THW KIEL (Germany) Road to Cologne: The defending champions began the season where they left off, beating Atlético in the opening game, and followed that with two comprehensive wins. A 31:30 defeat against Veszprém, followed by another defeat against Celje left many questioning whether Kiel were capable of retaining their title. However, they stormed back into form, winning each of their remaining games and defeating eventual group winners Veszprém by 11 Club Address: goals. In the Last 16 they suffered another defeat at THW Kiel Chekhov, but won the home re-match in a very Ziegelteich 30 convincing fashion. In the quarter-final against 24103 Kiel, Germany Veszprém they were on the brink of elimination when trailing by six goals at home in the first leg, but they Colours of uniform: light dark rallied to win by one goal and withstood the pressure Player shirt: white black of the Hungarian champions in the second leg as well. Player short white black Goalkeeper shirt red orange Top scorers: Marko Vujin 64, Filip Jícha 59, Momir Ilić 49 Contact numbers: Tel. +49-170-4021775 Current situation in the domestic league (as of 1 June Fax. +49-431-6703930 2013): They have already clinched their 18th Email: [email protected] bundesliga title and they are Leading the Bundesliga seven points ahead of SG Flensburg-Handewitt and Media contact: Rhein Neckar Löwen two rounds before the end. After Christian Robohm, +49 1635306300 32 rounds they have 28 wins, 1 draw and three losses [email protected] (at home against Melsungen, at Flensburg and at Göppingen). Kiel also won the German Cup. Online: Club website: www.thw-provinzial.de Notes: … the most successful attack in the group Twitter: @thw_handball phase with 329 goals (eight ahead of Barcelona) … like Facebook: thwhandball Veszprém – remained unbeaten at home …. Thierry ehfCL.com Omeyer, Marcus Ahlm, Daniel Narcisse and as just announced Momir Ilić too will all leave the team after Club achievements: this season ... Kiel are the first defending champions EHF Champions League: in history of VELUX EHF FINAL4 who made it back one Participation (incl. 2012/13 season): 16 year after their triumph ... in 18 matches against Winner (3): 2007, 2010, 2012 German teams in the EC only two teams managed to Final (3): 2000, 2008, 2009 beat Kiel – Flensburg (twice) and Rhein Neckar Löwen Semi-final (2): 1997, 2001 ... they won seven matches against Hamburg in a row Quarter-final (5): 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2011 in domestic competitions Group Phase (2): 1995, 1996 EHF Cup: 3 titles: 1998, 2002, 2004 German champions: 18 titles: (1957, 1962, 1963, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 , 2012, 2013) German Cup winners: 9 titles Player list THW KIEL No. First Name Family Name Nat. Position Date of Birth Weight Height Goals 41 Marko Vujin SRB Right back 07.12.1984 100 200 64 39 Filip Jícha CZE Left back 19.04.1982 105 201 59 31 Momir Ilić SRB Left back 22.12.1981 104 200 49 18 Niclas Ekberg SWE Right wing 23.12.1988 86 191 41 9 Guðjón Valur Sigurðsson ISL Left wing 08.08.1979 82 187 39 11 Christian Sprenger GER Right wing 06.04.1983 90 190 37 25 Daniel Narcisse FRA Centre back 16.12.1979 92 189 35 20 Christian Zeitz GER Right back 18.11.1980 95 186 28 24 Aron Pálmarsson ISL Centre back 19.07.1990 100 193 27 33 Dominik Klein GER Left wing 16.12.1983 85 190 26 13 Marcus Ahlm SWE Line player 07.07.1978 106 200 21 7 Rene Toft Hansen DEN Line player 01.11.1984 103 200 19 17 Patrick Wiencek GER Line player 22.03.1989 110 200 10 12 Andreas Palicka SWE Goalkeeper 10.07.1986 88 189 1 Thierry Omeyer FRA Goalkeeper 02.11.1976 92 191 Coach profile Alfred Gislason The Icelander (53) is the only current coach, who has won the CL with two different clubs - in 2002 with SC Magdeburg and in 2010 and 2012 with THW Kiel. His current team has become four-time German champions, three-time German cup winners, four-time German supercup winner, two-time EHF Trophy winners, collected an EHF Cup along with an IHF Super Globe title. In his active career Gislason played 190 matches for Iceland and became German champion twice with Essen. Player profiles Goalkeepers Thierry Omeyer: Andreas Palicka: No current player of all CL Standing in the shadow of clubs has collected more mighty Thierry Omeyer titles than the French did not keep Palicka from goalkeeper: three times extending his contract world champion, twice with Kiel until the summer Olympic champion, two times of 2014, with the option EHF EURO champion, four for another year. With times CL champion, world Omeyer returning home handball player of the year to Montpellier after this and nearly 20 domestic titles are on Omeyer’s tally. season, the future will undoubtedly bring more His reflexes between the sticks make him the first time on the court for Palicka, who has been with choice for the national team and THW Kiel – and he the north Germans for five years already, and who likes the ‘big matches’. can look forward to sharing the time in the Kiel goal with his team-mate in the Swedish national team, Johan Sjöstrand who will be joining from Aalborg this summer. Left wings Guðjón Valur Dominik Klein: Sigurðsson: Married with Isabel Klein, After only one year away team captain of the from the Bundesliga – the German women’s national 2011/12 season was spent in team and player for AG København – Sigurdsson Champions League returned to Germany again participant Buxtehude, last summer. This time the Dominik (29) is part of a former Tusem Essen, VfL big handball family, which Gummersbach and Rhein- includes his brother Neckar Löwen player is representing Kiel, where this Marcel, who is head of marketing at THW Kiel. fast and elegant winger really seems to have got the Left wing Klein arrived at THW in 2006 after he joy of playing handball back. With his enormous played for Großwallstadt and Wallau- experience from top handball and his equally big Massenheim. In 2007 he became world champion talent, Sigurdsson is a real key player for Kiel as well with Germany in his first major tournament. His as for Iceland. biggest successes at club level were the three EHF Champions League titles six German championships and six cup trophies. Alongside his work on the handball court, Klein is an ambassador for several social and charity organisations. Left backs Filip Jícha: Momir Ilić: The left and centre back was He joined the German the first Czech player ever to club in 2009 from Vfl be world handball player of Gummersbach and won the year. Jicha – two times CL two VELUX EHF winner in 2010 and 2012 – Champions League titles was twice top scorer of this since then. Ilić will have competition, too. He is a wanted to end his tenure danger to all defence sides at THW Kiel with another with his one-against-one triumph, leaving action and his tough shots, but he is also a strong Germany at the end of the season for Veszprém. defence player. Jícha is the only active VELUX EHF FINAL4 participant who made it to the Ultimate Selection from the 20 years of the EHF Champions League. Centre backs Daniel Narcisse: Aron Palmarsson: He is only 33 years old, but Despite his young age, Daniel Narcisse might well this versatile and go down as one of the tactically as well as most crowned French technically skilled handball players. From La playmaker has actually Reunion, his jump and been with Kiel for four speed abilities are known years now. In competition by all specialists. His World with so many world class Player of the Year 2012 right handed backcourt award seems to be a right reward for a player who's players, as Kiel coach Alfred Gislason has to won two Olympic medals, two world championships choose among, match practice was a bit scarce for and two EHF EUROs in the last decade. This Palmarsson in his first years in Germany. versatile back player has also played in some of the However, he held out and when players like Danie most famous clubs in the world (Gummersbach, Narcisse and Momir Ilic leave after this season, Chambéry) and he's been sporting Kiel's colours for Palmarsson´s time will come, just as it has long three seasons now, where he has won two VELUX ago in the Icelandic national team. EHF Champions League titles in 2010 and 2012. Before leaving for Paris next season, he would like to add a third title to his collection. Line players Markus Ahlm René Toft Hansen: The THW team captain is He is even better in the playing his last season in Kiel central defence than on after winning the CL three the line in the attack. He times. The Swedish line is a regular in the VELUX player is the core of the EHF Champions League THW defence and has been as well as in the Danish a constant threat from the national team. He is six metre line for more than actually more familiar a decade. He joined THW in with the club 2003 after spells at four competition, where he has been playing every clubs in his motherland and since then he gathered year since 2007. First with KIF Kolding, then with three CL titles, eight German league trophies or IHF AG København and from this season with THW Superglobe.