Pablo Simonet continues family tradition in European League

It was a truly wonderful achievement for the Spanish side, who will now head to the EHF European League Men’s group matches for the first time since the 2019/20 season and for the third time in their history.

“I am very proud to be here and to play in Europe in front of these wonderful fans. It is a true honour for me and for the team, because we had an excellent past season and I think we really deserve it,” says line player Pablo Simonet.

“To captain this side throughout the matches in this season, both in the domestic league and in Europe, is something like a dream, is something that really motivates me to go even further and try everything to win more matches.”

The career path could not be different for Pablo, the youngest of the three Simonet brothers. All three have featured for Argentina in international competitions, being in the same squad at the 2017 IHF Men’s World Championship.

Sebastian, the oldest brother, has played in the second-tier European competition for Ademar Leon, while Diego, who is currently featuring for Montpellier HB in the Machineseeker EHF Champions League and is one of the best, if not the best ever Argentinian player of all-time, also played last season in the EHF European League Men.

Now, Pablo will follow into their footsteps and will be on the court himself in the competition, as REBI Balonmano Cuenca have made it directly to the group phase after their second-place finish in the Spanish league last season.

“It was about time, right?”, laughs Simonet. “My two brothers both played in this competition and we talked a lot about playing in such tough competitions, therefore I am eager to start and see what will happen with Cuenca,” adds the 32-year-old.

However, the Spanish side will feel the pressure, after conceding two consecutive losses in the Spanish league, 18:46 against Barça and 28:30 against Granollers, with Cuenca needing the time to gel, with plenty of players coming into the team this summer.

On the other hand, the draw has been kind to Simonet’s side, as they are headed into Group C of the EHF European League Men, alongside RK Gorenje Velenje, Pfadi Winterthur and IK Sävehof.

This means that Cuenca have avoided playing against some other powerhouses, which, in turn, will lead to well-balanced matches and a chance to progress to the main round, the clear objective for the Spanish side.

“I will not say it is an easy group, because it is definitely not. Of course, we have our chances, because we will not face big favourites for the title, but these games can be even more dangerous, because all teams aim to win and progress to the next phase. We face some tough sides, tough tests ahead, but we hope we are ready,” says Simonet.

Asked about what Cuenca will bring to the table, Simonet does not hesitate and, in his view, the Spanish team will be a big plus in the EHF European League Men.

“This is a city that lives and breathes handball. Everybody is coming to the arena, we are always playing with a sold-out arena, the fans are really close to us and makes us feel at home. There, we are very tough to beat, because of this big, big advantage,” he adds.

Whether the words will ring true or not, it is still there to be seen. However, Cuenca have the ambition and the grit to work it out. With plenty of experience brought by players like Rudolf Hackbarth, fellow Argentinian brothers Ignacio and Federico Pizzaro and Henrique Teixeira, Cuenca are not a team to be discarded.

“Hopefully, we will go as far as we can. We saw how difficult the EHF European League Men is, Granollers were the finalists last season and they were eliminated by Constanta in the Qualification Round this season. There are no easy matches,” concludes Simonet.

photo (c) 2023 Juan Alberto Lillo