Ciudad Real vs Kiel: Reactions

The home and away rights may be decisive in any cup final. In the Champions League Ciudad Real will play the first game at home this time.

Two club representatives have come to Vienna for the draw event, so Eurohandball.com asked them what they think about their luck.

Luis Miguel Lopez (Ciudad Real):

"It is always better to play the first match away and the second at home. This time it would have been even more important as we will play a decisive league game at home against Barcelona just four days earlier, so it would have been important not to play so many home games within such a short time.

"Anyway, the two best teams in the world will meet and the chances are fifty-fifty. In addition, you can see that both semi-finals were won by the teams that played the second game away.

"We want to make a festival in the city and in the sports hall. This would be a festival of handball for the fans, the sponsors and for everyone where they can see the best players in the world."

Dietrich Ziemer (THW Kiel):

"The two final matches from last year showed how important it is to play the first game at home. We won at home after an away draw, but that was a completely different situation. That was a local derby, while now we have to travel to Ciudad Real. That will be a long trip.

"At the end, of course, the performance of the teams on the given day will be important. Accordingly, we will not even have special preparations, we do everything as usual – as we have done in the quarterfinals, semi-finals or the finals of last season. Of course, we expect a victory, but there will be a hard road leading there."