Füchse Berlin: Championship Winners of the 2024/2025 Handball-Bundesliga
"Berlin revels in all-night festivities": Berlin achieves dream as all-night celebrations become reality
Mannheim (dpa) - The Foxes Berlin broke records and hearts in the season finale with an exhilarating comeback, claiming the first championship in their distinguished club history. Both sports director Stefan Kretzschmar and Foxes leader Bob Hanning fought back tears of joy as the title celebration kicked off in Mannheim. Upwards of 1,500 fans in Berlin huddled together, witnessing the historic handball moment unfold on a large screen during a public viewing event.
"I haven't slept all week, and I'm going to party until I can't see straight!" shouted Mathias Gidsel, the team's standout player, from the stage. "What a high-stakes journey! Today was the toughest leap of faith," the world-renowned handball athlete told the jubilant fans in the capital, exuding emotion.
After a captivating display, Gidsel and his teammates hoisted the glittering championship trophy in the air. The team might have held it sideways at times, but it didn't matter - they wore the trophy with pride.
"Bloody incredible teamwork with a freakin' amazing Gidsel! A massive congratulations to coach Jaron Siewert as well," cheered Alfie Gislason, the national coach.
As the team's mentor, Hanning watched the culmination of his lifelong work from the sidelines. "Today felt like 60 minutes in the dentist's chair without any novocaine!" the 57-year-old exclaimed.
Hoping for continued success in the Champions League
Through a strong second half, the capital's handball team secured a thrilling 38:33 (17:20) victory against the Rhein-Neckar Lions in the season finale. The SC Magdeburg fell short in the distant struggle, ending the season one point behind the Foxes.
The defending champions' 35:25 (18:10) win over SG BBM Bietigheim was not enough. In just over a week, the title adversaries will face off in the Champions League's Final Four. Berlin will square off against Nantes, while Magdeburg will challenge FC Barcelona.
Initial Struggles and Tense Start
Playing among a fervent crowd of 13,200 spectators in Mannheim, the Foxes had the worst possible beginning, falling behind 0:3 after just 90 seconds. The Berliners struggled to stay afloat in the first half due to blunders and mistakes in both attack and defense. At the 19th minute, coach Jaron Siewert called for a timeout, but the longed-for comeback remained elusive. The team went into halftime trailing by three points.
Gidsel later shared the essence of the halftime speech: "We said, 'Guys, we're the best damned team on the planet. Now let's play like the best damned team on the planet.'" The team heeded his words as they stepped up their game considerably in the second half. Gidsel, a world champion and Olympic gold medalist, was nearly unstoppable for the opposing team, leading the Foxes in scoring with ten goals. Tim Freihofer, the left back, also stole the spotlight with his eleven goals, consistently displaying confident finishing. Goalkeeper Dejan Milosavljev improved drastically in the second half, a necessity against the Lions' tenacious challenge.
In the 42nd minute, the guests finally inched ahead for the first time at 27:26, with the match evolving as the Foxes had hoped. Enthusiastic Foxes supporters filled the SAP Arena, and the 1,500 spectators viewing the event on the Badeschiff along Berlin's Spree River shared in the momentous occasion.
The Foxes' greatest accomplishment in their history, according to owner Hanning, is the result of "old-school hard work." For 20 years, the former DHB vice-president has been running the show at the Foxes, transforming the team from a second-tier squad to the current world champions. "I'm not broke and I don't have a puppet master pulling my strings. I've worked around the clock for 20 years, from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM on Sundays," said Hanning.
However, Hanning knows that manual labor alone doesn't secure championships. Without Gidsel, the Foxes wouldn't have become champions. His contract was extended in the winter until 2029, as the team promised to increase their team strength in the future years.
Even with what seems to be a flawlessly assembled team, Gidsel has seemingly achieved his Bundesliga dreams. Star performers such as Nils Lichtlein, a national player, and Tim Freihofer, a young talent, haveprogressed to top form. "Mathias Gidsel makes any teammate better," summarized sports director Kretzschmar, citing the increased performance of every player on the team.
"As the team prepared for the Champions League, Mathias Gidsel was eager to continue their success, shouting, 'I'm going to party until I can't see straight! This was a high-stakes journey, and today was the toughest leap of faith,' reflecting on their hard-fought victory in the Handball-Bundesliga."
"The Foxes' historic championship win was a testament to the club's dedication, with owner Bob Hanning highlighting, 'I've worked around the clock for 20 years, from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM on Sundays,' and the team's star player, Mathias Gidsel, being instrumental in their victory, earning his extended contract until 2029."
