Bob Hanning wouldn’t mind a lavish championship party at the end of this season. “That would be great,” said the managing director of Füchse Berlin of the German Press Agency before the cracker against record champion THW Kiel. “You can’t plan it, but we want to develop the possibility to do so.”
The duel with the long-standing industry leader this Sunday (2:00 p.m. / Sky) in the sold-out Max-Schmeling-Halle will provide initial information as to whether the foxes can attack at the top of the handball Bundesliga after third place in the previous season. “We said before the season that we wanted to be among the contenders for the title. We’ll see on Sunday whether we’ve got that far,” said Hanning. “If you want to end up at the top, you have to win your home games against the top teams.”
Hanning: “We have positioned ourselves more broadly”
The 54-year-old has at least created the conditions for a successful title hunt together with sports director Stefan Kretzschmar and trainer Jaron Siewert. With the commitments of Denmark’s world champion Mathias Gidsel and Sweden’s European champion Max Darj, the team was strengthened in the summer. “We have positioned ourselves more broadly and have become more experienced,” said Hanning.
While Darj gives more stability to the defense, Gidsel provides increased attack power. With 28 goals, the 23-year-old is the second-best thrower for the unbeaten Berliners after the indestructible oldie Hans Lindberg. The 41-year-old right winger has scored 38 times.
However, Hanning attributes the greatest part to the sporting upswing to Siewert. “Jaron is a meticulous worker who makes the team better with his incredible knowledge,” Hanning praised the youngest Bundesliga coach at 28.
Foxes happy about the speedy recovery of the trainer
Siewert himself is just happy that he can continue to work in his dream job without major restrictions after suffering a stroke in the summer. “I’m grateful for the second chance. I have no residual damage and live my life as before,” the foxes coach recently told the pay TV channel “Sky”. He only had to take blood thinners and was not allowed to practice any duel sports.
The club is also relieved about the coach’s quick recovery. “The team is tailored to him and he also developed the philosophy. It’s good for the entire club and for everyone involved that he came back relatively early after this stroke of fate,” said sporting director Kretzschmar.
Hanning, who represented Siewert on the touchline in the first two games of the season, is just happy “that things were less dramatic in the end. Jaron is not just a coach for me, but a friend. I’ve known him since he was 14 The situation was very emotional for me, “said the foxes managing director.
Now the full focus is on the fight for goals and victories, which had receded into the background during the difficult phase of initial uncertainty. “We have social sustainability, economic sustainability and ecological sustainability in the club. We can be proud of that,” said Hanning. “Now we want to take this step in sport as well.”