FC Barcelona defend their desert trophy

EHF Champions League record winners FC Barcelona took their first international title of the season on Friday evening.

Team captain Victor Tomas lifted IHF Super Globe trophy, the unofficial world championship for club teams in Doha, Qatar, after an outstanding final performance, beating tournament host Al-Sadd in style by 34:26.

The expected dream final against current VELUX EHF Champions League winners SG Flensburg-Handewitt did not occur, as sensationally the German side let a 19:12 lead slip against Al-Sadd, finally defeated in their semi-final 26:27. Flensburg snatched third position, beating Asian champions El-Jaish (Qatar) 27:17.

Barcelona were the only Super Globe participant to finish the event in the desert with a perfect five wins in six days. Flensburg and the Catalans topped their preliminary round groups, but in contrast to the Champions League winners, the team of head coach Xavi Pascual was fully concentrated for 60 minutes in their semi-final, winning against El-Jaish by 39:29.

“I think no team could beat us here,” Xavi Pascual said after the final. Barcelona continued the series of Spanish Super Globe titles (six trophies in eight events, third straight Spanish win in Doha) and additionally was the first team to defend their title since the IHF Super Globe had been carried out in Doha on an annual basis in 2010. Last year, at their first participation, FC Barcelona had beaten 2013 VELUX EHF Champions League winners HSV Hamburg in the final to take the trophy.

Two of the three newcomers - left wing Gudjon Valur Sigurdsson (arrived from Kiel) and goalkeeper Gonzala Perez de Vargas (back from Toulouse) - already fitted perfectly into the Barca team, while Wael Jallouz (also from Kiel) will still need some time to integrate.

“We are so proud to defend this title, and even as all our results were quite clear it was anything but easy to finish on top again. The rest of the world has improved,” said team captain Victor Tomas.

Match winners for the victors in the final were impressive goalkeeper Danijel Saric and the top scorers Victor Tomas and Siarhei Rutenka (five goals each). On the other hand, Al-Sadd (like in their successful game against Flensburg) underlined their team development, showing moral, character and a great fighting spirit. “This team has really improved to previous years,” Al-Sadd was praised by Claude Onesta, national team coach of the French, who attended the final.

Until the score of 18:17 in favour of the Catalans the match was on the edge, and the Qatari side was close to turn the match around.

However, when Al-Sadd missed several shots against Saric, Barca grabbed the opportunity to increase the margin to five goals for the first time at 23:18, and when former  World Handball Player of the Year, Nikola Karabatic, hammered home for the 27:20 lead twelve minutes from time, the deal was sealed and Al-Sadd were forced to settle for second place.

Like Barcelona, Flensburg left no doubt in the bronze final. Boosted by the saves of goalkeeper Mattias Andersson, they overran El-Jaish in the last 20 minutes of the first half, forging ahead from 7:5 to the already decisive halftime score of 15:6.

“In general we are satisfied with our performances in Doha. In the second half of the semi-final we caused too many mistakes, but in the bronze final we were back on track again. We learnt a lot of things, which need to be changed for the upcoming season,” said Flensburg coach Ljubomir Vranjes.

He and his team do not have to wait that long for the re-match of their 2014 VELUX EHF FINAL4 semi-final clash against Barcelona, as the defending champions and the record winners of the competition face in the group phase of the VELUX EHF Champions League.

Result summary of the 2014 IHF Super Globe:

Semi-finals:
Al-Sadd Sports Club (QAT)  - SG Flensburg-Handewitt (GER) 27:26 (11:17)
FC Barcelona (ESP) - El Jaish Sports Club (QAT) 39:29 (19:14)

Placement matches:

Placement match 7/8:
Al-Ahli (QAT) - Sydney University HC (AUS) 25:24 (13:11)

Placement match 5/6:
Esperance Sportive de Tunis (TUN) - Taubate HC (BRA) 32:31 (13:11)

Bronze final:
SG Flensburg-Handewitt (GER) - El-jaish (QAT) ) 27:17 (15:6)

Final:
Al-Sadd (QAT) - FC Barcelona (ESP) 26:34 (14:16)

Super Globe roll of honour

1997: CB Cantabria (Spain)
2002: Al Sadd (Qatar)
2007: BM Ciudad Real (Spain)
2010: BM Ciudad Real (Spain)
2011: THW Kiel (Germany)
2012: Atletico Madrid (Spain)
2013: FC Barcelona (Spain)
2014: FC Barcelona (Spain)