Pick Szeged 39 : 30 (20 : 12)
Che. Medvedi vs Montpellier HB 27 : 28 (11 : 16)
A.C. PAOK vs Chekhovskie Medvedi 22 : 46 (12 : 24)