A game of chess with his old Czech mate

A trip to Kiel is always special, ask any fan or visiting player and they will tell you the same thing. It is doubly so for me, as it was the scene of my baptism of fire as a commentator for handball. The match was against Ciudad Real of Spain and my love of handball was reinforced.

The visitors are again a Spanish team, this time in the shape of Barcelona, and it is incredible the similarities that exist between these two great clubs. Both have won two titles at the VELUX EHF FINAL4 since its inception. Both have been at every edition, bar one, and both are clubs that players see as the pinnacle of a career. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve heard a player say: “When Kiel or Barcelona come calling, you don’t say No”. Unfortunately for one of these teams the road to Cologne will be over after the next two matches.

But beyond that surface stuff there is another layer of similarity that perhaps isn’t seen by the everyday fan. I am lucky to have witnessed it first hand and it is incredible to see. Because just being a top player is not enough at these two clubs, you must be the right kind of person. There is an unwritten law that exists in these two clubs that you are always representing your team, regardless of what you are doing, and that any behaviour reflects well or otherwise on your club. There is a professionalism about them that raises the standard for all involved with them. They are the ultimate standard bearers of where you need to be to be a successful club over a long period.

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