Kiel’s Niklas Landin parried several balls that seemed untenable this season – and thus prevented the big shot from the competition.
Photo: imago/Claus Bergmann
Once again the mouths of the spectators in the Kiel Arena were wide open. “How did he save that shot, please?” seemed to say the eyes, which were all focused on Niklas Landin. The THW Kiel goalkeeper saved 15 balls in his last home game, including several that actually seemed untenable.
The 34-year-old, two-time world handball player, will leave the Zebras in the summer after eight years in Kiel for Aalborg. On the Förde they said goodbye to the likeable Dane and his family with standing ovations when the final siren sounded after the 38:23 in the last home game of the season against HSG Wetzlar. On Sunday, Landin and colleagues came back to the end-of-season party with the championship trophy. The 34:27 victory in the last game of the season at Frisch Auf! Göppingen secured the title for Kiel. Unlike usual, the 23rd championship of the THW was not celebrated in front of the town hall. Because the International Market of the Kiel Week is being set up there, the handball fans gathered in the arena.
The unusual championship celebration marks the end of a title race that was more exciting than ever in the Handball Bundesliga. After Kiel and Flensburg had fought for the championship for years, there was a three-way battle between THW, SC Magdeburg and the foxes from Berlin. “The quality of the top teams has already increased significantly in the squad,” said ex-national player Martin Strobel on Deutschlandfunk. The record champions from the Hassee-Winterbek gymnastics club were only able to put themselves in a good starting position at the end of March with the impressive 36:29 home win against Berlin. Foxes coach Jaron Siewert then said in the press conference: “I’m not the first nor the last coach to sit here and say: We failed because of Niklas Landin.” When it came down to it, the 2.01 meters were long Keeper and the Kiel field players are there.
Coach Filip Jicha had complained about the lack of efficiency in the attacking game in the previous games. The dreaded THW offensive threw far too inaccurately, with the 31:34 defeat against SC DHfK Leipzig marking the low point. The conductor of the Kieler Spiel, Miha Zarabec, then revealed to the »Kieler Nachrichten«: »To become champions, we have to show everything. We sat down after Leipzig, talked, and now I can see in every training session that we show everything.”
Last year’s champions SC Magdeburg had an outstanding season despite not being able to defend their title, with the highlight yet to come next week in the Champions League final tournament in Cologne. Coach Bennet Wiegert’s team was able to beat Wisła Płock 30:28 in the second leg of the quarter-finals with an energetic performance and made it into the final tournament for the first time, the winner of which receives a prize money of one million euros. With the income from the Champions League, Magdeburg can close the gap to industry leader Kiel (budget 13.5 million euros).
The Berlin Foxes didn’t win the championship at the end of May, but they did celebrate a league record. When Hans Lindberg threw his 2906th Bundesliga goal, the game against GWD Minden was briefly interrupted to honor the 41-year-old oldie in a young team. After some back and forth, the Berliners have extended the contract with the Dane for another year, so that »handsome Hans« can continue to build on his record. At the start of the season, the unequal management duo of sports director Stefan Kretzschmar and managing director Bob Hanning succeeded in bringing one of the most sought-after handball players in Europe to the capital with Danish backcourt player Mathias Gidsel. Hanning not only talks about promoting young talent, but also trains the second division team of 1. VfL Potsdam on a part-time basis in order to introduce young talent to the Bundesliga.
Trainers from the far north continue to ensure innovations on the sidelines in the league. Guðjón Valur Sigurðsson easily managed to stay up in the league with promoted team VfL Gummersbach. The 43-year-old Icelander was voted “Trainer of the Year” in the annual voting of the managing directors and coaches.
