Esmeralda Skrijelj has been one of the top women players in Luxembourg over the last years. On Thursday, she received the MVP award for team Luxembourg after the opening win against Switzerland ( –> Luxembourg beats Switzerland 56:48! ) When she was younger, she played for the national team of Bosnia and Herzegovina and now, some years later, she will wear the jersey of Luxembourg against the country at the Coque in Kirchberg on Sunday at 17:00.
What was your first reaction when Bosnia and Herzegovina was announced as our opponent?
I was very surprised despite the fact that we knew that we could fall to a top favorite due to the draw. The fact that it was Bosnia really surprised me and my emotions naturally went in all directions, also because 2 years ago, I was asked the question what I would feel if I had to play against Bosnia and at that moment I responded that I need to wait for that moment itself to know the answer .. you always say you see each other twice, of course it’s a nice feeling to meet Bosnia in this context at the qualifiers. I am really happy that I will get the chance to play this game and on the other hand, a lot of memories immediately came to mind from my time at the U18 national team with Bosnia.
(Skrijelj received the MVP award for team Luxembourg on Thursday)
Are you in touch with players from the team?
I know several players who were selected, I have played with some of them and I am still in contact with them. They didn’t nominate several players because many of them were traveling with their club and were active in the Eurocup. Of course, I watch different Eurocup games and there I see one or the other former teammates, which is nice to see how they have developed and made it this far. Of course, I’m also looking forward to seeing the female players with whom I shared a room after a long time.
What will be the team’s and your personal goal against Bosnia?
My goal is to continue to support and motivate the team and to give my best for Luxembourg. As a team, we want to be strong defensively and thereby get our offense going, through quick counterattacks. We have already played against top teams, and we already know what kind of attitude is necessary. Our fighting spirit and togetherness needs to be on point. We have to earn the respect against such teams and this is also our goal against Bosnia.
Tageblatt.lu –> Esmeralda Skrijelj: Rendezvous mit der Vergangenheit
Wort.lu (+) –> Esmeralda Skrijelj erlebt mit ihrem Team emotionale Duelle
The game against Bosnia and Herzegovina will start at 17:00 at the Coque in Kirchberg.
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