By Sebastian Kayser
False start to the quarterfinals of the European League for the foxes! The Berliners lose the first leg in Switzerland in Schaffhausen 33:37 – and get into real trouble with their manager Bob Hanning.
If the Füchse Berlin want to make it into the Final Four, they have to stretch hard in the second leg. In front of 3500 spectators in Schaffhausen, the defensive plays sometimes really underground.
Manager Bob Hanning: “That was not enough from start to finish, no willingness to help each other in defense and to tackle the Final Four goal. I’m hugely disappointed with the body language. We were emotionally inferior to Schaffhausen by a whole league. The final weakness is not to be accepted in the form. What it was about and what we put on the record, that wasn’t right. There will be post-processing.”
15 goals! Schaffhausen’s Icelander Odinn Thor Rikhardsson Photo: picture alliance/Rosvall/TT
Above all, two players from the Swiss champions get on the nerves of the favourites: the outstanding Icelander Odinn Thor Rikhardsson (25), who makes an incredible 15 goals. And keeper Kristian Pilipovic (28), who unnerves the foxes with speed counterattacks and several free balls.
Foxes star Mathias Gidsel (24) could not play – the ankle Photo: picture alliance / contrastphoto
However, there is bad news before the game. super star Mathias Gidsel (24), who twisted his ankle in Hanover (33:32), cannot play. In the second leg next Tuesday he should be fit again.
Best Fox Launchers: Lasse Andersson (29) with seven and Milos Vujovic (29) with six goals. The latter has probably found a new club. He is to play for league competitor VfL Gummersbach from the summer.
Coach Jaron Siewert: “We’re leading until 5:15 p.m., so we should have led higher. Then there are misthrows and inadequacies in defense, which continues in the second half. Then we missed three counterattacks, which the cadets punished in return. 37 goals conceded is just too many, that’s a very weak defense.”