The Füchse Berlin slide into the new year with the good feeling of victory. The handball players confidently won their home game against Göppingen on Saturday with 42:29 and also celebrated four important contract extensions.
- The Füchse Berlin hosted Göppingen at the end of the year on Saturday
- In the second half, the Berliners dominated their overwhelmed opponents
- Lasse Ludwig laid the foundation for a 42:29 win with strong saves
- In the run-up to the game, the Berliners had announced four important contract extensions
The Foxes Berlin end their 2025 sporting year with a victory. On Saturday evening, the Berlin handball players won their home game against Göppingen with 42:29 (17:17). Matias Gidsel was the best Berlin thrower with eight hits. The contract extensions with four home-grown players and top performers also contributed to the pre-New Year’s Eve celebration atmosphere in the well-attended Max Schmeling Hall on Saturday.
Acclaimed Contract extensions inspire the foxes
A quartet of names were on the list of those who extended their working papers with the reigning German champions on Saturday. The national players Nils Lichtlein, Tim Freihöfer, Matthes Langhoff and goalkeeper Lasse Ludwig all extended their contracts and will most likely continue to wear the Berlin jersey until at least the summer of 2030. They all received applause from the Berlin audience on Saturday in view of this decision.
The subsequent play on the floor was also to the liking of the fans from the capital. Even though backcourt player Tobias Grøndahl missed two seven-meter penalties in the opening minutes, the favored hosts gradually pulled away over the course of the first half. After almost 20 minutes played, some strong saves from goalkeeper Dejan Milosavljev and quick transition play, the Berliners led 11:7.
Göppingen played solidly and with a lot of courage offensively, but had massive problems defensively against the high speed of the Foxes’ game. The Berliners not only moved themselves across the floor at high speed, but also repeatedly moved the ball across the entire width of the floor. The result was a 15:11 lead after 23 minutes.
Also celebrated on the video cube: the quartet of those who remain | Image: IMAGO/Jan Huebner
Füchse counters Göppinger’s rebellion impressively
Before half-time, however, the Göppingen team rebelled against the hosts, who only seemed to be playing confidently. Shortly before the end of the first half, the guests equalized the game at 17:17. A good quarter of an hour half-time break and an attack later they even took the lead for the first time with their goal to make it 18:17.
But the foxes wouldn’t be the foxes if they weren’t tickled by a challenge. Driven by the saves of substitute Lasse Ludwig, who promptly held strong, they now played themselves into a frenzy. The now inspired Berliners scored six goals in a row against the now overwhelmed Göppingen team. After less than ten minutes of play in the second half, they led 26:19, and shortly afterwards they scored ten goals for the first time.
Berlin’s offensive train rolls unchecked to victory
What followed was a largely relaxed final quarter of an hour for Füchse coach Nicolej Krickau and his team. While Krickau clenched his fists in celebration over and over again in view of Lasse Ludwig’s persistent parades, the Berlin offensive train rolled on unabated at high speed – and was appropriately accompanied by the sound of the party hit “The train has no brakes” coming from the speakers.
Berlin’s lead steadily grew to new heights over the course of the second half and was fed by a large number of foxes. Last but not least, Lukas Herburger, who recently recovered, made his way onto the list of goalscorers. In the end, the Berliners achieved a clear and deserved 42:29 home win. They will therefore end 2025 with 30 points and are within striking distance of SG Flensburg-Handewitt in second place in the Champions League.
Broadcast: rbb|24, December 27, 2025, 9:10 p.m
