Rutenka vies for his sixth trophy

Steffen Weinhold is the only player at the 2015 edition of the VELUX EHF FINAL4 in Cologne with the chance of defending the title. The German right back won the trophy one year ago with SG Flensburg-Handewitt before he transferred to THW Kiel. 

If Weinhold raises the trophy in Cologne on 31 May, it will be momentous not only for his personal achievement – since the implementation of the VELUX EHF FINAL4 in LANXESS arena in 2010 no club or individual player has defended the title.

If FC Barcelona take the trophy, another new chapter of history will be written. Not only would the Catalans add their eighth EHF Champions League trophy to the cabinet, but Siarhei Rutenka would join the short list of male handball players to win six EHF Champions League titles – and he would be the first in history to win it with three different clubs.

The record holder is still Andrei Xepkin, who won the trophy six times with FC Barcelona, before he ended his illustrious career with a seventh title with THW Kiel in 2007. Three other players hold six titles so far: former Barcelona goalkeepers David Barrufet and Tomas Svensson and the right back/wing of the same club Antonio Carlos Ortega, who is the current coach of MKB-MVM Veszprem.

The Belarusian international started his EHF Champions League winning spree in 2004, when he led Celje as EHF Champions League top scorer to their first and only title. In 2006, 2008 and 2009 he won the EHF Champions League with Ciudad Real, and in 2011 he raised the trophy for the fifth time, with FC Barcelona. 

In 2010 and 2013 Rutenka came close to winning the trophy, but Barcelona lost both finals, against Kiel and Hamburg.

Four more players in the 2015 edition of the VELUX EHF FINAL4 have three EHF Champions League trophies in their personal cabinet. 

Three of them are triple winners with THW Kiel in 2007, 2010 and 2012: Dominik Klein, who will be in Cologne, but is out with a torn cruciate ligament, Klein’s interim successor at THW, Henrik Lundström, and Veszprem’s right back Christian Zeitz. 

The fourth triple winner is Kielce playmaker Uros Zorman, who took three of those five titles with Rutenka (Celje 2004, Ciudad Real 2008 and 2009).

Ten players participating in Cologne have won the EHF Champions League twice – among them big names like current IHF World Handball Player of the Year, Nikola Karabatic, Hungarian legend Laszlo Nagy and Spanish 2013 World Champion Victor Tomas.

14 more players on court at the 2015 VELUX EHF FINAL4 fight for their each second trophy in Cologne.

Two coaches at the 2015 VELUX EHF FINAL4 have won the EHF Champions League as players: Antonio Carlos Ortega (Veszprém) was part of the FC Barcelona golden generation, who won five straight titles. Current Barca manager Xavier O’Callaghan was also part of this team. 

Talant Dujshebaev (Kielce) won the Champions League in 1994 as a player for TEKA Santander – and can reduce the gap to legendary Valero Rivera if his team win the FINAL4 in Cologne. 

Rivera is the only coach with five Champions league titles in his cabinet, followed by Dujshebaev (2006, 2008, 2009 with Ciudad Real) and Alfred Gislason (2002 with Magdeburg, 2010 and 2012 with Kiel), who led their teams to three titles each. 

Multiple EHF Champions League players in the four VELUX EHF FINAL squads:

THW Kiel: Dominik Klein (currently injured/Kiel 2006/07, Kiel 2009/10, Kiel 2011/12), Henrik Lundström (Kiel 2006/07, Kiel 2009/10, Kiel 2011/12), Andreas Palicka (Kiel 2009/10, Kiel 2011/12), Aron Palmarsson (Kiel 2009/10, Kiel 2011/12), Christian Sprenger (Kiel 2009/10, Kiel 2011/12), Filip Jicha (Kiel 2009/10, Kiel 2011/12)

FC Barcelona: Siarhei Rutenka (Celje 2003/04, Ciudad Real 2005/06, Ciudad Real 2007/08, Ciudad Real 2008/09, Barcelona 2010/11), Viran Morros (Ciudad Real 2007/08, Ciudad Real 2008/09), Victor Tomas (Barcelona 2004/05, Barcelona 2010/11), Nikola Karabatic (Montpellier 2002/03, Kiel 2006/07)

KS Vive Tauron Kielce: Uros Zorman (Celje 2003/04, Ciudad Real 2007/08, Ciudad Real 2008/09), Tobias Reichmann (Kiel 2009/10, Kiel 2011/12)

MKB-MVM Veszprém: Christian Zeitz (Kiel 2006/07, Kiel 2009/10, Kiel 2011/12), Laszlo Nagy (Barcelona 2004/05, Barcelona 2010/11), Momir Ilic (Kiel 2009/10, Kiel 2011/12)

One-time EHF Champions League winners at the VELUX EHF FINAL4 2015:

THW Kiel: Steffen Weinhold (Flensburg 2013/14), Domagoj Duvnjak (Hamburg 2012/13), Johan Sjöstrand (currently injured/Barcelona 2010/11)

MVM-MKB Veszprém: Andreas Nilsson (Hamburg 2012/13), Cristian Ugalde (Barcelona 2010/11), Chema Rodriguez (Ciudad Real 2008/09)

FC Barcelona: Aitor Arino, Raul Entrerrios, Jesper Noddesbo, Gonzalo Perez de Vargas, Danijel Saric, Daniel Sarmiento, Joan Saubich, Cedric Sorhaindo (all Barcelona 2010/11)

Vive Tauron Kielce: - 

All multiple EHF Champions League winners: 

Seven titles with two clubs:

Andrei Xepkin (Barcelona 1995/96, Barcelona 1996/97, Barcelona 1997/98, Barcelona 1998/99, Barcelona 1999/2000, Barcelona 2004/05, Kiel 2006/07)

Six titles with one club:

David Barrufet (Barcelona 1995/96, Barcelona 1996/97, Barcelona 1997/98, Barcelona 1998/99, Barcelona 1999/2000, Barcelona 2004/05)

Antonio Carlos Ortega (Barcelona 1995/96, Barcelona 1996/97, Barcelona 1997/98, Barcelona 1998/99, Barcelona 1999/2000, Barcelona 2004/05)

Six titles with two clubs:

Tomas Svensson (Irun 1994/95, Barcelona 1995/96, Barcelona 1996/97, Barcelona 1997/98, Barcelona 1998/99, Barcelona 1999/2000)

Five titles with one club:

Enric Masip (Barcelona 1995/96, Barcelona 1996/97, Barcelona 1997/98, Barcelona 1998/99, Barcelona 1999/2000)

Inaki Urdangarin (Barcelona 1995/96, Barcelona 1996/97, Barcelona 1997/98, Barcelona 1998/99, Barcelona 1999/2000)

Rafael Guijosa (Barcelona 1995/96, Barcelona 1996/97, Barcelona 1997/98, Barcelona 1998/99, Barcelona 1999/2000)

Xavier O'Callaghan (Barcelona 1995/96, Barcelona 1996/97, Barcelona 1997/98, Barcelona 1998/99, Barcelona 1999/2000, Barcelona 2004/05)

Five titles with two clubs:

Mateo Garralda (Barcelona 1995/96, Barcelona 1996/97, Barcelona 1997/98, Barcelona 1998/99, San Antonio 2000/01)

Five titles with three clubs:

Jose Javier Hombrados (Santander 1993/94, San Antonio 2000/01, Ciudad Real 2005/06, Ciudad Real 2007/08, Ciudad Real 2008/09)

Siarhei Rutenka (Celje 2003/04, Ciudad Real 2007/08, Ciudad Real 2005/06, Ciudad Real 2008/09, Barcelona 2010/11)

Four titles with two clubs:

Didier Dinart (Montpellier 2002/03, Ciudad Real 2005/06, Ciudad Real 2007/08, Ciudad Real 2008/09)

Fernando Barbeito (Barcelona 1995/96, Barcelona 1996/97, Barcelona 1997/98, San Antonio 2000/01)

Olafur Stefansson (Magdeburg 2001/02, Ciudad Real 2005/06, Ciudad Real 2007/08, Ciudad Real 2008/09)

Thierry Omeyer (Montpellier 2002/03, Kiel 2006/07, Kiel 2009/10, Kiel 2011/12)

Three titles with one club: 

Alberto Entrerrios (Ciudad Real 2005/06, Ciudad Real 2007/08, Ciudad Real 2008/09)

Arpad Sterbik (Ciudad Real 2005/06, Ciudad Real 2007/08, Ciudad Real 2008/09)

David Davis (Ciudad Real 2005/06, Ciudad Real 2007/08, Ciudad Real 2008/09)

Jonas Källman (Ciudad Real 2005/06, Ciudad Real 2007/08, Ciudad Real 2008/09)

Petar Metlicic (Ciudad Real 2005/06, Ciudad Real 2007/08, Ciudad Real 2008/09)

Rolando Urios (Ciudad Real 2005/06, Ciudad Real 2007/08, Ciudad Real 2008/09)

Christian Zeitz (Kiel 2006/07, Kiel 2009/10, Kiel 2011/12)

Dominik Klein (Kiel 2006/07, Kiel 2009/10, Kiel 2011/12)

Henrik Lundström (Kiel 2006/07, Kiel 2009/10, Kiel 2011/12)

Kim Andersson (Kiel 2006/07, Kiel 2009/10, Kiel 2011/12)

Marcus Ahlm (Kiel 2006/07, Kiel 2009/10, Kiel 2011/12)

Jose Manuel Sierra (Barcelona 1997/98, Barcelona 1998/99, Barcelona 1999/2000)

Josep Espar (Barcelona 1997/98, Barcelona 1998/99, Barcelona 1999/2000)

Patrik Cavar (Barcelona 1997/98, Barcelona 1998/99, Barcelona 1999/2000)

Roger Magrina (Barcelona 1997/98, Barcelona 1998/99, Barcelona 1999/2000)

Three titles with two clubs:

Uros Zorman (Celje 2003/04, Ciudad Real 2007/08, Ciudad Real 2008/09)

Two titles with one club: 

Ales Pajovic (Ciudad Real 2005/06, Ciudad Real 2007/08)

Roberto Garcia Parrondo (Ciudad Real 2007/08, Ciudad Real 2008/09)

Viran Morros (Ciudad Real 2007/08, Ciudad Real 2008/09)

Alexandru Dedu (Barcelona 1997/98, Barcelona 1998/99)

David Barbeito (Barcelona 1996/97, Barcelona 1995/96)

Demetrio Lozano (Barcelona 1998/99, Barcelona 1999/2000)

Iker Romero (Barcelona 2004/05, Barcelona 2010/11)

Jesus Olalla (Barcelona 1996/97, Barcelona 1995/96)

Juan Perez (Barcelona 1996/97, Barcelona 1995/96)

Laszlo Nagy (Barcelona 2004/05, Barcelona 2010/11)

Quino Soler (Barcelona 1997/98, Barcelona 1998/99)

Victor Tomas (Barcelona 2004/05, Barcelona 2010/11)

Andreas Palicka (Kiel 2009/10, Kiel 2011/12)

Aron Palmarsson (Kiel 2009/10, Kiel 2011/12)

Christian Sprenger (Kiel 2009/10, Kiel 2011/12)

Daniel Narcisse (Kiel 2009/10, Kiel 2011/12)

Filip Jicha (Kiel 2009/10, Kiel 2011/12)

Momir Ilic (Kiel 2009/10, Kiel 2011/12)

Tobias Reichmann (Kiel 2009/10, Kiel 2011/12)

Two titles with two clubs:

Dejan Peric (Celje 2003/04, Barcelona 2004/05)

Jerome Fernandez (Barcelona 2004/05, Ciudad Real 2008/09)

Lars Krogh Jeppesen (Barcelona 2004/05, Kiel 2006/07)

Mikhail Jakimovich (Santander 1993/94, San Antonio 2000/01)

Nenad Perunicic (Irun 1994/95, Magdeburg 2001/02)

Nikola Karabatic (Montpellier 2002/03, Kiel 2006/07)

Oleg Kisselev (Irun 1994/95, San Antonio 2000/01)

Juan Munoz (Santander 1993/94, Barcelona 1996/97)

Mattias Andersson (Kiel 2006/07, Flensburg 2013/14)