Luís Frade hails Barça’s “teamwork mindset”

Since Barça convincingly navigated their way past GOG in the quarter-finals of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2022/23 last month (37:30 away, 36:31 at home), Luís Frade has been confident and very ambitious for the last chapter of the season.

“I think that in a team like this, with several players of such quality, there will always be people who stand out,” the Portuguese international says. “In some games it will be one, in other games it will be another – it is part of the collective work, which is the most important of all and which allows us to shine individually.”

Frade underlines that going back to Cologne after locking up the Spanish domestic championship has been the goal of every player among Barça’s squad.

“It is very important to be a champion in our country, the victory routine always helps. But the EHF FINAL4 is something totally different from what we are used to,” says Frade, who missed the 2022 edition after tearing knee ligaments in November 2021. “There are two games, two true finals, where anything can happen. There is a very special atmosphere in Cologne and we want to win three in a row.”

The 24-year-old line player doesn't forget the importance of the Barça fans and would like to see “the same level of support” as in the last two seasons. They could help him achieve what he calls the biggest dream of his career.

“My biggest dream right now is to win the EHF Champions League again. And I know that we are capable of beating any team, as we have shown several times. The last two Champions Leagues were my career’s most important trophies, and I always like to set short-term goals,” says Frade, adding that “there is also the dream of winning a trophy with our Portuguese national team.”

‘Beating any team’ includes their semi-final opponents in Cologne on Saturday 17 June at 15:15 CEST: SC Magdeburg. Frade has a lot of respect for the German side, who have their debut at the EHF FINAL4 but did beat Barça 41:39 after extra time in the final of the IHF Super Globe last October.

“They play similarly to us. They like to play in transition, in one-against-one, always with a very fast and very physical game. We have to try and counter those players who are strong in individual duels,” Frade says.

Barça have been undefeated in the EHF Champions League for 25 matches. With 34 goals scored, including six in the decisive second leg of the quarter-final against GOG, Frade emphasises the importance of teamwork.

“I have to highlight the whole team. Of course, Dika Mem and Ludovic Fabregas are two of the best players in the world, they can decide a game at any time. But the players stand out because of their teamwork mindset. And that is our strongest asset,” he says.

Frade has made a fast rise to the top of handball, as his passion for the sport wasn’t existing yet early in his life.

“It was a passion that grew over time. I only started playing when I was 12 years old. On a sports holiday in Maia, I played several sports and many people said I could be good at handball. I started at Águas Santas, a historic club in Portugal,” Frade recalls.

After two strong seasons at Sporting CP, Frade arrived at Barça in 2020 – looking back, he speaks about an “easy adaptation.”

“The people are amazing at this club. The culture is similar between Portugal and Spain, although handball is very different. Here in Spain the game is much faster, much more intense. And I had to change the chip in order to succeed. In Portugal we are not used to such a high pace of play,” Frade says.

The Portuguese international has already won 12 titles with Barça: three Spanish championships, two Super Cups, two cups, three league cups and, of course, two EHF Champions League titles. Maybe 13 might become a lucky number for him in Cologne this weekend.

photos © Victor Salgado, Lau Nielsen