Cestas's hard challenge in Pro A and ETTU Cup third round  

15/10/2009 - S.A.G. Cestas will join the European clubs in the third Round of the ETTU Cup.

French representative finished second in the second phase of ETTU Cup and failed to qualify for the Round of 16 last year.

Just a year after they played the European Champions League and finished on position number three in Group stage. This season in French Pro A, Cestas failed to win after two Rounds.

"The team is on an excellent shape, but the level of the French league is very high, so it's hard to stay in PRO A for us. Nevertheless, we will try one more year to maintain the top level status," said General Manager Manuel PENARROYA.

The goals for Lubomir PISTEJ, Dany LO, LIU Song, LIN Ju, Pierre PICARD and Arnaud COMBES are mainly connected to the French League.

"On ETTU cup, our goal is to play match after match, and to stay "in the race" as far as possible. To be honest the ETTU cup is not the top priority, first, French league, then ETTU cup," explained PENARROYA.

In the third Round French club will play against Horizont 2012 from Ekaterinburg the winner of the Group 1 in the second phase earlier this month. Alexander SHIBAEV, WANG Yang and Yaroslav ZHMUDENKO were the key players.

"This is not our first encounter against Russian club. It is the third time we will have to play against their representatives. Cestas win 4-1 against Moscow at August 1997 and win 3-0 Sorochink Neftianik in November 2000. Horizont have a very good Chinese player and other young's good player. It will be 50-50 to win but we have the great advantage to play at home with 500 supporters behind..."

Manuel PENARROYA added that the French club is satisfied with the draw, but pointed that the competition is very expensive.

"It is hard for smaller clubs, like us, to return the investment. In addition we are not very happy with the rule that allows the clubs from ECL to play in the quarterfinal of the ETTU Cup. It is not a good idea. Our suggestion will be to make TOP 16 in the ECL, better then to integrate the ECL clubs in ETTU Cup Top 8," said Manuel PENARROYA.

(by Milica NIKOLIC, EWT)


Photo: LIU Song (Photo Roscher)