"We can´t say that it was the most likeable trip of the year. This was an infernal journey. We met at 7.45 o´clock in Kiel, with destination Hamburg. From there - flight to Madrid and after it we traveled by bus to Ciudad Real. We will train this evening. And tomorrow..."
Tomorrow Niko will meet his pal from Montpellier, Didier Dinart. Not to have a drink. Anyway, not immediately...
Ciudad Real - THW Kiel: the most beautiful confrontation that Champions League could propose us. Does Niko fear the team of his friend? "No, why should we be afraid of Ciudad Real. It is a good, a very good team, even super strong. A squad who has a lot of experience and a lot of...vice. I think especially at the Belorussian Siarhei Rutenka. The referees must watch him a bit closely. Anyway, Ciudad Real means a great defence and attack. But we have also our trump cards. So, I predict...a good match."
The "Kielers" had the good idea to work for their self-confidence before the encounter with Talant Dujshebaev´s players. They beat clearly Nordhorn and this is a positive fact in the fight for the domestic league´s title: "Yes, that win was good for us. We have a difficult away game in Stutgart against Göppingen and I hope that we will have reasons to celebrate after the last match against Wetlzar. We are confident because Flensburg has two hot away disputes, in Magdeburg and Mannheim. I will repeat again, we want to win everything. We have four games: the first and the second leg of the Champions League´s final and two matches in the Bundesliga. Four victories to achieve. Let´s do it!"
And if the players coached by Noka Serdarusic needed a good news before the great clash tomorrow, they got it: Flensburg, their rival for the national title, lost in Magdeburg, 28:32. With two round before the end of the German league, THW has now three points more in the ranking as Flensburg, so they need a victory in the last two games to be for the 14th time in their history German champions.
