André Sá
So far he did well as the team claimed two wins in the Elite Division, i.e. the Norwegian national league.
What attracted you the most in this Norwegian adventure?
“I really liked the club’s project, since Stod Volley has the objective to accomplish something never done before in Norway. Turning the club into a reference in the sport and turning into a competitive side at international level. This project is very attractive but at the same time it requires a lot of responsibility and hard work”.
What about your adaptation to the local scenario and life?
“The adaptation isn’t difficult because my wife (Amanda Sá) is here to support and she has already lived here for two years, and having family on your side makes everything easier and my wife has a major role in my adaptation. And soon the family will become larger as we are expecting our first child. At professional level, things are working well too. The club provides me with everything to do my job and it becomes easier to adapt this way”.
What are the major differences between coaching in Portugal and Norway?
“There are great. In Portugal I coached an amateur team, now I’m coaching a professional team, therefore everything is different. However there is a long path yet towards the training culture, since some players became professional only this year and they don’t know, entirely, how to behave professionally. In order for us to have an internationally competitive team, we must engender a different mentality and training culture to achieve a higher level. Half of the team is composed by foreign players which makes the process easier”.
What is the club’s expectation towards the competitions ahead (Elite, Norwegian Cup, Challenge Cup and Nordic League)?
“Our goal is to win the Elite Championship, the Norwegian Cup and the Nordic League. These are our main goals for this season. As a bonus objective, we aim to achieve the second round of the Challenge Cup and acquire some international experience. We don’t have much time to spend. This week we will play in Sweden for the first round of the Nordic League, on November 11 we will play the Norwegian Cup Quarter-Finals, on November 14 we will play in Hungary against Vasas Obuda BUDAPEST for the Challenge Cup. Due to this tight schedule we will play again for the Championship only on November 17”.
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