After a good eleven years of absence, the Füchse Berlin are celebrating their comeback in the handball Champions League on Thursday. “We have a good feeling, are ready for this task and are looking forward to the atmosphere. This is something special,” said Danish Olympic champion Lasse Andersson. To kick things off, the Berliners will host the ambitious Hungarian champions Veszprém HC (8.45 p.m./Dyn).
The anticipation is great and the Berliners don’t want to hear about nervousness. “You have to be there from the start. But that comes naturally when you come into the hall and the anthem is played. Then the energy comes naturally,” said Andersson, who has already played in the premier league with FC Barcelona and Kolding IF in his career. Not many Füchse players can say that about themselves.
Bad defeat in preparation
Nevertheless, the issue of experience is of secondary importance for coach Jaron Siewert. “Veszprém may have it in the Champions League, but they don’t have the everyday competition that we have in the Bundesliga. For us, every game is a game for everything. In terms of competitiveness, German teams have a competitive advantage,” he said.
Just two and a half weeks ago, the Füchse met Veszprém in a test tournament in Halle (Westphalia). The Hungarians dismantled the Berlin team and won 41:32. “Perhaps they are underestimating us now and think we can do it easily again,” said Siewert. The test match is of no significance to him anyway. “We know what to expect,” he added.
Belief in progress
After winning the national Supercup and the successful start to the Bundesliga, the Füchse are going into the game with confidence. “We are not afraid. Because in the end it is just a handball game. There is no need to be nervous. There are also many top games in the Bundesliga,” said Andersson.
Other opponents of the Berlin team in the group are Paris St. Germain, Sporting Lisbon, Dinamo Bucharest, Wisla Plock (Poland), Fredericia Håndbold (Denmark) and HC Eurofarm Pelister (North Macedonia). “We have a good group and many opportunities,” said world handball player Mathias Gidsel.
In their first Champions League appearance in the 2011/12 season, the Füchse made it straight to the Final Four. “And we have that chance this time too, if everyone stays healthy,” Gidsel predicted confidently.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240911-930-229249/1
This is a message directly from the dpa news channel.
