Barça will seek its 12th Handball Champions League this coming weekend (June 17-18) in Cologne, a major milestone in the history of the highest continental competition. To do this, the team led for the second season by Carlos Ortega must first overcome Magdeburg in the semifinals (Saturday, 3:15 p.m.), runner-up in the Bundesliga. The worst rival it could have had: it is the only team that has defeated the Blaugrana this season (41-39 in the Club World Cup final in October), and it has also done so in the last two seasons in a row (in 2021 , also in the final of the Club World Cup, 33-28).
That is why Carlos Ortega, before traveling to Germany this Wednesday, warned: “I don’t see myself as such a favourite, we played against Magdeburgo, who have beaten us twice in a row, in the last two seasons. It is rarely true that the favorite wins.”
In the traditional Media Day with the media, Carlos Ortega synthesized the feeling of playing, as a coach, his second final four in a row with Barça: “It is the biggest challenge for us to be in Cologne, and we are tremendously excited to try to fight for the title, which would be a milestone for everyone. We know how difficult it is, as all four teams are capable of winning.” The other two rivals, from the second semifinal (Saturday, 6:00 p.m.), are PSG and Kielce.
The Barça coach admits that “this season we are more favorites than the previous one, but I am calm because we have had a very good, brilliant season, we are going with our homework done, but we are a winning team and we want to win a Champions League that would be something memorable” . It would be the third European crown in a row, something that no one has achieved (or two in a row, as they did last year).
About the rival, Magdeburg, who was second in group A (9 wins, 2 draws, 3 losses -against PSG, Wisla and Gudme-) and eliminated the Poles in the quarterfinals, Ortega warned of its dangers: “It is a team that is based a lot on one against one, with very fast players, is difficult to defend. They play very well, they were Bundesliga champions last season and have fought this season until the last round (runner-up, behind Kiel). And he has reached the Final four in his first year in the Champions League.”
“It’s a team that plays very well, that holds the ball a lot in attack, that loses very few balls, that when the passive comes in they know how to finish off the play… it’s going to be a very difficult game”.
Regarding his players, Ortega highlights the loss of “Magnusson, who is very important, but they have recovered Kristjansson and Kay Smits has appeared, who is doing the same or better, and they have signed Lipovina as Smits’ second sword and he is playing the role he I had Smits for punctual help in attack and defensive changes”.
It was surprising that Ortega said that he had had to shake up the team, which has not competed in the Champions League for a month (May 18, the quarterfinals), and closed the Asobal League on June 1.
“What the team has done this season is not easy at all, you have to appreciate it. Motivation is not necessary when everyone wants to win the highest trophy in European handball. I have pricked the team a little, so that they are a little more hungry, because I did not see this hunger to win, and the team has responded very well. We have everything to be able to win this Champions League”, said the Andalusian coach.
Asked about the difference between this undefeated Barça in Europe that reaches its 11th final four (of 14 editions) and the 2022 Barça that he led for the first time, Ortega considers that last year “we arrived at a good time and perhaps a little underhandedness, the team noticed a clear improvement, especially after the January break, and everything started to improve. This year we are more stable from the beginning, we are more solid, more people are involved”.
Personally, the Blaugrana coach feels “with the peace of mind of having won the Champions League last season. That has to give us all peace of mind. And also, without a doubt, the fact of having more control of the group. Already last season for this time I already felt more within the group”.
