Al Sadd and Füchse Berlin players in action during last year's IHF Super Globe semi-final in Doha.
Doha: Favourites and last year’s runner-up Füchse Berlin will be looking to secure their third IHF Super Globe title when the blockbuster handball championship begins in Doha tomorrow.
The German giants will make their fourth consecutive appearance in the tournament.
The team secured their place at their maiden Super Globe, in 2015, as winners of the EHF Cup – the second-tier international European club competition after the Champions League. In 2018, the situation is the same, as the ‘Foxes’ from the German capital raised their second EHF Cup earlier this year and were thereafter the IHF selection as the Wild Card entrant.
“It’s a big honour for us as EHF Cup champions to be part of the tournament. It’s the best-manned tournament of the world for clubs – and for us as Füchse Berlin, it will be a big challenge,” says the club’s Managing Director Bob Hanning.
Playing in the toughest domestic league in the world, Füchse Berlin bring plenty of experience and a well-oiled team to the Super Globe. With the dates of the event falling later in the year than previous Super Globes, the squads have had more time to settle into the season and integrate new players.
Berlin have a strong record in the Super Globe, taking the title on their first participation and defending it one year later. In 2017, Barcelona avenged their one-goal semi-final loss to Füchse at the 2015 edition, winning the final and leaving Berlin with the silver medal.
“It’s a wonderful tournament and our dream is to reach our third title in Doha, since our victories in 2015 and 2016,” says Wiede, outlining the team’s clear goal to reclaim the trophy in 2018.
The Foxes will start their campaign against Brazilian club Handebol Taubate in the quarter-final. The winner of that encounter will take on either Al Sadd or Sydney University Handball Club in the semi-final stage.
