“It’s brutal that we’ve lost two of our key players in such a short space of time. But we also know that we have to do without them.”
— THW trainer Filip Jicha
For the remaining four games of the season – two each in the Bundesliga and in the Champions League – finding a contractless backcourt player who can help the team is likely to be a much more difficult task for Szilagyi.
Duvnjak: “We have to stick together as a team”
“Of course we’re happy that we won, but after a scene like that in the first half, I can’t be happy about the win. I’m sad,” said Domagoj Duvnjak after the game in Hamburg, but defiantly looked ahead: “It It’s very difficult to replace them both. We have to stick together as a team, everyone has to give more and then we’ll see what we can do against Barcelona in the semi-finals.”
CL qualification: Flensburg of all places can help
But before the Champions League takes place in Cologne on June 18, the people from Kiel have to do their homework in the Bundesliga in order to be able to play in the premier class again next year. The necessary second place in the table is by no means certain given that they are only two points ahead of Füchse Berlin.
Already on Wednesday (7.05 p.m.) the “Zebras” have to compete with the Rhein-Neckar Löwen, the Berliners have the easier task in Balingen at the same time, at least on paper. A week later – on June 12th (3.30 p.m.) – the country’s rival SG Flensburg-Handewitt could help the Kielers. The Flensburgers receive the foxes on the last HBL game day, while the THW has a home game against Göppingen.