A piece of Argentina in Elche

Spanish teams have been dominant in the EHF European Cup Women and its forerunner, the Women’s EHF Challenge Cup, in the past six seasons, winning the competition three times.

Rocasa Gran Canaria lifted the Women’s EHF Challenge Cup trophy twice, in the 2015/16 and 2018/19 seasons, while CBF Malaga Costa del Sol won the inaugural EHF European Cup Women last season.

This time around, a Spanish team will definitely be in the semi-finals, as Rocasa Gran Canaria will meet Visitelche.com BM Elche in a crunch double-header in the quarter-finals. The teams are currently placed second and fifth in the domestic league and will now face off for European glory.

But there is also a South American feeling surrounding these clashes, with increasingly more players from the continent making their mark in Spanish handball, where the fit is perfect, the language barrier is shattered and the adaptation period is cut to merely weeks.

In the Argentina senior women’s national team, which finished 21st at the IHF Women’s World Championship last December in Spain, six players were plying their trade in the Spanish league, while six others, currently in Europe at different clubs, had previously played in Spain.

It is also the case for Visitelche.com BM Elche, who count two Argentinian players in their roster — right wing Giselle Menendez and left wing Joana Bolling.

Menendez had her European breakthrough at Elche, where she has played for the last two seasons. The 28-year-old has scored 10 goals in six games in the EHF European Cup Women, including six this season, where the Spanish side conceded only one loss.

“In my first season in Europe, I played for BM Bolaños. It was a tough time, but I learnt a lot and Elche came calling. The game in Spain is very different than in Argentina — it is much faster,” says Menendez.

“I have played in the second league and when I got to the first league, the thing that shocked me the most was the physical aspect of the game. With players of good quality, it is more difficult to play, but it also enhances your qualities.”

In her first season, the Argentinian wing was part of the team that won the first major domestic trophy for Elche, the Spanish Cup. Menendez scored one goal in the final against Valladolid, 32:26.

“It was an amazing feeling, with such a long way to go and with so much work put in. It was historical for the club in the sense that we won a trophy, but there were also plenty of doors open, especially to play in the EHF European Cup,” says Menendez.

Indeed, BM Elche have made the most of their qualification to the European competition, securing a quarter-final berth after a 43:40 aggregate win against Icelandic side KA/Por in qualification round 3 and a 63:38 aggregate win against Israeli team Maccabi Arazim Ramat Gan in the last 16.

Now, a crunch tie against Rocasa Gran Canaria awaits — the most decorated team in the history of the Women’s EHF Challenge Cup with two titles and a final lost between 2015 and 2019.

The two sides have already met this season in the Spanish league, with Gran Canaria taking a 29:22 away win. In fact, Elche won only once in the past 16 games against their domestic rivals and Gran Canaria are favourites once again before this double-header.

“Our objective was to qualify for the quarter-finals and we achieved it, but now we want more. We really do. Last year, we were out of the EHF European Cup Women due to Covid-19, against another Spanish side — Atletico Guardes [two forfeits for Elche]. It was a pity and a big shock for us,” says Menendez.

“I think the game will be decided in the second leg, in the last minutes. We will try do our utmost and we will play with great courage and grit.”

What about Argentina? Is there a longing feeling of being home after three long years spent in Spain?

“Every day I miss home and where all my friends and family are. For the moment, the distance is big, but I do not regret for a second that I am here, in Elche, living the dream and playing handball,” says the right wing.

Surely, speaking the same language and having quite a similar culture helped Menendez settle in and give her best on the court. Menendez has scored 17 goals for Elche in the Spanish league, where Elche are seventh, but are on a four-game winning streak.

“I think that every Argentinian player should think about coming to Spain. They will learn a lot, the people are nice and the environment is good for progressing,” says Menendez.

With three years under her belt in Spain, Menendez might look for a new challenge in the near future. A great outing in the double-header against Gran Canaria in the quarter-finals of the EHF European Cup Women would go a long way.

“For the moment, I think only about Elche. But I have always dreamt to be in France. It could be great.”