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Tuesday, December 29, 2020
CL’s coup against FC Barcelona
THW Kiel also wins crown after thriller
THW Kiel wins the European handball crown for the fourth time. Germany’s record champions beat their favorite FC Barcelona in the Champions League final. After a dramatic semi-final, the Bundesliga team doesn’t have to shake to the end this time. In the end, it even becomes clear.
Coach Filip Jicha leapt for joy, his protégés danced exuberantly on the court: after a gala performance, THW Kiel ascended the throne of handball for the fourth time in Europe’s glorious club history and crowned an extraordinary Crown year.
Germany’s record champion won the final of the 2019/20 Champions League season in Cologne against FC Barcelona with 33:28 (19:16) and claimed the premier class title again after 2007, 2010 and 2012. THW’s best pitchers were Niclas Ekberg with eight goals and superstar Sander Sagosen with seven goals.
“It is incredible and very emotional. I am very happy for the guys and for the whole club. It has been a long time since the last win in the Champions League,” said coach Jicha and strong goalkeeper Niklas Landin added: “The whole team he played amazingly. We really wanted to win this title, which worked brilliantly. We’re incredibly proud, but it would have been even better if we could have celebrated with 20,000 fans. ” National player Patrick Wiencek was eager for “a cold beer.” Because the last few weeks have been a show of force for Kiel. “We have done it without much in the last days and weeks.”
Sporting success was sweetened with a € 500,000 victory bonus, which the THW can really use in the financially difficult Corona period. It is a very special triumph for coach Filip Jicha, who has already won the Champions League twice as a player with Kiel.
Early handicap
Just 22 hours after the show of force in the semi-final against Telekom Veszprem, won by 36:35 after extra time, the Kiel team got off to a good start in their 300th Champions League match in club history. . World handball player Niklas Landin was the usual secure support in goal with numerous parades and THW acted very efficiently in attack. The reward was a two-goal lead in ten minutes.
Goals: Ekberg (8), Sagosen (7), Dahmke (5), Weinhold (5), Pekeler (4), Wiencek (2), Reinkind (1), Zarabec (1) for Kiel – Gomez Abello (10), Arino Bengoechea (4), Mem (4), Cindric (3), Fábregas (3), Enterrios Rodríguez (1), Goncalves dos Santos (1), N´guessan (1), Palmarsson (1) for Barcelona.
The only disappointment: at this point, backcourt ace Sagosen had already received two time penalties. For example, Captain Domagoj Duvnjak, who was not yet fully in command after a crown disease, had to work on defense earlier than planned. The Croatian mastered this task reliably as usual. Sagosen made the short breaks in opponent’s possession visibly well. The Norwegian was unstoppable and shone on offense both as a coach and as an executor. So Kiel sat at 13: 9 for the first time with four goals.
Exceptional Landin
However, Barcelona could not be undone. The Spaniards, who had won both duels with THW in the group stage of the current Champions League season, came back with a 3-0 run and three and a half minutes before the break tied at 15:15. The final phase of the first half belonged to the Kielers again, who took a well-deserved lead of three goals into the booth.
After the change, THW remained very focused and was not disturbed by minor setbacks. Halfway through the second half, the lead at 25:20 was five goals for the first time. But then the concentration on the attack lessened a bit. Slight turnovers brought Barcelona back into the game. During this difficult period, it was mainly thanks to Landin that the Catalans did not get any closer to the three goals. The Danish world champion goalkeeper gave his front men the necessary security with a series of brilliant acts. In the hot final phase, Kiel could not be snatched from victory.
