Dass Filip Jicha is so closely connected to Kiel and the THW, as he claims, could also be related to the events of summer 2015. At that time Jicha asked the Kielers to sell him because he would earn more money at FC Barcelona. Money that he needed to replace lazy real estate deals from his time at TBV Lemgo. At that time, many handball professionals fell for windy advisors. The THW gave in, took a transfer – and fell behind the Rhein-Neckar Löwen and the SG Flensburg-Handewitt despite a budget that was almost twice as high. Also because a leader was now missing.
As a hero like Wislander, Lövgren or Ahlm, Jicha did not leave the fjord because of this. Later, when Jicha’s playing career ended, the reaction in Kiel was pragmatic, not resentful, and made him Alfred Gislason’s assistant in the summer of 2018. And now, in his second year as head coach, Jicha is about to achieve something historic: If Kiel wins both games this Monday and Tuesday at the Champions League finals in Cologne, the 38-year-old Czech would be the first handball player, the most important Won the club trophy as a player and coach. Even the last fan would have forgiven him for the controversial departure to Spain.
Highest goals as a trainer
As a player, Filip Jicha went through the wall, risking his health for the THW, which is why nobody should blame him for the body-friendly move to Barcelona, he argued at the time. As a coach, he has the highest goals – which, measured by trophies, he can strangely achieve all in the sprawling 2019/20 season: THW became German champions when the Bundesliga season ended in June. The cup finals of the 2019/20 series should be rescheduled for next June.
Kiel is there. And the Champions League, which will now be decided at the end of December, is also that of the previous season: Postponed twice, the European Association decided to skip the eighth and quarter-finals and to send the group winners of both seasons to Cologne. Shortened route, no fans: This is how titles are awarded in the pandemic. Now Jichas Sieben will play against Veszprem this Monday (8.30 p.m. at Eurosport1). Before that, Barcelona and Paris compete. It is hard to imagine a more decorative field.
In the long group stage of the 2019/20 season, the Kielers showed exciting games. That was completely different in the league recently. Jicha has counted his team for serious bankruptcies. There were puzzling dropouts, at home and abroad. Sometimes there was a lack of strength, sometimes it was the attitude. And the question arose whether the ambitious young coach was touching his players too hard. It wouldn’t be uncommon for a novice to start tight before having a little more wisdom to let go, because he realizes that it works too.
A privilege
You can tell Jicha that the coaching job demands everything from him, especially in these times. He doesn’t want to call that pressure. It is a privilege to be able to train the THW. However, he has created inner spacers, appears distant, as if there is a public and a private Jicha – it may be that he copied this from his predecessors Noka Serdarusic and Alfred Gislason. Both were smarter and more cordial in personal conversations than in the general appearance. Jicha reported a couple of times how much he was affected by the ongoing exceptional situation “Corona” – he is a family man with needs and worries, not just the head coach of the THW. And he is also worried about what will become of his beloved handball.
In Cologne, his team appears weakened due to the corona; Of the missing, only Domagoj Duvnjak is really missing. It was not surprising, however, if the Croatian should be involved for a few minutes, as in the convincing win against the Lions on the day before Christmas Eve. The Kiel squad is broad enough to keep up: Goalkeeper Landin, playmaker Sagosen and the defense chiefs Pekeler and Wiencek also want to win the Champions League for the first time. Let’s see what situational coaching Filip Jicha brings to achieve something historical. In any case, he does not lack the self-confidence to be able to survive in this dazzling field.
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