At the weekend, THW Kiel is playing for the triumph in the Handball Champions League at the Final Four in Cologne. Defending champions Barcelona are waiting in the semi-finals. ARD expert Dominik Klein on the chances of the “Zebras” and the qualities of Kielce and Veszprém.
With Barcelona, Kiel not only has the cup defender in front of their chest, but also the most successful club in the history of the Champions League with a total of ten titles. Nevertheless, the Schleswig-Holsteiners travel to Cologne full of confidence, after all they defeated the Catalans in the final a year and a half ago.
“Surprises are always possible on a weekend like this,” says Dominik Klein, who reached the premier class final in 2018 with outsiders HBC Nantes. The long-time THW professional doesn’t want to name his ex-club as a favorite and says with a wink: “Otherwise they won’t make it.” His final tip: THW Kiel against Kielce. And then? “On a good day, anything is possible for THW,” said the 38-year-old.
The defending champion: FC Barcelona
There was a turning point for the Catalans before the season: Long-time successful coach Xavi Pascual moved to Romania to join up-and-coming champions Dinamo Bucharest. Carlos Ortega, previously Bundesliga coach at TSV Hannover-Burgdorf, took over. There were also some changes on the field, so Barca didn’t act quite as confidently in this series. In the group phase it was only enough for second place.
With left-hander Dika Mem, playmaker Luka Cindric or goalkeeper Gonzalo Perez de Vargas, exceptional players still wear the Barca outfit. The rotation position has been a concern in recent months, as both Portuguese Luis Frade and Frenchman Ludovic Fabregas have suffered serious injuries.
Dominik Klein says: “Barcelona has a certain restedness. In the Spanish league there are fewer tight games than in the Bundesliga, where THW, for example, has to perform at the highest level against Magdeburg and can gain self-confidence. But that’s why Barcelona always have the shortcoming, in the Champions Having to deliver to the League. They have always failed to withstand this pressure in the past.”
Schedule Final Four in Cologne:
- Saturday, 3:15 p.m.: HC Veszprém – KS Kielce
- Saturday, 6 p.m.: THW Kiel – FC Barcelona
- Sunday, 3:15 p.m.: Match for 3rd place
- Sunday, 6 p.m.: Final
Best “pre-note”: KS Vive Kielce
The 2016 winner surprisingly came first in preliminary round group B ahead of clubs like Barcelona or Paris Saint-Germain and had no problems with the French representative Montpellier in the quarter-finals. In addition, Constance reigns under President Bertus Servaas, a textile entrepreneur, in Kielce. The Poles come to the Rhine with their eleventh championship title in a row.
A family trio stands out from a homogeneous team: Talant Dujshebaev is one of the most influential coaches in the handball guild, his sons play in the backcourt. Alex is even captain whose younger brother Daniel is back after a more serious knee injury. When things get tight, Kielce can rely on German national goalkeeper Andreas Wolff, who was between the posts at THW Kiel from 2016 to 2019.
Dominik Klein says: “The club has an immense squad. However, they got a crack in the Polish Cup against Plock. I’m curious to see how they come out of it to save the season. I see them as favorites in the duel with Veszprém.”
The underdog: HC Veszprém
HC Veszprém is one of the biggest names in handball in Europe. Two international trophies shine in the club showcase, but the Hungarian top club has been chasing the triumph in the Champions League for years in vain despite a proud fan base. Before the season, the voluminous squad was slimmed down a bit, but still offers top international stars such as pivot Andreas Nilsson, Omar Yehia, goalkeeper Petar Nenadic or goalkeeper Rodrigo Corrales. Backcourt aces Rasmus Lauge (Kiel, Flensburg) and Kentin Mahé (Hamburg, Flensburg) are well known from their time with the North German Bundesliga clubs.
In the summer, Momir Ilic advanced from assistant to head coach. As a player, the Serb won the Champions League twice with THW Kiel. Can he now free Veszprém from the Final Four curse? The season’s performance so far does not speak for it. In Hungary, the club just had to admit defeat to the eternal adversary Szeged in the championship final. In the group stage of the Champions League, Veszprém was only fourth.
Dominik Klein says: “Veszprém has a lot of strong individuals in the team and coach Ilic gives the right fire from the side. But as a regular in the Final Four without ever having won the title, there is a psychological problem. It will be difficult to win this ‘runner-up’ to get out of your head.”
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Sports current | 06/18/2022 | 11:17 a.m
