THW Kiel win IHF Super Globe

After having won the IHF Super Globe titles 2007 and 2010, Renovalia Ciudad Real missed the hattrick this year. In a thrilling final filled with emotions the Spanish team lost in the final to THW Kiel (GER).

The IHF Super Globe in Doha (Qatar), also called official World Championship for club teams, came to an end Wednesday night. VELUX EHF FINAL4 participants missed their chance for a historic hattrick after having won the Super Globe in 2007 and 2010.

The Spaniards lost the final to THW Kiel. It was the first ever title in this competition for the German reigning VELUX EHF Champions League winners.

Both teams showed no mercy in the earlier stages of the tournament with three victories each in the Preliminary Round – despite the fact that the three Arabic teams from Qatar and Lebanon had recruited a huge number of European top players from the clubs MKB Veszprém (HUN), RK Pivovarna Lasko Celje (SLO), RK Croatia Osiguranje Zagreb (CRO) and Cuatro Rayas Valladolid (ESP) for the Super Globe.

The match in the sold-out Gharaffa hall in Qatar’s capitol was an impressive clash of the European top teams. It was tough, emotional, full of tension and close to the edge for 60 minutes.

And it was a game of two completely different halftimes. Renovalia Ciudad Real was clearly dominant before the break and led well-deserved with a four goal margin. Kiel was weak in attack and had to thank their outstanding goalkeeper Thierry Omeyer, who saved ten shots before the break.

Despite his world class performance Renovalia Ciudad Real was strong from the wing positions and their goalkeeper Arpad Sterbik also saved brilliant.

But the match changed totally after the break, Kiel improved both in attack and defence. It took them only seven minutes, to turn the game from 10:15 to 17:15.

After Kiel’s top player Filip Jicha was sent off with a red card, the Spaniards managed to equalize again, but Kiel kept calm as the emotions became hot like the desert.

It was Frenchman Omeyer again, who saved the title for Kiel in the final stage. Thanks to his in total 17 saves he was also awarded "best goalkeeper of the tournament" and gave Kiel the IHF Super Globe title.

Meanwhile Renovalia Ciudad Real are aiming for their fourth title in then VELUX EHF Champions League in Cologne.

The La Mancha team’s coach Talant Dujshebaev was totally upset after the defeat, but when leaving to the airport he had found his calm again: "The 0:7 series right after the break broke our neck. But losing this final in Doha will have no negative effect on our VELUX EHF FINAL4 campaign in Cologne. From the moment we have returned to Spain we will fully concentrate on this next target and start an intense preparation period."

Dujshebaev also mentioned after the desert trip to Doha: "No player was injured, we can start with our full squad in Cologne."

In the semi-final of the VELUX EHF Champions League, Renovalia Ciudad Real will face another German top team, HSV Hamburg.

IHF Super Globe 2011, Final
THW Kiel (GER) vs. Renovalia Ciudad Real (ESP) 28:25 (10:14)