Magdeburg (dpa) – Despite the convincing 30:25 success at table leaders SC Magdeburg, record champion THW Kiel no longer expects to defend the title in the Handball Bundesliga.
“Hope doesn’t win championships, we know that. The situation in the league doesn’t change at all. I think the SCM is still swimming in its own waters,” said THW trainer Filip Jicha about the constellation in the title race.
With 44:4 points, Magdeburg is still well ahead of Kiel (40:10) and Füchsen Berlin (37:9) and therefore still has all the trump cards in hand to make the first championship title perfect for 21 years on their own. “Magdeburg is perhaps playing the best handball in the league this season. They still have a big lead and still have to lose three games. If they continue to play like they have up to now, it will be difficult,” said THW circle runner Patrick Wiencek.
Magdeburg’s coach Bennet Wiegert took his team, for which it was only the second defeat of the season in front of 5558 spectators, before the end of the season. “Now it’s time to learn the right lessons and continue on our way. We mustn’t let that get us down,” Wiegert demanded, and stressed with a view to the upcoming games: “Now it’s clear how stable and mentally strong the team is.”