Randers have a completely new team and will need some time to get together as a unit, as they lost many key players.

Transcription

1

2 TEAMS: 1. Oltchim Rm. Vâlcea 2. Randers HK 3. Hypo NÖ 4. Buxtehuder SV Expert Grit Jurack says: There s no doubt who the favourites are in this group - in my opinion Vâlcea will march through the Group Matches with six victories. The most important task for new coach Jakob Vestergaard will be to establish a pecking order in his big squad, as everybody wants to play as much as possible. But I think that Jakob will manage to solve this luxury problem. Once again Hypo have a strong team. Every year people write them off, but once again this season they have managed to build an exotic team that will probably prove successful. My former team-mate Gorica Aćimović will play a decisive role among all those Brazilians. Randers have a completely new team and will need some time to get together as a unit, as they lost many key players. Buxtehuder SV is the underdog in this group, but might be able to challenge some of the favourites, especially when their currently injured stars Stefanie Melbeck and Isabell Klein are back on track. So Vâlcea will clearly dominate this group, and all others will be fighting for the second spot for the Main Round, with small advantages for Randers and Hypo. 29

3 Group A matches won draw lost goal-difference points 1 ROU Oltchim Rm. Valcea : DEN Randers HK : AUT Hypo NÖ : GER Buxtehuder SV :0 0 0 MatchID: ROU Oltchim Rm. Valcea vs. AUT Hypo NÖ :00 Ramnicu Valcea / ROU Del.: Mulleners BEL 002 DEN Randers HK vs. GER Buxtehuder SV :00 Randers / DEN Del.: Guerrero ESP 003 GER Buxtehuder SV vs. ROU Oltchim Rm. Valcea :00 Hamburg / GER 2012/13 Women's European Cup EHF Champions League Group Matches 004 AUT Hypo NÖ vs. DEN Randers HK :25 Maria Enzersdorf / AUT 005 DEN Randers HK vs. ROU Oltchim Rm. Valcea :00 Randers / DEN 006 GER Buxtehuder SV vs. AUT Hypo NÖ :00 Hamburg / GER 008 AUT Hypo NÖ vs. GER Buxtehuder SV :25 Maria Enzersdorf / AUT 007 ROU Oltchim Rm. Valcea vs. DEN Randers HK :30 Ramnicu Valcea / ROU 010 GER Buxtehuder SV vs. DEN Randers HK :00 Hamburg / GER 009 AUT Hypo NÖ vs. ROU Oltchim Rm. Valcea :00 Maria Enzersdorf / AUT 012 DEN Randers HK vs. AUT Hypo NÖ :00 Randers / DEN 011 ROU Oltchim Rm. Valcea vs. GER Buxtehuder SV :00 Ramnicu Valcea / ROU 30 EHF Report :40 1/4

4 CS OLTCHIM RÂMNICU VÂLCEA (Romania) Qualification for the Women s EHF Champions League 2012/13 season: Romanian champions Season Preview: Some call it a world selection, others say that this is the best squad that has ever participated in the Women s EHF Champions League and the club itself has set the bar as high as possible: We want to win our first ever title in the Champions League is the clear message of Vâlcea. With six world-class newcomers and a new coach, who has already won the EHF Champions League, Oltchim are one of the major candidates to win the title in May. Even though their previous squad reached the semi-finals last season and the final in 2010, the Romanian record champions have strengthened their roster in extraordinary fashion. Olympic top scorer Katarina Bulatović has transferred from defending Women s EHF Champions League winners Budućnost, and former world handball player of the year, Allison Pineau, and superb goalkeeper Amandine Leynaud arrived from Metz (France). The best goalkeeper (by number of saves) in the Olympic tournament, Silvia Navarro has arrived from 2011 Spanish EHF Champions League finalists Itxako, as has top shooter, Alexandrina Barbosa. The new coach is Dane Jakob Vestergaard, who had won the Women s EHF Champions League trophy twice with Danish side Viborg HK. Vestergaard is the successor of Radu Voina. Montenegrin newcomer and defending winner Bulatović is confident that the newly-built team will fit. "I have no doubt that we will integrate as soon as possible and when the Champions League starts we will be in good shape. We expect our supporters to be close to us like an eighth player and we will do our best to win all games and out on a good show for them," she said. Club address: Oltchim Rm. Vâlcea Str. Uzinei Nr Râmnicu Vâlcea, Romania Contact numbers: Tel Fax cs_oltchim@oltchim.com Arena: "Traian" Sport Hall Str.Nicolae Balcescu Nr Ramnicu Vâlcea, Romania Capacity: 3000 OR Transilvania, Sibiu Octavian Goga 2, Sibiu, Romania Capacity: 1800 Media contact: Nicolae Luca, andrei.luca@cs-oltchim.com Online: Club website: ehfcl.com EHF Champions League: Participations (including 2012/13 season): 14 Finalists: 2010 Semi-finalists: 2009, 2012 Last 32: 2000 Main Round: 2008, 2011 Group Phase/Champions League: 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001 Cup Winners Cup: Winners: 2007 Finalists: 2002 Romanian champions: 18 titles(1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012) Romanian Cup winners: 14 titles 31

5 The squad No. First Name Family Name Nat. Position Date of Birth Weight Height 79 Aurelia Bradeanu ROU Centre Back Katarina Bulatovic MNE Right Back Alexandrina Cabral Barbosa POR Left Back Iulia Vasilica Curea ROU Left Wing Ramona Petruta Farcau ROU Left Wing Marija Jovanovic MNE Left Back Amandine Suzanne Monique Leynaud FRA Goalkeeper Iuliia Managarova UKR Right Wing Oana Andreea Manea ROU Line Player Adina Laura Meirosu ROU Left Back Silvia Navarro Gimenez ESP Goalkeeper Cristina Georgiana Neagu ROU Left Back Adriana Nicoleta Nechita ROU Right Wing Allison Marie Pineau FRA Centre Back Nicoleta Safta ROU Line Player Ionela Stanca ROU Line Player Paula Claudia Ungureanu ROU Goalkeeper Ekaterina Vladimirovna Vetkova RUS Line Player Aurelia Bradeanu ROU Centre Back Katarina Bulatovic MNE Right Back New signings (including former club): Katarina Bulatović (Buducnost Podgorica/MNE), Allison Pineau (Metz Handball/FRA), Amandine Leynaud (Metz Handball/FRA), Alexandrina Barbosa (Grupo Asfi Itxako Navarra/ESP) Silvia Navarro (Grupo Asfi Itxako Navarra/ESP) Left the club (including new club): Valentina Ardean Elisei (pregnant), Daniela Babeanu (S.C.M. Craiova/ROU), Oana Chirila (pregnant), Melinda Geiger H.C.M. Baia Mare/ROU), Roxana Han (S.C.M. Craiova/ROU), Sanela Knezović (Dunaujvaros/HUN), Yeliz Özel (Uskudar BSK Istanbul/TUR), Mihaela Smedescu (H.C.M. Baia Mare/ROU), Talida Tolnai (Uskudar BSK Istanbul/TUR) 32

6 Key players Allison Pineau: Aged only 18, Pineau made her debut in the French women s national team. Born in Paris, she switched to former top club Metz very early. Pineau is not only a playmaker, but also a brilliant shooter and has enjoyed her major successes with the national team. In 2009 she won a silver medal at the World Championships, and one year later she was awarded World Handball Player of the Year In 2011 she led the French team to the semi-final of the world championships again, but suffered a torn crucial ligament which put her out of action for some time and without Pineau, France missed gold again. After playing exclusively for French clubs up to that point, the playmaker dared to transfer to Vâlcea together with her team-mate from Metz, Amandine Leynaud, and winning the Women s EHF Champions League with her new club is her main aim. Silvia Navarro: The goalkeeper is one of the main reasons behind the Spanish successes at the previous major tournaments, helping to deny the opposition at the world championship 2011 and the Olympic Games 2012, when Spain won bronze. The 32-year-old started her career at Mar Valencia before transferring to Itxako and was Women s EHF Champions League finalist with both clubs. With Itxako she also won the EHF Cup in Now Navarro is hoping for her first ever Champions League trophy in Vâlcea in her first season at the Romanian champions. Katarina Bulatović: Like Pineau and Navarro, Bulatović is a newcomer at Oltchim. The Serbian born left-handed shooter arrives from defending champions Budućnost Podgorica. After several attempts she made it to the EHF Champions League final for the first time in May, where her eight goals helped decide the second leg against Györi. And shortly after that success, Bulatović was a key player in Montenegro s biggest achievement ever, when she was top scorer at the Olympic Games in London and helped secure the silver medal the first ever Olympic medal for the small Balkan country. Coach Jakob Vestergaard: Vestergaard knows how to win the Women s EHF Champions League: During his time at Danish side Viborg HK from 2008 to 2011, the 37- year-old twice won the trophy, in 2009 and After leaving Viborg, he coached Aalborg and was assistant coach at Champions League participants FC Midtjylland, but he is aiming to go all the way to the final with Vâlcea. 33

7 RANDERS HK (Denmark) Qualification for the Women s EHF Champions League 2012/13 season: Danish champions Season Preview: Their biggest success was tinged with sadness as Randers HK celebrated winning last season's Danish championship, with some of their key players choosing to end their careers on a high. In 2010 and 2011 Randers had reached the Danish finals but lost against Viborg and Midtjylland one year later. But in 2012, they went all the way. However, two Danish legends had played their last match: Katrine Fruelund, twice Olympics champion, and Mette Melgaard finished their career, becoming Danish champions. Fruelund is now involved with the management of Randers HK, which also won the EHF Cup in As well as them, the German duo of Nina Wörz and Susann Müller left to join Krim Mercator in Slovenia. It was a brilliant experience to become champions with Randers before leaving, it was a great feeling not only for me, but for the whole team, said Wörz looking back. In total nine players left Randers, but seven newcomers arrived in the city of the 2013 EHF European Beach championships, including two international stars: French double world championship runners-up Siraba Dembele and Macarena Aguilar, 2011 EHF Champions League finalist with Itxako and Olympic bronze medallist with Spain. So coach Jan Leslie has to build-up a new team which hopes to proceed for the Main Round for the first time in their third appearance in the EHF Champions League. While the club management almost all agree that the group will be won by Vâlcea, the remaining three teams of Randers, Buxtehude and Hypo are all fairly equal and will have to fight for the second spot in the Main Round. Club address: Randers HK Sjaellandsgade Randers Denmark Contact numbers: Tel: hlm@randershk.dk rhk@randershk.dk Arena: Skyline - Elro Arena Randers Fyensgade Randers, Denmark Capacity: 3000 OR NRGI Atletion Arena Stadion Alle Arhus, Denmark Capacity: 4549 Media contact: Anett Reinholdt ar@randershk.dk Online: Club website: Facebook: randershk ehfcl.com Club achievements: EHF Champions League: Participations (including 2012/13 season): 3 Group Phase: 2011, 2012 EHF Cup: Winner: 2010 City Cup: Finalist: 2000 Danish champions: 2012 (Runners-up: 2010, 2011) 34

8 The squad No. First Name Family Name Nat. Position Date of Birth Weight Height 22 Stine Bonde Aagaard DEN Goalkeeper Ulrika Ågren SWE Line Player Macarena Aguilar Diaz ESP Centre Back Gitte Evendorff Andersen DEN Right Wing Kamilla Hvid Andersen DEN Left Back Nanna Skjodt Bugge DEN Right Wing Camilla Dalby DEN Right Back Siraba Dembele FRA Left Wing Rikke Enevoldsen DEN Line Player Sisse Marie Boge Fahlberg DEN Goalkeeper Cecilie Morch Hansen DEN Centre Back Sabina Rosengren Jacobsen SWE Left Back Mathilde Skov Jensen DEN Line Player Emilie Thanning Strangholt Johansen DEN Right Back Sofie Strangholt Johansen DEN Left Back Berit Hudtloff Kristensen DEN Centre Back Sarah Brüner Kristensen DEN Left Wing Freja Cohrt Kyndbol DEN Left Wing Chana Franciela Masson De Souza BRA Goalkeeper Simone Antonia Pedersen DEN Right Wing New signings (including former club): Ulrika Ågren (Team Esbjerg), Siraba Dembele (Toulon), Freja Cohrt (FC Midtjylland, Sabina Jacobsen (Lugi), Macarena Aguilar (Itxako Navarro), Sara Brüner (youth team Randers HK), Cecilie Hansen (youth team Randers HK) Left the club (including new club): Mette Melgaard (retired), Mie Augustesen (Thüringer, Gitte Aaen (Søndermarken - 2. division), Katrine Fruelund (retired), Nina Wörz (Krim), Susann Müller (Krim), Stephanie Andersen (Silkeborg-Voel KFUM), Simone Böhme (Silkeborg-Voel KFUM), Veronica Cuadrado (KIF Vejen) 35

9 Key players Siraba Dembele: French left winger Dembele is playing her first season for the Danish champions after gaining EHF Champions League experience at her former club Toulon. In the season before the 26-year-old played for Issy Paris but has now made the step to leave France for the first time. Nicknamed the princess, Dembele has played for the national team for six years in more than 150 international matches, winning world championship silver twice and EHF EURO bronze once. She is an expert in counter-attacks and special defence tasks. Chana Masson: Masson was one of the first Brazilian players to move to Europe. The 34-year-old goalkeeper started her European career in Spain where she played for Elche and Ferrobus Mislata, before transferring to Denmark for the first time, to FC København. She then moved to German side HC Leipzig for two years before returning to Denmark, and since then she has been a rock for Randers. Masson was awarded best goalkeeper at the 2011 world championship in her home-country, and helped Brazil become fivetime Pan American champions as well as participate at three Olympic Games. At club level she has become national champion in every country she played (Brazil, Spain, Germany, Denmark) and won the EHF Cup twice with Mislata in 2000 and Randers in Macarena Aguilar: With nearly 150 more international caps than any of her teammates, Aguilar is one of the most experienced players in the Spanish national team. Now the playmaker has left her home country for the first time to be part of the Randers team. Aguilar started her career at Sagunto, and after winning many domestic titles in eight years, she transferred to Itxako in 2009 and became Women s EHF Champions League 2011 finalists. With the Spanish national team she was a EHF EURO silver medallist 2008 and world championship and Olympic bronze medallist in 2011 and Coach Jan Leslie: Leslie is head coach of Randers HK for the fifth season and led his team to the first ever Danish championship title in 2012 after ranking second below Viborg and Midtjylland in the previous seasons. The experienced 41-year-old coached the women s teams in Esbjerg and Aalborg beforehand, as well as the men s team at Skjern. 36

10 HYPO NÖ (Austria) Qualification for the Women s EHF Champions League 2012/13 season:austrian champions Season Preview: After being eliminated during the Group Matches of the EHF Champions League in the past, Austrian Champions Hypo Niederösterreich are hoping for better luck this season. The Austrian outfit, who have many Brazilians in their squad, have played in the EHF Champions League for every one of the competition's 20-year history. Four times the Women s EHF Champions League winner and six times a finalist, Hypo nowadays count on a strong group of players from Brazil. Four newcomers from the South American country have signed for this season, and despite three others - including top star Daniela Piedade - having left, the club still have eight Brazilians on their books. Gorica Aćimović returned from Krim to Hypo and is one of four Austrian players in the squad, which is coached by Hungarian András Németh who started his second season at the record winners of the EHF Champions League. One of the newcomers - Karol de Souza is out until October after she had broken her hand. After failing to reach the Main Round in the previous three seasons, Hypo hope to survive the Group Matches this season, as player Ana Paula Rodrigues confirms. "Our group is as tough as last season, no one is to be underestimated. Our goal is to reach the Main Round and to be part of the Champions League in 2013, especially after our early exit last season," she said. Club address: Hypo NÖ BSFZ Südstadt Lise-Prokop-Platz Maria Enzersdorf Austria Contact numbers: Tel Fax info@hypo-noe.at Arena: BSFZ Südstadt Liese Prokop Platz Maria Enzersdorf, Austria Capacity: 1100 Media contact: Mark Hegedüs mark.hegedues@hypo-noe.at Online: Club website: Facebook: hyponoe ehfcl.com EHF Champions League records: Participations (including 2012/13 season): 20 Winners: 1994, 1995, 1998, 2000 Finalists: 1996, 2008 Semi-finalists: 1997, 1999, 2005, 2007, 2009 Quarter-final: 2006 Group Phase/Champions League: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2010, 2011, 2012 Cup Winners Cup: Finalists: 2004 Austrian champions: 36 titles Austrian Cup winners: 25 titles 37

11 The squad No. First Name Family Name Nat. Position Date of Birth Weight Height 77 Gorica Acimovic AUT Left Back Barbara Arenhart BRA Goalkeeper Petra Blazek AUT Goalkeeper Fabiana Carvalho Carneiro Diniz BRA Line Player Deonise Cavaleiro Fachinello BRA Right Back Karoline Helena De Souza BRA Left Back Mirela Dedic AUT Left Wing Alexandra Do Nascimento BRA Right Wing Mayara Fier de Moura BRA Right Back Fernanda Franca da Silva BRA Left Wing Stefanie Kaiser AUT Line Player Julia Mauler AUT Right Wing Ana Paula Rodrigues BRA Centre Back Bernadett Temes HUN Centre Back New signings (including former club): Julia Mauler (HYPO NÖ II) Gorica Aćimović (Krim Ljubljana), Karol de Souza (Siófok), Mayara de Moura (Mios Biganos), Dara Diniz (Bera Bera), Mirela Dedic (HYPO NÖ II) Deonise Cavaleiro (Itxako) Left the club (including new club): Francise De Morales Cararo (pregnancy), Sabrina Stumvoll (HYPO NÖ 2), Daniela De Oliveira Piedade (Krim Ljubljana), Nina Stumvoll (HYPO NÖ 2), Silvia Pinheiro (Toulon), Viktória Rédei Soós (Györi Audi ETO), Martina Goričanec (HYPO NÖ 2), Samira Da Silva Rocha (Zvezda Zvenigorod) 38

12 Key players Barbara Arenhart: Despite being just 26 year old, goalkeeper Arenhart has already played handball across the globe in Brazil, Spain, Norway and Austria. Born in Novo Hamburgo in Brazil, Arenhart started playing handball very early in life and was a member of all age group squads for Brazil. After becoming a member of the senior national team she transferred to Spanish side Parc Sagunto, where she had her first taste of the Women s EHF Champions League. After a one-year move to Norwegian side Byåsen Trondheim, Arenart arrived in South Vienna to join the big community of Brazilian players. Her biggest success with the national team was ranking fifth at the 2011 world championship. Alexandra do Nascimento: The 30-year-old right wing was the first Brazilian player to arrive at Hypo NÖ, eight years ago. Since then do Nascimento has been a vital part of the Hypo squad, reaching the Women s EHF Champions League final in 2008 and three times making it to the semi-finals with the record-breaking Austrian champions. Nascimento has been part of the Brazilian national team at three Olympic Games (2004, 2008, 2012) and also secured four Pan American champion titles. In 2011 she became top scorer in the world championship in her home country, when her team ranked fifth. At Hypo, Ale has been the captain for many years. Gorica Aćimović: Back to where it all started: Bosnian born Aćimović became an Austrian citizen in 2007 and played a large number of international matches for her new home country. The back court player (27) first left Bosnia to move to Merignac in France, before arriving at Hypo in 2004 for the first time. In 2008 they were finalists in the EHF Champions League, but lost both matches against Zvezda (Russia). One year later she transferred to Viborg and fulfilled her ambition when she won the Champions League trophy in 2010, against Valceă. After becoming Danish champion, too, Aćimović went to Krim in Slovenia in 2011 but after just one season there she has returned to Hypo. Coach András Németh: In 1998, and later from 2005 to 2008, Németh was head coach of the Hungarian women s national team, and now the Hungarian is starting his second season as coach at Hypo. Additionally Németh was coach of top Hungarian team Ferencváros Budapest from 1993 to 2007 and was very successful in European Cup competitions. 39

13 BUXTEHUDER SV (Germany) Qualification for the Women s EHF Champions League 2012/13 season: Winners of Qualification Tournament 2, German runnersup Season Preview: Despite being plagued by a long list of injuries, Buxtehude hope to secure their first ever points in the Women s EHF Champions League. They are no strangers to suffering injuries, but Buxtehude have had more than their fair share of bad luck in recent months which has left coach Dirk Leun stunned. Firstly, team captain Isabell Klein has been out for six months after rupturing her crucial ligament in the EHF EURO qualification match against Hungary in March. She hopes to return for at least the last three Group Matches. Then Dutch line player Diane Lamein was out with another severe knee injury. When Buxtehude secured a shock victory in the qualification tournament at Trondheim in the final against host Byåsen, German international Katja Langkeit left the field with another ruptured crucial ligament, and three days later playmaker Randy Bülau broke her foot in a league match in Trier. Both will definitely not be able to participate in any of the Group Matches. Coach Dirk Leun said: "We have to stand together now, we have to spread the responsibility on even more shoulders, even though the number of shoulders we have is very low." Buxtehude - the team of all 16 in the Women s EHF Champions League with the fewest changes to their roster - have qualified for the second straight time for the Group Matches by winning their qualification tournament. Like the previous year they were very close to becoming German champions for the first time in their club s history, but just as they did in the previous season, they missed out by just one goal in the final play-off match against Thüringer HC. In 2011/12 Buxtehude lost all their six Group Matches, but maybe it is a good omen that they have switched arena and will play in the newly-built CU-Arena in Hamburg. Club address: Buxtehuder SV Michael Jungblut Brüningstrasse Buxtehude Contact numbers: Tel. : Fax: mjbsv22@aol.com Arena: CU Arena Neugraben Am Johannisland 2-4, Hamburg- Neugraben/ Fischbek, Germany Capacity: 2003 Media contact: Handballmarketing, info@bsv-live.de Online: Club website: TeamBuxtehude Facebook: Team-Buxtehude ehfcl.com Club achievements: EHF Champions League: Participations (including 2012/13 season): 2 Group Matches: 2012 Challenge Cup: Winners: 2011 Finalists: 2002 Semi-finalists: 2005 City Cup: Winners: 1994 German champions: - (runners-up: 2003, 2011, 2012) German Cup winners: - (finalist: 1990, 1996, 2007, 2011) 40

14 The squad No. First Name Family Name Nat. Position Date of Birth Weight Height 8 Randy Bülau GER Centre Back Marcella Deen NED Line Player Katja Ex GER Goalkeeper Lone Fischer GER Left Wing Maxi Hayn GER Right Wing Isabell Kaiser GER Line Player Isabell Klein GER Right Back Vanessa Kohler SUI Right Wing Jana Krause GER Goalkeeper Diane Lamein NED Line Player Sahra Lamp GER Left Back Katja Langkeit GER Left Wing Antje Lenz GER Goalkeeper Svenja Louwers GER Goalkeeper Friederike Lütz GER Right Wing Melissa Luschnat GER Left Wing Stefanie Melbeck GER Right Back Sina Namat GER Line Player Jessica Oldenburg GER Left Back Lisa Prior GER Centre Back Jana Stapelfeldt GER Centre Back Josephine Techert GER Right Back New signings (including former club): Marcela Deen (SG Rosengarten) Left the club (including new club): - 41

15 Key players Stefanie Melbeck: Germany-Denmark-Germany-Denmark-Germany Stefanie Melbeck (35) has been well travelled in handball over the last decade, but during her spells in Germany she has only ever played for one club - Buxtehuder SV. With 223 international caps Melbeck is the most experienced player in the German national team. From 1999 to 2001 she played for her current Women s EHF Champions League opponent Randers HK in Denmark before returning to Buxtehude, then from 2007 to 2010 she played for KIF Kolding before again returning to Germany. With the national team she won the 2007 world championship bronze medal and was twice silver medallist in the German beach handball team at the EHF EURO 2000 and the World Championship Isabell Klein: Buxtehude team captain Isabell Klein (28) is currently fighting her way back into the team following injury. Since March Klein, the wife of German men s national team player and three times VELUX EHF Champions League winner Dominik Klein, has been out of action after rupturing her crucial ligament. Born in Munich, she transferred to Buxtehude in 2007 and thanks to her consistently high performances on the right wing and at right back she made it into the national team and has gone on to captain Germany too. Like her team-mate Melbeck, Klein was a member of the German beach handball team which won gold at the 2006 EHF EURO and silver at the 2006 world championship. Diane Lamein: With 298 international matches so far, Lamein (32) holds the record in the Dutch national team but for the last decade the line player has played for German clubs. After crossing the border she started at Lützellinden before changing to Leverkusen, then to Oldenburg and in 2007 to Buxtehude. Lamein is a defence specialist but also a real fighter in attack. Currently she is working hard on her comeback after a knee injury. Her biggest success on the international stage was fifth at the 2005 world championship and winning the EHF Challenge Cup with Buxtehude in Coach Dirk Leun: The former journalist (48) started his coaching career at German side TV Mainzlar. Thanks to his ability to integrate young players in his teams, he became coach of the German women s junior national team and led those players to the biggest success ever in women s younger age categories in Germany when they became world champions in After his gold medal he moved to Buxtehude, where he is currently forming a new, young, but highly successful team. 42

16