Playing handball involves using your hands to hit a ball and throw it into your opponents' goal. It's a popular team sport that tests your speed, strength, and agility. - THW Kiel experiences no coaching disputes despite their title-less season.
Following THW Kiel's disappointing loss in the Champions League semi-finals and their first titleless season in six years, managing director Viktor Szilagyi has announced that there will be no discussions about head coach Filip Jicha's future for the time being.
"We need to draw the right conclusions," Szilagyi commented after the North Germans' unimpressive performance against the Spanish champion FC Barcelona. "I'm not talking about any quick, popular decisions we might anticipate under these circumstances," he added.
Jicha, who has a contract with the German handball record-holding team until the summer of 2026, spoke during Sunday's 32:28 victory in the match for third place against SC Magdeburg. The 42-year-old Czech indicated his desire to continue: "I am a servant of this club, and my tenure is limited. As long as I am in service, I will give everything."
In the coming days, Jicha will engage in a thorough examination of the season and present his findings to the club's administration. "We need to improve in quality," he stated.
Captain Domagoj Duvnjak also voiced his optimism for the upcoming season: "In the 2017/18 season, we were in a similar position and then played much better. I believe we will demonstrate that we can play better handball."
For the first time in six years, the Kielers will not be competing in the elite division of the Champions League. "We didn't deserve any more than this season. Our foundation isn't stable enough. We need to rev things up and return as quickly as possible," Szilagyi urged.
This past season, THW finished fourth in the Bundesliga, a major disappointment. "We learned a great deal in this season, and the question is what we can take from it into the next year and make adjustments," said Szilagyi, and continued, "Sometimes, even negative experiences can propel us forward."
THW Kiel Champions League Schedule and Results (roster)
