26.03.2007, 03:38
Lozano Returns to Kiel

Demetrio Lozano played three years for THW Kiel and he talks about the German club with great respect. This weekend he returns to Ostseehalle.

Lozano Returns to Kiel

A Champions League semi-final is a special match for every player, but meeting THW Kiel is really special for Spanish International Demetrio Lozano.

Lozano played for three years for THW Kiel just before coming back to Spain and joining Portland San Antonio:

“These were beautiful years for me. I keep very good memories of Kiel because we won three titles in three years and I met very good mates. Besides, my two daughters were born there, in Germany”.

THW have changed a lot since the Lozano’s return to Spain.

“The team have changed a lot. There are some mates who played with me and the same coach, but they have changed the style of handball. I played with Olsson or Wislander, the greatest Swedish players, but now there are good young ones with quality and hunger for successes”.

Kiel’s handball

Lozano retains that the team with the best attack and the best defence are facing each other in the semi-final.

“I’m sure that they are the best team in attack in the Bundesliga and in the Champions League as well, but we have a very strong defence. So, it is very important to impose our style of handball on them, the same way we did it against Ciudad Real”.

The fast Kiel handball could be the main problem to Portland – according to Demetrio Lozano:

“They defend without much physical contact; they try to cut off all the passes. When they receive a goal they try to score another one very quickly and it can be a problem for us, because we got used to making two or three substitutions after every goal.”

Portland need two good games

“We tried to get the biggest possible difference at home. You cannot think that a good match sends you to the final. You need two very good games to reach the final. We had to do the same that in the last round against Ciudad Real, where we played two good matches”.

Asked about the best player of THW, Spanish International answered:

“They have a very complete roaster with important players. However, I think that the leader of Kiel is Stefan Lövgren. He has a lot of experience; he is the captain, the leader, the brain of the team. When he is able to break the opponent’s defence, all his mates play a good game.”

A beautiful court

Demetrio Lozano will return to Oosterhalle this week:

“It is the perfect place to play handball. Every match is attended by 10.000 people. Handball is a social event in Kiel, very different to Spain. The families go to the match and have dinner in the restaurants of the sports hall. After the game they go to the court and create a beautiful atmosphere.”

Lozano is sure that the only objective for Kiel is a Champions League title.

“Kiel is a club with 100 years of history. They won all the titles in Europe and Germany, but they were not able to get the Champions League. I hope that this season they will still not win it.”

TEXT: Fernando Urra Goñi