How did ex-handball coach André Fuhr deal with his players? The Dutch national player Angela Malestein is now making allegations in an interview with WDR. Was humiliation, bullying and abuse the order of the day?
It was the worst time in her handball career, reports Malestein. For two years, from 2012 to 2014, she played for HSG Blomberg-Lippe under André Fuhr. In the WDR interview, she tells how badly Fuhr treated her again and again and in the end she asked, crying, to be allowed to leave the East Westphalian club: “You say I’m not good for this team, then please let me go. […] They said no, there’s no way we’re going to let you go.”
André Fuhr: A handball coach who celebrated success. He brought the Blomberg women’s handball team into the Bundesliga – three times in the European Cup and twice in the German Cup final. His unacceptable behavior has always been an open secret in handball, players say, but his former club has always been particularly proud of the results. “Fuhr’s era will go down in the history of the club”, said Managing Director Torben Kietsch when Fuhr left. Now the only thing that makes history is how he treated his players.
Layoffs got things rolling
The instant dismissals of two BVB players got the ball rolling. Amelie Berger and Mia Zschocke have turned on the contact point for violence and abuse in sport. It was agreed not to disclose the exact reasons, and Borussia initially released the coach temporarily by mutual agreement. Fuhr later went out on his own, again in agreement with BVB. Fuhr also resigned his position as junior coach of the German national handball team shortly afterwards. Research by the news magazine “Der Spiegel” made further headlines – with serious allegations from former players, not only from Blomberg. The Netherlands international, who is currently preparing for the European Championship, tells us her story.
Ex-BVB coach André Fuhr in December 2021
Coming to the sports hall was always strange, says former Blomberg player Malestein, who still plays for the Dutch national team. At the age of 18 she had the opportunity to come to Blomberg. The opportunity to play in the Handball Bundesliga. The trainer: André Fuhr, who had been a trainer in East Westphalia for ten years at that point. She didn’t listen to warnings from other players – also because the first talks with coach Fuhr and the club’s managing director, Torben Kietsch, went well.
But then she quickly noticed that something was wrong, she says. Fuhr has repeatedly made certain players cry. To this day, Malestein’s time in Blomberg still weighs heavily on her stomach. Once the players had to do interval running training during a thunderstorm. Lightning struck in the immediate vicinity, says Malestein, but they should have continued anyway.
Malestein reports disrespectful treatment
During a half-time break in September 2012, the coach kicked a plastic drinking water bottle so far that a player hit it in the head. “And he always checked whether I was at home. Or sent his girlfriend, who also played for us on the team, to me to know what I was doing.”reports Malestein in the WDR interview.
André Fuhr treated her disrespectfully. “Zip your lips”, “You think you’re the hottest”, “You’re a Princess and the Pea” – Fuhr often said something like that to her. In the end, Fuhr also told her that she would never be among the best in the world. He was probably wrong about that. Last year, the Dutchwoman became the best right winger in the Champions League chosen.
30 former players from Fuhr reported
30 former Fuhr players have now contacted the contact point for violence and abuse in sport. It makes you wonder why a coach who has obviously hurt many players has been able to carry on for so long. The HSG Blomberg-Lippe now regrets in a statement on its website that players are still suffering from Fuhr’s mental violence: “Sporting success must not absolve a coach of alleged misconduct. Mental and physical health is paramount.” One is aware of the special responsibility, especially towards younger players and their parents.
When asked by WDR, it goes on to say: “In retrospect, we have to admit that we should have taken a closer look and intervened.” Did the club really not look? Yes, says former player Angela Malestein. She is disappointed and incriminates the managing director of HSG Blomberg-Lippe: “Torben Kietsch noticed everything.” Fuhr was a trainer for the East Westphalian club for a good 16 years, also responsible for youth work and later also sports director. When he left, he described the HSG as “his baby”. The Separation 2018: At your own request. At TuS Metzingen, the 51-year-old only survived one season after that, and the contract was terminated. The reasons? Unclear, here too silence was agreed and the whole thing was contractually recorded.
Fuhr was still in demand – at BVB, which he led to their first female championship title. But also at the German Handball Association, which awarded him the position of junior coach in 2019. being “controversial“Banking behavior was also known to the DHB,” it said on WDR request. But nothing was known about more serious allegations. It was only this year that the first allegations were reported to the handball association. There were talks with Fuhr und the teams.Two months later, the handball association says it received information about possible misconduct.There are talks again.This time, another BVB player should “another review” have given to the situation. The handball association did nothing at the time. “Here would be from today’s perspective […] a more in-depth analysis and further action would have been useful”the German Handball Federation now writes to WDR.
“At 180 km/h it’s a long way from Blomberg”
Angela Malestein drew consequences – when the doctor gave a warning at the age of 19. Red spots all over the body, bumps, itching. Possibly a reaction to the stress. After two years, the time finally came for the Dutchwoman to switch to another club. From 2014 she played for SG BBM Bietigheim for six years.
In one of her last games for Blomberg, she converted the decisive seven-metre throw. In the final minute, the club qualified for the European Cup – it was already clear then that she would go to Bietigheim: “Before the last league game with Blomberg, my mum and I packed everything up there and handed in the keys […] and then drove far away from Blomberg at 180 kilometers per hour.”