10.08.2007, 11:50
Kiel Going for Another Triple

The new players of the Champions League winners - Jicha, Anic, Lund and Wessig - were introduced to the public at a press conference in Kiel. Read all the comments and promises from players, coach and club manager.

Kiel Going for Another Triple

THW Kiel starts the new season with great expectations, a budget of 6.5 million Euro and the objective to win the triple again.

“We want to win every match, and in case we can fulfil this dream, I will have no sorrow,” said head coach, Noka Serdarusic on Thursday at the official pre-season press conference in Kiel.

“Although we have good opponents, we are well prepared for the next four or five years – concerning our sports strategy and finances,” said manager Uwe Schwenker.

During the press conference, the German champion, German Cup winner and Champions League winner presented four new players: Igor Anic (French, coming from Montpellier), Filip Jicha (Czech from TBV Lemgo), Börge Lund (Norwegian from HSG Nordhorn) and youngster Daniel Wessig (German from SC Magdeburg). Wessig will not be available next month with an injury that he picked up at a test match against Altenholz on Wednesday evening.

Motivated players

This match, pivot Marcus Ahlm celebrated his comeback after his shoulder injury that he suffered at the CL semi-final match against Portland, back in April.

“I will do everything for the success. My aim is to have a lot of parties at the end of the season in Kiel. I received a warm welcome in the new team,” said Filip Jicha. Börge Lund has the same opinion: “Everything is brilliant, it could not be better.”

Team captain, Stefan Lövgren, is “hungry” for the start of the season: “We are eager to start and we want to be as successful as last year. We have very good new players; new life has been breathed into the team.”

The first possible title for THW will be the German Super Cup in Munich. Kiel will play two weeks from now against SG Kronau, the loser of the Cup Final.

Impressive numbers

With fresh money from the league and the EHF Champions League – more than 10,000 season tickets and a good sponsor background – THW could increase the budget by ten percent to 6.5 million Euro.  

“The whole handball in Germany is getting out of the dark into the light,” said Manager Schwenker. He also added that THW Kiel was 55 hours on TV screen last season – including the EHF Champions League. “We reached more than 200 million TV viewers. This is a good number, but we want more next season.”

The team preparing for the Schlecker Cup this weekend has only one problem. The goalkeeper position.

After national keeper, Henning Fritz, left the club and signed for Kronau, THW has only two goalkeepers. Both of them are World class keepers, though: Thierry Omeyer and Mattias Andersson.

“We tried to get another good keeper, but the time was too short,” said Uwe Schwenker. Another problem is German national player, Christian Zeitz, who suffers from a hip-injury and will be out of the team until October.

“The holiday for the players was too short after a long and hard season,” said coach Serdarusic, who wants to be with the team for some more years. “I love this team, there’s nothing compared to them. And now we have the chance to relive the great moments with another triple.”

TEXT: Björn Pazen