Lekic's game: “I really love to assist the line player — that is my specific move”

Centre backs are often under the spotlight and underlined as the brain of the team. With her unique style of play, Andrea Lekic has long been considered one of the best in her position. The ever-present force in European handball is playing her 18th EHF Champions League season in 2024/25 and continues inspiring on and off the court. Lekic has seen the sport evolve, has adapted her game to stay ahead and keeps the ball rolling with a deep love for handball and an undying desire to help her team to achieve high goals. 

Lekic has been driven by ambition and potential since her start in ORK Beograd and has built her game through Radnički, Knjaz Miloš, Krim Mercator, Györi Audi ETO KC, Vardar, CSM Bucuresti, Budućnost and FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria. She raised the EHF Champions League Women trophy in 2013, has played the finals on four more occasions and lifted numerous trophies in domestic leagues.

“The club's ambitions and squads have always guided me when choosing clubs. It has always been interesting to be part of new projects, and somehow, I always found myself in that. Of course, the coaching staff and teammates are also crucial, but I want to see the beginning and the end of that story with clearly set goals — and give my best to fulfil them,” says Lekic.

Lekic's game has matured significantly over the years, giving her a chance to reflect on her beginnings and what she set for herself in terms of learning.

“When I look back on myself as a player and the concept of my game, from my beginnings to now, definitely, the maturity of my game reached a high point when I was at Vardar. I started to have a different approach to handball and a different perspective on the game itself. And it is all about experience,” says Lekic. 

“Experience is crucial for players — it's a gift, enabling us to learn from various coaches, each with their specific methods. This has been my pursuit throughout my career: To explore which aspects of the game are still unknown to me or where I can improve.”

Among the many aspects of the game that Lekic enjoys, two things stand out for the Serbian international: Duels and assists.

“I love playing two-on-two and one-on-one duels. That's one of my main characteristics and I think a handball base. I also love assists. Assists are so underrated in our sport. We rarely see that the player of the match is the player with the highest number of assists. And sometimes it hurts maybe when it is not recognised, but in the end, deep down you are happy because you helped your teammates and your club in the best possible way. Some will say I really love to assist the line player as that is my specific move, but I love when I can help each position to score,” says Lekic.

Lekic is known for her decision making, which she owes to good preparation. Lekic approaches each game like a chess master, thinking ahead with her tactical mind always at work, but gives herself the freedom to live in the moment.

“I'm a centre back and I have to be completely in the game. For me, analysis and preparation is the most important. I try to read the defenders who I'm attacking and try to think about every move. And even though I'm an analyst, I also often react in a given moment. That is what describes me the best as a player,” says Lekic.

“Handball is a complex game. It's like chess — you have to be ready two or three moves ahead and react according to the situation, and I strive to be present in that given moment. That is the moment of, let's say, a personal feeling — not to call it intelligence so as to sound arrogant, but a truly personal instinct in that second as to which decision needs to be made. That is what sets top players apart.”

Even after playing at the top level for almost two decades, Lekic knows the importance of preparation and embracing new trends when it comes to handball. The work is non-stop.

“You never stop adapting and learning as a player. When we have opponents with players who are still a mystery to us, I have to prepare more. I'm playing my 18th year in the EHF Champions League Women and analysis never stops. I always try to understand how the defenders are reacting to certain moves and attacks, what are their good sides and where they might be weak. However, handball is super fast and diverse. Things can change in a second and that is the beauty of our sport,” explains Lekic.

Not all the changes in modern handball sit well with Lekic. She is critical of the seven-against-six tactic, which is used more and more on the court: "I’m not a fan of the seven-against-six tactic. A two-minute suspension should be a punishment, making players think twice about fouling because your team will have a deficit both in attack and defence. This way, you're even.”

Lekic lives and breathes handball, and for the hard-working centre back, discipline is a cornerstone. However, she is the kind of player that needs freedom in decision making. The balance between following the coach's strategy and trusting her instincts is what makes Lekic what she is on the court.

“I'm a disciplined player and I work hard, but I need to have some sort of freedom on the court when it comes to making decisions. I always follow the coach's orders, ideas for tactics and the start of the actions, but if I feel something on the court and see something, I will take a chance and decide what I think is best based on my feelings,” says Lekic.

“Of course, you can't have that with every coach. But if you ask me, a coach needs to get the maximum from each player, whether that means complete freedom, freedom in certain parts of the game or giving the player a specific role. You as a coach have to recognise that. And you as a player have to earn that trust to have freedom.

“That is something you are building from the ground and it grows with each match. I try to talk about the attack in a given moment, trying to find a perfect solution. Mostly, we talk in crisis situations and give our views of the problem.”

Lekic is capable of delivering spectacular assists and shots, as she draws inspiration from role models she watched growing up, but also the emotions in the venues.

“I love attractive sports. Sports where a player’s move bring spectators up on the stands. I'm the type of player who will try to do that. I live for that and I love to make something different on the court. For me, even today, that is my biggest drive. And I always loved players like that and they were my role models, like Ivano Balic and Anja Andersen — players who bring magic to the court.”

In the EHF Champions League Women 2023/24 season, Lekic joined the "club of 1,000," becoming the fourth player ever to reach that milestone in the top flight. When she hit the 1,000-goal mark in November 2023, she also had the best penalty shooting rate for the season up to that point, at 90.5 per cent. She finished the season with a conversion rate of 81.5 per cent from the penalty line overall. Her steady hand and mind give her confidence in those tricky moments.

“Penalty shots are not easy. For some, it looks easy and people think the handball goal is big. But I try to be calm in that situation. Every player and every goalkeeper has their own way of reacting in those moments, and you have your favourite shot, so it is a game. I do sometimes analyse goalkeepers, but also, I say, too much analysis is paralysis. I don't overthink it,” says Lekic.

But what about misses? Mistakes that are inevitable, ever-present and part of the game. How does Lekic react when things go south?

“I say to myself, ‘you're stupid. Why did you do that when we have agreed on something else?’ I live through that emotion. I hate it when I miss a shot that I took so many times; when I make a mistake and I know that ball should not be going where it goes at that moment. I can say I'm aware of a mistake that millisecond the ball leaves my hand,” says Lekic.

“However, with time and maturity, you learn how to get your focus back right away. You don't have time to dwell on your mistakes and if you do, mistakes will just pile up. For me, self-criticism was on a much higher level when I was younger and it distracted me. Now, I analyse mistakes after the game.”

It is not only her own mistakes she lives through — Lekic also lives through her teammates’ mistakes: “I get agitated at that point, really. But I think it's a normal emotion in all of us. If I see someone gets agitated because of my mistakes, I'm not mad. We have time to deal with everything after the game, but during the game, we need to get over it and try to make up for it. The art is not to repeat mistakes and we need to learn from them,” says Lekic.

“That is also where team spirit comes. You need to be there for your teammate. Team is above all. We all have ego and our decisions, but with years you learn you have to walk a mile in your teammates’ shoes to understand how she reacts and why she reacts that way or why she decided to make that move.”

Lekic further explains how she believes that understanding and bonding with her teammates off the court can make a difference on the court in crunch time — in those split seconds when one ball can decide your fate.

“It is important to get to know your teammates. Not just them on the handball court, but outside of handball also. Make connections and when you have that, it can be decisive in some crucial moments. It would help if you tried not to make these relationships superficial. Of course, you can't be best friends with everyone, but it would be good to try to strengthen those bonds, because unity makes the team.”

For Lekic, faith in her team is paramount, especially during challenging moments, when she knows the importance of maintaining a positive mindset. Lekic believes that confidence is key to success on the court. And it is confidence that brought her to where she is today — chasing titles and playing on the highest level.

“Handball makes me happy and motivated. I love that I'm able to chase high goals. I feel fulfilled and I love my everyday life. I wouldn't change it for anything.”

Photos: Fradi Média (in-text 1, 2, 4 and 5)/kolektiff images (main and in-text 3)