Barça wins its 12th consecutive Handball League

Barcelona won its 12th consecutive Handball League in Pamplona after defeating Anaitasuna 34-35, a minimal victory that ultimately sums up the situation in which the Barça team coached by Carlos Ortega finds itself.

It has lost economic and sporting potential, and therefore its victories are more expensive, and yet it maintains its power and hegemony in the Spanish competition while waiting for the Champions League.

Barcelona's reliability in the League is indisputable and at the first opportunity they sang the alirón, when there are still five games left to finish the tournament, despite the fact that their match against Anaitasuna started very badly.

The scoreboard indicated a 5-2 when Ortega requested time-out and corrected his players, who came back from the hand of Aleix Gómez (11 goals) until 12-18.

From then on, Barça managed their advantage until 34-35.

Barça has only lost two points during the season and curiously they were due to improper alignment by Ben Ali in the match against Torrelavega —it was a match postponed prior to his signing—.

The team's trajectory has been unequivocal if one takes into account that the Copa del Rey, the Spanish Super Cup and the Catalan Super Cup must be added to the League title, while the Asobal Cup has been postponed —surely until June—.

The novelty is that this is the first title won by Ortega as coach in the League after the six he achieved as a player and another three won in Hungary from 2013 to 2015. The Catalans will now face the quarterfinals on May 11 and 19 Champions League final against Flensburg, the previous step for the Final Four on June 18 and 19 in Cologne.

The Barça challenge is to defend the title won with Xavi Pascual and David Barrufet.

The Barça club, in any case, has already started planning for next season after adding its 29th League title.

The intention is to close the signings of the Swedish Wanne (Flesnsbrug) and Carlsbogard (Lemgo) and the Danish goalkeeper Nielssen (Nantes), who would replace Ángel Fernández, Benali and Leo Maciel.

You can follow EL PAÍS Deportes on