02.03.2021, 10:00
Wolff gunning for top spot against old rivals

INTERVIEW: Before Thursday’s Match of the Week, Kielce’s German goalkeeper Andreas Wolff talks about a special rivalry

The final Match of the Week in the group phase of the EHF Champions League is a top of the table clash in group A, which will decide whether Lomza Vive Kielce or SG Flensburg-Handewitt (both on 19 points) will finish on top. Flensburg won the first encounter 31:30 and now Kielce are out for revenge.

One player of the Polish champions has a special relation to Flensburg: former Kiel goalkeeper Andreas Wolff, the number one for the German national team. On Wednesday he will turn 30 and hopes to celebrate on Thursday (20:45 CET) with a victory over his old rivals and the 2014 champions.

In this exclusive interview with eurohandball.com, the EHF EURO 2016 hero talks about his calculations on the path to Cologne, the special rivalry with Flensburg when he played at Kiel and Kielce’s home strengths, even without fans in the arena.

eurohandball.com: You can finish on top of the group, is it more important from a sporting or psychological point of view?
Andreas Wolff: In this case, it is more important for the sporting situation because we want to avoid an early match against one of the heavyweights of the Champions League. And to finish first in this group would be the best way to do so.

eurohandball.com: Did you already have a look upon the potential opponents on the way to Cologne?
Andreas Wolff: We did some math and thought about, which teams could be our potential opponents in the next rounds, but at the moment it is too confusing and too depending on the results of both groups. The only thing we are aware of is being first in the group is the best thing to focus on.

If we finish first, we play against Zagreb, on paper, the easiest opponent in the Champions League. Afterwards, if the tables remain as they are right now, we would play Aalborg or Brest in the quarter-finals, which would be much more comfortable opponents compared to teams such as Kiel, Barcelona or Veszprém.

eurohandball.com: Six victories from six home matches - what makes Kielce play so strong on home ground, even without the fan support?
Andreas Wolff: Indeed, usually our fans are a good base for home victories, but in this year, the situation is special for every team. The tough schedule makes every trip extra-ordinarily exhausting for every team.

In leagues like Hungary or Poland, the competition is usually not as demanding, but this season you play on Tuesday in Paris and on Thursday in Szeged, so we had four matches in seven days. And those trips are more exhausting than they usually are. Besides that, we have a better feeling and fighting spirit at home in our hall and this is a reason for our results on home ground.

eurohandball.com: Last week you lost by eleven at Paris and won by four at Szeged - which is Kielce’s real face?
Andreas Wolff: I think our real face was the victory by four goals in Szeged. What we had shown at Paris was far, far away from our highest potential. This was the worst game since I arrived at Kielce and it even felt like it was Kielce’s worst game in several years.

eurohandball.com: You have never made it to Cologne with Kiel - how close are you with Kielce now?
Andreas Wolff: Actually, I am one step behind, as with Kiel I made it to the quarter-finals twice, but we lost against Vardar and Barcelona. That is why I know how difficult it is to beat such top opponents in the quarter-finals. This is one reason, why I want to avoid those heavyweights at all costs and take, on paper, the easiest route towards Cologne.

eurohandball.com: As a former Kiel player, the duels against Flensburg had always been the highlights of the season - is it still the same anticipation with Kielce?
Andreas Wolff: Of course, there is still some rivalry left inside of me, it is a special game when you are a former Kiel player. It is similar for every Kielce player feeling the rivalry with Plock, for me it is the same with Flensburg. And as a German playing abroad it is special to play against a German team that you have faced more often than any other team in the Champions League. So yes, it is a special match for me.

eurohandball.com: The same with facing Kiel?
Andreas Wolff: It is a different, equally special, but it is difficult to compare. One is more about memories, the other is more about the rivalry.

eurohandball.com: When you compare both squads, is there a favourite in Match of the Week?
Andreas Wolff: No, the table shows that both teams are very, very strong, proven by the first game in Flensburg. Both teams are neck and neck, the better form on the day will decide the winner. In general, both teams have really strong squads.

eurohandball.com: You played with Flensburg’s line player Johannes Golla in the German national team at the World Championship Egypt in January, when Germany missed the quarter-finals. Are you still a bit disappointed or already looking ahead to the Olympic qualification next week in Berlin?
Andreas Wolff: The World Championship is about to be processed, we have to look to the future and the Olympic qualification tournament. Today the German squad list was unveiled, we have a different team now. Each day brings a new chance and we should try to catch this one.

TEXT: EHF / Björn Pazen