Omeyer stays focused 

20 great saves in the first CL semi-final against Barcelona: once again, goalkeeper Thierry Omeyer was the match winner for THW. Since he arrived in Kiel, the Frenchman showed world class performance on a permanent basis.

Omeyer is looking forward to the second leg in Barcelona, even though he knows that it would be no easy match. In an exclusive interview with ehfCL.com, “Titi”, who won the Champions League twice with Kiel and Montpellier, talks also about the French players taking part in all the semi-finals.

Eurohandball.com: You travel with a ten goal difference in your luggage to Barcelona. How big is this advantage?

Omeyer: It’s no so big that you could lay down and have a rest in Barcelona. Sometimes it goes very quickly to lose such a big lead. Ten goals are a lot of course, but we have to give all we can to stand this match in Spain. Barcelona will show all they can on Sunday, and this means much more than in Kiel.

Eurohandball.com: What are the most important factors for the match?

Omeyer: Everything counts. We have to have a strong and quick defence and we have to play on high speed in offence. We cannot look at the result of the first match because we also want to win the second.

Eurohandball.com: What is the strength of Barcelona?

Omeyer: They have great players for every position, we have to take care about their back court players and their pivots. But the most important thing will be to stop them before they start their quick play.

Eurohandball.com: Barcelona goalkeeper, David Barrufet, will miss the match due to an injury. Is this an advantage for Kiel?

Omeyer: I don’t think so, because the two other goalkeepers are also very strong. Barrufet has more experience than the others, and he’s a kind of hero in Barcelona. But I don’t think that his absence will be an advantage for us.

Eurohandball.com: If Kiel could go on in the CL, it would be your third Champions League final. Is it a routine for you to come so far every year?

Omeyer: First of all, I don’t think about the final, only about Barca. Obviously, it’s a dream to reach the final of a competition for the best clubs in the world. Not even the third would count as normal, but something special.

Eurohandball.com: Nearly every match these weeks is a highlight for you and Kiel. Is it hard to keep up the concentration on a highest level?

Omeyer: I prepare a lot for every match. Since Wednesday morning I prepare and concentrate on Barcelona. And when this match will be over, I concentrate on Hamburg, where we will play next week. For me it’s not hard to keep focused.

Eurohandball.com: What chance does Kiel have to win CL and Bundesliga after having won the German already?

Omeyer: We can win all these competitions. We give all and we prepare from match to match. At the end of the season we will count how many titles we have won.

Eurohandball.com: In case your team reaches the CL final, what team would you like to play against?

Omeyer: I totally don’t mind. Let’s wait and see what happens on Sunday.

Eurohandball.com: But if you go through, you will play against at least one French player – the Gille brothers of Hamburg or Didier Dinart of Ciudad Real. Is this something special for you?

Omeyer: It’s a great pleasure for me, and it means a lot for our country and our national team. The fact that every CL team in the semi-finals – do not forget Jerome Fernandez in Barcelona – have at least one French player shows the strength of our country. And it also means something special for me to meet those players.