No handbrake in Mannheim

World champion, Champions League winner, three-time German champion and two-time German Cup winner: though Dominik Klein is barely 25 years old, the left winger of THW Kiel has a long list of successes in his CV. Right now he’s on his way towards his third CL Final after 2007 and 2008. Kiel won the first leg by 37:23 against Rhein Neckar Löwen at home. However, in an interview with Eurohandball.com, Klein (nickname: “Mini”) proves that he is still aware of the duties.

Eurohandball.com: Congratulations for an outstanding first match against Rhein Neckar Löwen. Am I allowed to congratulate for reaching the finals too?

Klein: No congratulations before we have achieved our aim. We won the first match with a difference of 14 goals, but in handball everything is possible. So we’ll have to wait and see. But I know that we’re the favourites for reaching the finals now.

Eurohandball.com: Did Kiel ever lose a match with a difference of 15 goals?

Klein: I don’t know and I don’t even want to be part of the team that will do this for the first time.

Eurohandball.com: Did you expect such a big difference?

Klein: We didn’t calculate before the match. But you’re right: I think, nobody expected us to win by 14 goals.

Eurohandball.com: The first half was “close to perfect handball” – some say. Do you agree?

Klein: I don’t exactly, what perfect handball means (smiles), but we played with a dominating defence and with fantastic speed. And as the Löwen tried to speed up, too, we could put this big gap between us and them. But for perfect handball you have to play better after the break. We had some stages of the match, when our concentration wasn’t good, but we found our rhythm in the end.

Eurohandball.com: Before the matches there were some quarrels between the clubs. Did this have any effect on the match?

Klein: We heard so many things in the last weeks, but we tried to stay away from this. We play on high level and try everything to give answers with the means of the sport.

Eurohandball.com: You won the German championship last week, you’re very close to the Champions League Final and you will play the semi-final of the German Cup against Löwen. Do you go for a triple success?

Klein: Yes, for sure. If you have three chances, you want to take all three. It would be great honour and achievement for the club to reach the Champions League Final for the third consecutive time after winning the German champion for the fifth time in a row.

Eurohandball.com: On Thursday you’ll meet the Löwen. What will be your tactics? Will you slow down or play at full speed?

Klein: We can’t play with handbrake on. We will try to win this match. We will start with the mentality that nothing is decided yet. This is the best way.