The Foxes Berlin did it: they are German handball champions for the first time. Against the Rhein-Neckar Löwen it took a effort on the last match day.
For the first time in their club history, the Foxes Berlin won the German Handball Championship. The Berliners needed a victory or a draw with the Rhein-Neckar Löwen on the last Bundesliga match day in order not to let pursuers SC Magdeburg pass by. In the end, the foxes won 38:33 (17:20), although in the first round it looked as if the Berliners were still out of their hands.
Jens-Christian Gussmann, Sportschau, June 8, 2025 4:54 p.m.
Foxes in the first round as paralyzed
The game started with a lot of momentum and a lot of pressure from the hosts. The foxes did not get an ideal start and were already 0: 3 behind after a good two minutes. The lions showed a good, liquid appearance in the initial phase and did not make any institutions to be a party companion for the Berliners.
After a quarter of an hour, the foxes were a little better in the game for the first time, became more effective on the offensive and came to equalize through Nils Licht a little at 9: 9. However, the hosts remained very biting and especially on the offensive on the last matchday. National player Juri Knorr in particular performed well in his last game for the Rhein-Neckar Löwen. The 25-year-old will be moving to the Danish top club Aalborg for the coming season.
The foxes defense had problems even in double majority, so that the leadership for the Rhein-Neckar Löwen was quickly restored. The Berliners seemed to unsettle this: the temporary calm after the equalization had quickly evaporated and at 14:10 for the lions, Foxes coach Jaron Siewert took the first break. “Men, it is just our mistakes,” called the coach, who also recognized that his team was still far from a masterly appearance.
His wake -up call hardly looked: the foxes remained the weaker team and the hall became louder with every successful action by the hosts. For the Berliners it was a half to forget, it went into the break with a 17:20 deficit from Berlin.
Sportschau, June 8th, 2025 6:34 pm
Berliners need 40 minutes of warm -up time
After the change of sides, there was a similar picture: the hosts did not subside and the Berliners rarely found funds against the lively lion offensive on the defensive. Goalkeeper Dejan Milosavljev got his hands on the ball as rarely in the first half and the Rhein-Neckar Löwen also got too much space for sometimes simple throws in the row. As a result, the hosts’ lead did not get smaller at first – until the 38th minute.
The Berliners suddenly turned out of nowhere and only equalized after a good 40 minutes for the second time in the game. At the stand of 26:26 the entire Füchse Bank jumped up and suddenly took hope again. It was then fed further: after a break from the Rhein-Neckar Löwen, the Berliners took the lead for the first time. Suddenly Milosavljev kept the balls, the defense chain was more robust and the team of Jaron Siewert became more effective. The encounter tipped.
The foxes now looked much calmer and played with more dominance. The game initially remained tight, but the Berliners held the narrow lead. In the end, the Berliners brought the lead over time after a big effort with 38:33 and were able to celebrate the first championship in Foxes history.
