The three brothers of Bregenz
The Austrian team of A1 Bregenz are in this season "strange foreigners" in the Champions League: first of all, they have no real coach as Zdravko Medic a player is also coach of the team. Secondly, Bregenz are the only team in the Champions League, that plays with three brothers. Matthias, Gregor and Philipp Günther want to gain some victories with Bregenz in the top class of European handball.
This summer, the three Günther brothers reunited. But the careers of Matthias, Gregor and Philipp Günther took difficult ways to this point. However, they show many similarities as well: they all played in the youth team of A1 Bregenz and all three of them made it to the Austrian national team.
Matthias, is the oldest. In Bregenz he was able to get a place in the first seven and made his way to the Austrian national team. In 2002, he went to Schwerin to play in the second division of Germany. After a knee injury he left the team in 2004 that gained promotion to the first division. But that year he changed and played the following three years in Switzerland's TSV St. Otmar St. Gallen. This summer, Matthias, his wife Birgit and their son Matteo came back to Bregenz, to the roots of his handball career.
Gregor is in the middle of the trio, but with two metres he is the tallest of the three brothers. He played his whole life only for Bregenz. After the youth team, he played in the Under 21 junior team and because of his qualities in the defence he found his place in the first team as well. He has been the captain of the team in the last 3 years. He also played 47 European Cup matches for Bregenz - only missed three.
Philipp, is the youngest of the brothers, but with 1,98m, he is not a small one at all. In Bregenz, he was for a long time only a bench player, but in the last season he exploded. After a long time in the playmaker position, he plays now on the wing and he showed such an impressing performance that he was already called up for the Austrian national team. After good matches in the preparation period, he also showed very good performance in the first matches of the Austrian League.
Apart from the A1 Bregenz managers, the parents, Brigitte and Heribert Günther, are especially happy. Their three brothers are now playing in one team. So they have only a short way to the matches of their sons.
TEXT: Sebastian Manhart
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