BLOG: Duel of minds behind the sidelines

The big clash of the opening round of the VELUX EHF Champions League is just a few days away. The reigning champions, THW Kiel, will travel to Madrid to take on Atletico in a repeat of last year's final.

ehfTV.com will be covering the match live from 18.00 hrs on Sunday 30 September and of course Ó Brannagáin will be in Madrid covering the match in his unique style for a worldwide audience both online and television.

Here, in the first of a regular blog for ehfCL.com, Tom gives us his expert views on Sunday's match:

The year was 2009 and I received a phone call from EHF headquarters. They were looking to launch a new initiative regarding bringing handball to English speaking nations via the web platform ehfTV.com. A commentator was required and the criteria were English speaking, naturally, media background and knowledge of handball. I fit the bill and thus began my “new” career as a handball commentator.

I had no knowledge of European teams at the time, no knowledge of players as we only got to see the odd bit of handball shown on Irish TV during the Olympics. However, I was determined to give it a go as my love affair with handball had stretched back over twenty years and I had played for Ireland and at the time was coaching the national team.

And the old phrase 'being thrown in at the deep end' comes to mind. Because my first game was the EHF Champions League Final, at the time played over two legs. The teams in question were THW Kiel and Ciudad Real.

I must admit I had to look up both places on the map...

After that, I had to learn all the players’ names and numbers as I didn’t know who they were, how they played and what the outcome might be.

I still remember vividly my first visit to Kiel, the crowd, the atmosphere, the general feeling of anticipation and I remember being swept away by the emotion of the event. The return leg to the “Don Quixote” arena was equally as impressive if not daunting and Ciudad Real took the title that night. At the time none of the players recognised me nor did I them, but even so Rutenka came to talk to me, off camera, at the end of the night. This was a nice moment for me.

Four seasons later, and it has come full circle. Ciudad Real is now Atlético Madrid, but Kiel is still Kiel and my first “Match of the Week” will be in the Palacio Vistalegre. The good news for me is that I know all the players now, I know the coaches and although I still get butterflies going to the games, I feel more at home during the VELUX EHF Champions League than I did in those early days.

The two coaches, Alfred Gislason for Kiel and Talant Dujshebaev might hail from polar opposites (almost) of the world but they both share an incredible passion for our sport of handball. They are, both, equally approachable with great senses of humour. This might not be the universal view as we watch both of them stride the sideline completely in tune and consumed by the game. Their focus is so great on their jobs and their clubs that at times they might appear stand-offish, but nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is they love a laugh and love to chat.

Their teams are two of the greatest in the world. Kiel is the current champion of Europe having beaten Talant’s team at the VELUX EHF FINAL4 and Atlético recently beat them in the IHF Super Globe.

This is a cracking way to begin the season for “Match of the Week”. Group B has another heavy weight in Veszprém so neither of these teams will want to begin with a defeat.

No Kim Andersson anymore for Kiel so it will be interesting to see how Vujin fares with his new teammates and on the other side I am keen to watch Barachet and Lazarov vie for the right back slot.

There will be duels on every position on the court. Space will be keenly fought for. No quarter will be asked or given. But the greatest duel might just be on the sideline in the minds of two of handball's greatest coaches.

Biography: Tom Ó Brannagáin

Tom Ó Brannagáin was born in Dublin, Ireland one of 10 siblings. He began to play handball in college and captained the Ireland national team for ten years before taking over as a coach of the national team in 2006. He left his post in 2011 to concentrate on media in Ireland, family and Champions League handball.

Tom has presented on television and radio in Ireland for the past 16 years and believes that all his experience has brought him to a place where he can join his love of handball with his enjoyment of presenting. Tom began working on the EHF Champions League in 2009, commentating on Match of the Week and the VELUX EHF FINAL4 in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Match of the Week schedule

The first confirmed matches ROUND 1-7:

Round 1
BM Atletico Madrid (ESP) vs THW Kiel (GER), Sunday 30.09.2012, 18:00 CET - ehfTV.com>>

Round 2
Pick Szeged (HUN) vs Kadetten Schaffhausen (SUI), Saturday 6.10.2012, 17:15 CET - ehfTV.com>>

Round 3
Montpellier Agglomeration HB (FRA)vs HSV Hamburg (GER), Sunday 14.10.2012, 19:00 CET - ehfTV.com>>

Round 4
Chambery Savoie Handball (FRA) vs KS Vive Targi Kielce (POL), Sunday 21.10.2012, 19:00 CET

Round 5
HC Metalurg (MKD) vs Vive Targi Kielce (POL), Sunday 18.11.2012, 18:00 CET

Round 6
Flensburg-Handewitt (GER) vs HSV Hamburg (GER), Sunday 25.11.2012, 17:15 CET

Round 7
THW Kiel (GER) - BM Atletico Madrid (ESP), Sunday 02.12.2012, 17:15 CET

Other rounds TBD