Handball national goalkeeper Andreas Wolff has reached the final of the Champions League with Vive Kielce.
The Polish champion won the first semi-final at the Final4 in Cologne against the Hungarian top club Telekom Veszprem with 37:35 (16:18) and can hope for the second triumph in the premier class after 2016. “I’m very, very happy. We showed a lot of heart and character and showed incredible morale,” said Wolff. The German record champions THW Kiel and defending champions FC Barcelona determined the second finalist. The final will take place on Sunday (6 p.m.).
After an even start, Kielce was constantly behind in the first half, but the deficit was never more than three goals. In the second round, the Poles created a small cushion with a 4-0 run from 19:20 to 23:20, which was defended until the end of the hard-fought game.
Wolff could hardly distinguish himself – in the end he made nine saves. “Obviously if you score 35 goals you can’t be satisfied,” said the 31-year-old. “But when both teams have their strengths on offense, that’s what a result looks like.” The winner’s best thrower was Arkadiusz Moryto with eight goals. Former Bundesliga professional Rasmus Lauge also scored eight times for Veszprem.