INTRODUCTION

The book (available in English and Croatian) is the author’s third book dealing with the handball goalkeeper, his/her personality, physical condition, goalkeeping techniques and tactics, and other relevant accompanying segments of his/her play.

The world of handball acknowledges two goalkeeping schools- the Swedish ad Yugoslavian school. The intention with this book is to contribute to maintaining of the traditions and high ratings of high-level goalkeepers coming from the former states territory.  The book also explains the evolution of the goalkeeping school in HC Borac, the club that has according to the author, given a lot to the world of handball. As a pioneer of that goalkeeping school and a person who gave a large contribution to the creation of the described techniques, he wanted to pass his knowledge and experience to the next generations.

THE BEGINNINGS

Back in the 1976; the final match of the European Champions Cup; HC Borac vs Fredericia, Banja Luka was the centre of the handball world. The entire IHF was there to determine the groups for the handball tournament at the future Olympic Games in Montreal. After the match Arslanagic met a respectable IHF member and president of Technical Commission Mr. Curt Wadmark from Sweden who congratulated him on the title and praised the Yugoslavian goalkeepers.  Many years later, in 2009, in Qatar, another Swede, legendary Magnus Wislander had also talked about the Yugoslavian goalkeepers with admiration and praise. He pointed out how much effort and knowledge a wing player needs to invest in their shooting against the Yugoslavian goalkeepers.

Despite the fact that Roland Mattson was the first goalkeeper who implemented the new technique, Yugoslavian goalkeepers were those who perfected the technique and earned wide recognition, thus making a global brand out of it.

Roots of success of the Yugoslavian goalkeeping school can be fined in: rational and refined saves, technically perfect saves, stabile and firm foothold with no collapses or flying on the goal, and situation management with high control over it.

Luyo Gyory was the first goalkeeper to use this new techniques.

QATAR

Abas Arslanagic lived and worked with goalkeepers in Qatar in the period 2009-2013. Although the intention was to stay only one year, he stayed almost four and half years and worked with goalkeepers from almost all national teams.

The first idea was the foundation of goalkeepers academy where he was expected to select and work with young goalkeepers in order to educate them and teach the basic goalkeepers techniques. In the period from September 2009 to January 2010 he worked with goalkeepers of the senior national team.

All goalkeepers performed the exercises presented in the book which helped to manage and improve the elementary goalkeeping technique, tactical preparation for matches, and to peak their optimal performing for particular competitions.