The Handball European League is for the clubs in the Handball Bundesliga (HBL). In the past seven seasons, the trophy has landed in the hands of German teams six times in a row – until Portuguese giants Benfica Lisbon ended this winning streak in 2022. A new German era of success is set to begin in Flensburg at the weekend. The four teams and their key players at a glance.
Foxes Berlin
It was the transfer that excited experts and Bundesliga fans alike. When the capital club presented the newly crowned world champion Mathias Gidsel as a newcomer in August 2021. The 24-year-old left-hander already has an impressive résumé: world champion, Olympic silver medalist and, incidentally, the most valuable player at the 2023 World Cup.
Gidsel’s playfulness makes Berlin stronger
In the Bundesliga, the foxes played for the title for a long time, recently lost against Bergischer HC and thus had to bury their last dreams of the championship. Internationally, the dream of the next title lives on. Without the injured Gidsel, the Berliners lost the first leg of the quarter-finals, but were able to rely on their exceptional player in the second leg. With ten goals, he led his team to the Final Four and maybe to their first joint title at the weekend.
Mathias Gidsel from Foxes Berlin.
HB Montpellier
What still weighs on two shoulders in Berlin is spread over four shoulders in the semi-final opponents, the top French club. Coach Patrice Canayer’s team is led by a strong playmaker duo with title experience.
33-year-old Diego Simonet sensationally won the Champions League with Montpellier in 2018 and prevailed in the final against sports show expert Dominik Klein with HC Nantes. The Argentinian is in impressive form just in time for the Final Four. With currently 50 goals, he is more successful than ever in the European League.
Diego Simonet from HB Montpellier.
Experienced playmaker duo should fix it
The French have scored the most goals in the competition ahead of the Final Four with 472 goals. This is also due to Simonet’s Slovenian position partner: Stas Skube. In 2019 he won the Champions League with HC Vardar 1961 Skopje and, at 1.79 m, is significantly shorter than Simonet. He uses this size advantage in every 1-1 duel and could also be a tried and tested means of victory in the semifinals against the Berliners.
Club Balonmano Granollers
It is the surprise team of the previous competition! The team from near Barcelona prevailed against the favored SG Flensburg-Handewitt in the quarter-finals and now meets Bundesliga club Frisch Auf in the semi-finals! Goeppingen.
Above all, the appearance in Flensburg and the 35:27 success there were impressive, as the SG had only lost once in the competition before. Antonio Garcia played a big part in this. Born just 15 kilometers away from home, Garcia is playing his strongest European League season to date. With 82 goals, the now 39-year-old is the fifth best pitcher in the competition.
At the age of 39, the first international title should come
The back left played for BM Granollers from 2003 to 2011 before being signed to seven different teams in five different countries over the coming years. Upon his return, the veteran extended his contract until 2025 in January and continues to play a major role in Granollers’ future plans. The Spanish world champion doesn’t seem to have had enough and wants to celebrate the first international club title with his youth club. It would be the culmination of an impressive career.
Veteran Antonio Garcia from Club Balonmano Granollers.
Fresh on! Goeppingen
From one club legend to another. Number Four from Fresh Up! Göppingen has been permanently assigned to team captain Tim Kneule since 2006. During that time, not many players were more successful in the European League than Kneule. With Fresh Up! the German secured the titles in 2011, 2012, 2016 and 2017. Should he and his team win the title this year, Göppingen would be the sole record holder with five titles.
Narrowly escaped relegation in the Bundesliga
Unlike in the European League, the Bundesliga season is difficult for the southern Germans. The team of world champion Markus Baur is currently in 14th place in the table and only has the chance to qualify for international business next year by winning the Europa League. It was only in the last few weeks that the club said goodbye to the last small relegation worries with the victories against Hamm and Leipzig.
Internationally, Frisch Auf! this season from a different side. In the current competition, the team provides the second best defense and the fourth best attack. This is also due to Kneule, who is playing his highest-scoring international season to date. His team will urgently need this goal threat in the semi-finals, so that the Spaniards don’t throw the next German team out of the competition.
Tim Kneule from Fresh Up! Goeppingen.