25.06.2019, 11:00
Bietigheim celebrate after closest Bundesliga season ever

STORY OF THE SEASON - GERMANY: SG BBM take the title thanks to a better goal difference, but rivals THC hit back in the cup competition

Bietigheim celebrate after closest Bundesliga season ever

Winning 25 of the 26 matches in a season is usually more than enough to finish top of a table, regardless the league or competition.

For Thüringer HC, however, it was not.

The 2018 champions missed their eighth title in 10 years in the closest possible way. Like in the 2016/17 season, SG BBM Bietigheim raised the champions’ plate after the most thrilling finish the German Bundesliga has ever seen.

Bietigheim, led by Danish head coach Martin Albertsen, finished level with THC on 50 points. Both teams won all matches against the other teams, and won the home game against their main rivals.

In the end the goal difference was decisive, and Bietigheim was +29 ahead of THC in this regard. Third-ranked side TuS Metzingen were 10 points behind in the final standings.



The season wasn’t over yet, however. THC grabbed their second chance to win a trophy after another thriller in the cup final.

Bietigheim led by five goals (23:18) with 11 minutes left to play and seemed on their way to the club’s first cup victory, but failed to score another goal until the final buzzer.

THC levelled the score in the last minute before a buzzer-beater from Emily Bölk gave them their third cup win, after earlier triumphs in 2011 and 2013.

TEXT: Björn Pazen / ew