In the past four years, two clubs made the German championship title in handball among themselves: 2016 and 2017 were the Rhein-Neckar Löwen at the end of the season at the top of the table, in 2018 and 2019 it was the SG Flensburg Handewitt. It had actually gotten used to a different sight. But serial champion THW Kiel, who won ten out of eleven possible titles from 2005 to 2015, slipped from the role of the hunted to that of the hunter.
This should be over now. In the summer ended in Kiel the era of coach Alfred Gislason, who was responsible for the "Zebras" since 2008. He was followed by Filip Jicha. The Czech, once captain of the Kiel and in 2010 awarded as world handball player, had already worked as assistant coach under Gislason in the previous year and still brought as a player two Champions League title under the leadership of the Icelandic to the fjord. On Saturday, Jicha's team witnessed an evening in the best of times in the premier class: The French top club Montpellier HB achieved an impressive 33:30 (17:16), the fourth victory in nine days.
Confidence thanks to the Champions League
"I am incredibly proud of my team," Jicha said afterwards. The THW is in the heavily occupied Group B with 9: 1 points in first place. The challenging away games against the direct pursuers from Veszprém (Hungary), Skopje (North Macedonia) and now just Montpellier could all be won.
The Kiel had in France a quarter of an hour before the end still 22:25 lagged behind (45th). Jicha responded by bringing Danish World Champion goalkeeper Niklas Landin - and watched his team as it turned the game. "I'm happy and proud of how my team came back in the second half," Jicha said, praising, "The team spirit is extraordinary." Back space player Lukas Nilsson agreed with his coach: "We have an incredibly good feeling within the team after winning the Champions League," said the 22-year-old Swede, who was Kiel's best thrower with eleven goals.
GUILLAUME HORCAJUELO / EPA-EFE / REX
Lukas Nilsson towered over Montpellier as scorer
The THW had to watch the Champions League in the previous year. Now, the march beckons: In a group victory Kiel would skip the round of 16, would qualify directly for the quarter-finals and would have the home right there in the second leg.
Also nationally it runs around again for the Kieler. The quarter-finals are reached in the cup. In the league is the fourth place to explain that there are still two catch-up games. If the THW win this, he would also be on top in the Bundesliga.
