Back home three weeks later

Fertiberia Balonmano Puerto Sagunto return to home action this weekend at the Port de Sagunt Pavilion, on Saturday from 18:30 against Club Cisne Colegio Los Sauces on matchday six of the División de Honor Plata.

After two weeks playing away, in two of the cathedrals of Spanish handball, they will once again defend the red-and-white colours in front of their supporters. During that period, the team secured their first away win of the season (24-27) against Anaitasuna, followed by a defeat (27-21) against the sole unbeaten leaders, Fundación Agustinos de Alicante.

The home side will look to maintain their strength at home, where they have taken maximum points from both matches played to date, against Cajasol Sevilla BM Proin (28-24) and Club Balonmano Alcobendas (29-23), with the aim of staying in touch with the automatic promotion and play-off places for the Liga Nexus Energía ASOBAL.

Club Cisne Colegio Los Sauces are a team that have improved since the start of the competition. After suffering two defeats in their opening matches against Attica 21 Hotels OAR Coruña (26-28) and Cajasol Sevilla BM Proin (35-29), they arrive on a run of three consecutive wins, two of them emphatic victories against BM Contazara (39-31) and Club Balonmano Alcobendas (29-38), and a final, highly creditable win (32-29) at the Pabellón Municipal dos Deportes against Anaitasuna. Six consecutive points have taken them up to fifth place in the overall standings. In the two head-to-head meetings between the sides during the 2024-2025 campaign, the Valencians won by the narrowest margin (29-28) in the first leg, while the Galicians won clearly in the return fixture (31-24).

“We are approaching it with respect for the opponent because we know how dangerous they are, but I believe this particular match is more about looking at ourselves. It is very important to take the two points, but it is even more important to play good handball, controlling the phases of the game we want to control and in which we must be superior,” said head coach Toni Malla regarding the importance of finding their rhythm beyond the result.

They have one of the youngest squads in the division. Marcos Otero remains as head coach, with Roi Gallego as assistant. Despite the departures of academy products such as Mateo Arias, Javi Vázquez and Bruno Vázquez, as well as one of their stars, Gualther Furtado, they have secured important renewals such as those of Iván Calvo and Víctor Fernández, and that of our former ASOBAL goalkeeper in 2020-2021, Roney Franzini. They have also added quality players such as João Ferreira and Yago López, as well as bringing back Guilherme Linares.

“Now that we have come through a difficult period, we hope that the supporters, who never let us down, will respond. I ask them to support the boys and for us to create a cup-final atmosphere, because that is what it is for both us and them,” concluded the Catalan coach, appealing to the supporters.

Alongside the match, the club has prepared a fan zone as a prelude to the game, the distribution of new autograph albums created by the communications department, a half-time competition and gift tosses during time-outs, as well as a raffle for a Teruel PDO ham valued at 139 euros.

Supporters wishing to buy tickets for the match can do so in person or via our website. Tickets will cost 12 euros for purchases made before Saturday: www.cbmpuertosagunto.com/entradas/.

Translation produced using artificial intelligence.