27.09.2007, 02:43
The week of CL favourites in Flensburg

Flensburg will host Ciudad Real in Group G. The match at 20.15 on Eurosport Germany will be a highlight of Round 1.

The week of CL favourites in Flensburg

Ciudad Real arrived to their base in Flensburg on Wednesday evening. The name of the hotel is “Historic Jug”.

The Champions League match Thursday evening (Campushalle, 20.15hrs) can also be “Historic”. SG Flensburg-Handewitt will meet the strong club of La Mancha for the fourth time. The German side won in 1999 in the City Cup Final, while Ciudad Real took the Cup Winners’ Cup in 2002.

In 2006, the Spanish side won both semi-final matches against Flensburg to win the CL later in the final.

The team of Schleswig-Holstein Region had a great incentive at the beginning of the weak. After winning the derby, 37:32 against THW Kiel, one could sense the self-confidence of the team.

Enthusiastic hosts

“The training went down very well in a good,” says a satisfied coach, Kent-Harry Andersson. “However, I told the players that they have to stay on the ground.”

On Monday Blazenko Lackovic and Frank von Behren returned to work after long injuries. This was their first training with the team for a long time. “It was important for both,” says the coach. “Anyway, it is not possible for them to play against Ciudad Real.”

They could comeback in the Bundesliga against TBV Lemgo (3 October) or in Drammen (6 October).

Kent-Harry Andersson focuses his attention on the video analysis of the Ciudad Real backcourt (“Rutenka, Metlicic, Rodriguez, Stefansson, Zorman or Entrerrios – you don’t often see so many world class players at once”) and on the 5:1 defence with their two left wingers (Davis, Källmann) in the advanced position and Didier Dinart in the middle (“the best defensive player in the world”).

Kent-Harry Andersson knows it well: “We must perform on a similar level than we did against THW Kiel. Ciudad Real are the other favourites with THW to win the Champions League.”

Ciudad also in form

Ciudad Real showed last Saturday that they are one the favourites to win every title. They played convincingly and won in the Spanish league against Teucro.

However, Talant Djushebaev cannot count on Rolando Urios Fonseca. The Spanish pivot is recovering from a knee injury, but Torsten Laen will replace him. The pivot was one of the best players of Ciudad Real in the Spanish Super Cup and made a really good performance in the two first rounds of Asobal League. Laen had some minor physical problems last weekend, but he will be ready to play.

Pajovic not eligible

Pajovic cannot play for Ciudad Real in the Champions League, because he is not eligible to play in the Spanish national league. The EHF Champions League playing eligibility is linked to the playing eligibility of the players in their national league.

The match will be played at 20.15, Eurosport German and the Spanish Teledeportes will broadcast the game live.

TEXT: Jan Kirschner and Fernando Urra Goñi