BLOG: The Battle of the Burgs

Our next match takes us to one of the most northerly places in Germany; in fact it is a spit from the border of Denmark. If you ever travel there try the “Flens” beer and always say “MOIN, MOIN”. I think it means hello, at least I hope so, I kept saying it last time I was there. My memories of travelling there are a bit hazy, as Flensburg missed the CL last year, so in season 10/11, I remember driving for what seemed like an eternity from Hamburg and seeing no civilisation at all and suddenly chancing upon this enormous handball stadium in the middle of nowhere.

It was the most bizarre feeling, knowing that this was a Mecca of handball after having travelled through what was like a scene from “28 Days Later”. I am exaggerating of course, but this is not the big cities of Berlin, Barcelona or even Kiel, this is a countryside spot and really, the stadium just appears. Perhaps my memory is a little hazy, but I certainly remember meeting Ljubomir Vranjes that day and how nervous I was to interview him.

Sport is strange the way it throws certain stories our way. Both coaches have replaced Per Carlén as head coaches. Back in that season, 2010/11, Ljubo had just taken over from Carlén as head coach of Flensburg.

We interviewed him as he prepared to meet Zagreb in the CL and he spoke of his love for Flensburg, but also of his sadness that he had to replace his friend.

Last season Martin Schwalb also took over, as head coach, from Per at Hamburg having relinquished that role just months earlier in favour of Carlén. You have to love the revolving door coaching policy; it gives us something to talk about.

So I met one of my handball heroes. I had seen him play, live, he was amazing and he is tiny. I use the word height wise, because he has a pair of shoulders on him that could rival Atlas. But he was an inspiration to so many as he broke the mould of believing that you had to be 2m tall to play in the back division. Guile, brains and speed, not to mention his strength helped him terrorise defences, he really was one of a kind.

I covered the return leg in Zagreb that year and we shared a plane back from Croatia. It opened my eyes to the life of a top coach. He had left earlier than his players to attend a meeting leaving his players to lie on.

He spoke to me of his plans for the team and their style of play. He talked handball with me and he spoke of how he had to battle all the odds in Sweden to become a handball player due to his height.

I remember the conversation vividly as I tried to introduce some of the ideas to my own team in Ireland. I learned so much on that plane ride home.

He is an engaging man and funnily enough watching the team this season, you can see the ideas coming to fruition.

It is “The Battle of the Burgs”; Flensburg Vs Hamburg and both are going well in Group A. They will both qualify, of that there is no doubt; the question is in which position. Hamburg sits above Flensburg in Group A, but below them in the Bundesliga.

Flensburg is fast, fast, fast, they give you no time to relax. The team is almost unrecognisable from the CL team of 2011; it has a real German/Danish axis which reflects its German base, but also its very strong Danish connections.

Hamburg is bigger and stronger, what a north German derby it will be. The stadium will be rocking with over 6 thousand people there and they are tough to beat at home. Just ask Medvedi who were trounced here by ten, or last season’s VELUX EHF FINAL 4 participant, Berlin, who lost here in the Bundesliga, by eleven.

Watch the coaches on the sideline; Schwalb is like a wolf, prowling the sideline, howling at crowd, referees and players alike. Vranjes is also a wolf, but a quiet wolf as he told me.

Perhaps Hamburg should be wary after last week’s game, the quiet wolf may be lying in ambush for them.