17.05.2015, 08:00
Individual trophies for Mahe, Heinevetter and Skube

NEWS FEATURE: French HSV playmaker awarded Most Valuable Player of the EHF Cup Finals

Individual trophies for Mahe, Heinevetter and Skube

In February he became World Champion with France, on Sunday Kentin Mahe narrowly missed his next title at the EHF Cup Finals. Although his team HSV Hamburg lost the final 27:30 against hosts Füchse Berlin, the playmaker was awarded Most Valuable player of the event and not only because of the ten goals the 23-year-old scored in the final.

“It was a tough match for us, and the turning points definitely were the injury of Davor Dominikovic and the early suspensions against Alexandru Simicu. Though we had some great moments in the second half, we could not turn the match around,” Mahe said, adding: “It is only a little joy to get this award, when you were close to winning a trophy.”

Mahe’s opponent Silvio Heinevetter was awarded best goalkeeper of the 2015 EHF Cup Finals. “I cannot find any words after this match and for this trophy. It was simply brilliant, simply incredible,” the Füchse goalkeeper said, who won his second EHF Cup trophy after 2007 with SC Magdeburg, adding: “We will definitely have a party all-night long, maybe longer.”

Players of Slovenian clubs are famous for finishing among the top scorers of international competitions: Like Siarhei Rutenka, twice top scorer of the EHF Champions League, or Gasper Marguc (both Celje), who was long time best shooter in the 2013/14 Champions League season.

On Sunday Stas Skube took the trophy for the best scorer of the EHF Cup. The small “magician” netted 81 times in this season to clearly top the ranking. At the EHF Cup Finals in Berlin he added six goals to his tally in the semi against Berlin and the placement match against Skjern. “It is nice to be the number one, but without the support of my teammates it would not have been possible,” he says, remaining humble.

And Skube, brother of Celje’s Champions League player Sebastian Skube, was impressed by his first appearance at the EHF Cup Finals: “This experience and atmosphere was simply amazing.”

TEXT: Björn Pazen / cor