After claiming the German title Kiel eye more in Cologne

Since Saturday it is confirmed that three newly crowned national champions will be part of the VELUX EHF FINAL4 next weekend in Cologne. After MVM-MKB Veszprem (two clear wins over EHF Cup winner Pick Szeged in the Hungarian finals) and FC Barcelona (30 victories in 30 matches of the Spanish league) had easily defended their domestic titles, THW Kiel became German champions after the most thrilling season in the German Bundesliga.

Before the last match day of the season Rhein Neckar Löwen and THW Kiel were equal in points, but Löwen were ahead by seven goals – and in contrast to EHF competitions not the direct encounters of two equal teams, but the goal difference decides the final ranking.

Kiel had to face 2012 VELUX EHF FINAL4 participant Füchse Berlin on home ground, while Löwen played at VfL Gummersbach – for both of their opponents the outcome of the matches had no significance.

Both matches started at the same time – and at half time in Kiel (17:8) and Gummersbach (21:19) both sides were not only equal in points, but also in goals, which would have meant that two play-off matches would have been needed to decide the German championship.

But Löwen geared up: When they were ahead 34:26 with nine minutes to go, THW coach Alfred Gislason stopped looking on the live ticker from Gummersbach. So he only saw that the hunger for goals of his team was never sated, but that also Löwen became nervous, missing a handful of chances in the final minutes.

19th title for THW

In total, both sides played 2,040 minutes of Bundesliga in 34 rounds, but only in minute 2,037 the decision was been taken. When Kiel were ahead by fifteen goals and Löwen were only away by five goals, Kiel were champions for the 19th time. In the end, Kiel won 37:23, while a 40:35 win at Gummersbach was not enough for Löwen (EHF Cup winners 2013) to secure their first ever domestic title.

“We never expected a result like this,” said Kiel manager Klaus Elwardt, who immediately had to re-name the later-on event on the Rathausplatz from “End of season party” to “Champions’ party”.

When the final whistle was blown in Kiel the fans shook the arena in its foundations, and while the players already danced on the field, coach Gislason needed some seconds to recognised that they were champions. “I thought Berlin’s final goal would have killed us, but when I saw the players jumping on the court, I knew that we made it again,” the Icelandic said.

Happy with a duplicate

Even the league management did not expect a final outcome like this, as the original of the champions’ trophy was at Gummersbach, and THW team captain Filip Jicha was handed over a duplicate of the championship shield.

“I don’t care, what I received,” Jicha said, and his leaving teammate Christian Zeitz added: “I had won so many trophies at THW before, but this was the most incredible one.” Gislason’s first reaction: “This is pure madness.”

Six rounds before the end of the Bundesliga season the thriller had started, when Löwen beat Kiel to take the lead – both remained equal in points until the end, both did not give a single point from their hands. And all the time Löwen had the advantage of the better goal difference. Right after beating Kiel 29:26, they were ahead by 23 goals.

But THW never gave up – and finally were ahead by two goals to grab this trophy, they did not expect to be handed over. “As four top stars have gone, we might end up this season without any title,” Gislason had predicted at the start of the season, when players like Thierry Omeyer, Momir Ilic, Daniel Narcisse and Marcus Ahlm had left.

However THW are hungry for even more now. “We have not finished yet,” Jicha shouted on the stage, when 12,000 fans celebrated the team on Saturday night. “Boosted by this sensational trophy we are hungry for more in Cologne.”

At the VELUX EHF FINAL4 Kiel will face MVM-MKB Veszprem in the first semi-final, while FC Barcelona meet SG Flensburg-Handewitt in the other semi-final.