Nfter the penultimate stage on the way to the championship, the world star jumped with his colleagues like a small child across the floor of the Kiel Arena and cheered with the fans. That fit, after all, the euphoric audience in the state capital was the main reason for Sander Sagosen in summer 2020 to turn his back on Paris Saint-Germain in order to hire the German industry leader THW.
“Coming here was like fulfilling a childhood dream. When I was a little boy, I always watched the THW on TV and thought that I wanted to play there too,” said Norwegian WELT AM SONNTAG: “As a handball player, you can’t play in a better home arena than the one in Kiel. Always sold out, always great to walk in there. I get goosebumps just talking about it. It was a dream to experience all that.”
On Wednesday evening, the exceptional handball player was granted this feeling of happiness for the last time. At 38:23 (19:10) over HSG Wetzlar, Sagosen not only contributed seven goals to the important victory, it was also his personal farewell to the 10,285 visitors in the hall. Like the Danish world-class goalkeeper Niklas Landin and game designer Miha Zarabec (Slovenia), the 27-year-old was also officially dismissed. Although the THW has to play again this season, the game takes place on Sunday (3.30 p.m.) away in Göppingen. The grand finale will follow there: winning the championship.
The chances of triumphing in the strongest league in the world are more than good. THW leads the table with 57:9 points and a goal difference of +174 in front of SC Magdeburg, who after the 31:27 (20:13) victory over Stuttgart on Thursday evening have 55:11 points and a goal difference of +137 comes. The possibility that the champions of 2022 could still overtake the Kielers is only theoretical before the SC’s simultaneous appearance on Sunday in Wetzlar.
“The perfect ending”
Despite the favorable starting position, Sagosen is still highly concentrated until the end – just as it suits his nature. “I really enjoyed my time at THW, saying goodbye is very special. But I’m trying to hide everything and stay professional until the end,” said the backcourt player. “We still have a big task ahead of us, only then can I really say goodbye here. The championship would be the perfect conclusion for me, Miha and also for Niklas.”
Throwing power paired with playfulness and defensive strength: Sander Sagosen (M.). His departure not only hurts Kiel
Those: picture alliance / DPPI media
It is unusual for Sagosen to say goodbye to THW in his prime as an athlete. The plans of the Kielers actually consisted of setting up the team for the next milestones around the equally accurate and playful player. But after three years at THW, Sagosen returns to his home country in the summer and joins Kolstad IL there. Thanks to the support of financially strong investors, the club near its birthplace Trondheim has already brought in other stars such as the Norwegian national goalkeeper Torbjörn Bergerud and wants to become a figurehead in European handball in the long term.
Factors that also convinced Sagosen of a transfer. “I wouldn’t have made the decision to switch so early if it wasn’t something so special. For me as an athlete and as a person, it’s great that I can return to my homeland,” he said. “I was gone for ten years. And Kolstad has ambitious goals, which is why the concept there convinced me. It is not a decision against the THW, but one for my homeland.”
And the argument of many fans and club officials that Sagosen could still stay with THW and then move to Kolstad in a few years could not change the 1.95 meter tall model athlete’s mind. “Perhaps the project in Norway would no longer be so interesting for me if I had waited three more years. Hopefully I still have my best days as a handball player ahead of me and we’re trying to build something big there in Kolstad,” said Sagosen. Perhaps the association could become part of Norway from THW Kiel’s point of view and celebrate similar successes, but that would be difficult: “It was never about the money for me, but about other factors such as my family and returning to my homeland. THW Kiel accepted that in our talks.”
A bit grudgingly, however, as Viktor Szilagyi reveals in an interview: “Of course we fought for him. We didn’t lose him to a classic competitor, it’s a very special project close to his heart. I make no secret of the fact that we would still have liked to extend the contract with him,” explained the Kiel managing director. “We tried to prevent Sanders’ departure by signing Eric Johansson and Karl Wallinius, both of whom we signed earlier than originally planned. In this respect, we feel that we are in a good position. But of course it is a great pity that Sander has decided to leave us.”
Will have to plan without the world star in the future: Managing Director Viktor Szilagyi (left) and trainer Filip Jicha
Source: picture alliance / Eibner press photo
The deference is based above all on the fact that someone like Sagosen is difficult to find again in world handball: he throws powerful, defends well and, in addition to the king’s position in the left backcourt, thanks to his overview and anticipation ability, he can also act as a playmaker in the middle. His 377 goals in 83 Bundesliga games and his smart nature as a strong role model will be missed by THW, who have won 22 titles as the German record champions – despite the commitments of the two Swedes Johansson and Wallinius mentioned by Szilagyi. And the league also loses one of its biggest image bearers in the recent past with Sagosen.
salary waiver
The appreciation is correspondingly high – for his sporting achievements, but also for his gestures away from the handball field. “All in all, he made us better, he’s an absolute role model,” said Szilagyi, “every club wants players like that, personalities like that. Sander gave everything that was in his body to the club. In this respect, I also feel a great deal of gratitude towards him.”
As proof of which exceptional player the club will have to replace in the future, the Kiel managing director told a story from Sagosen’s start-up phase at THW: “When he came to Kiel three years ago, he immediately agreed to a salary cut due to the uncertain situation caused by the pandemic. Although he didn’t have much connection to THW at the time. Nevertheless, he quickly recognized the difficult phase the club was in. That was an incredible leap of faith.”
Like all other players, the world star immediately waived a significant part of his salary. At the end of the season you could only pay back a large part of it. “It is not a given that when you join a club and the first thing you are confronted with is a request for a pay cut, you immediately agree to such a measure. That wasn’t an issue for him at all,” says Szilagyi. “I only have good things to say about him.”
