Forty-eight hours after the final in the desert, the next huge hurdle is ahead for Füchse Berlin and their youngster Nils Lichtlein, facing their prominent EHF European League group phase opponent Dinamo Bucuresti on home ground on Tuesday (20:45 CET, live on EHFTV). "Bucharest are a team that belongs in the Champions League; they have a star selection with a top coach and world-class players. It will be a real tough test for us," states Lichtlein.
Both sides won their first two matches against Chambery and Izvidac, and Rounds 3 and 4 will decide which team will finish on top in the end and how many points both sides carry to the main round. Berlin have played four matches within six days at the IHF Super Globe, including a semi-final and a final with extra-time. Their superstar Mathias Gidsel was awarded MVP of the tournament, which he also finished as top scorer. Besides that, Hans Lindberg, Lasse Andersson, and goalkeeper Dejan Milosavljev were part of the All-Star Team.
But why did the incredibly strong Füchse start in the 2023/24 season? "Our two Danes in the backcourt, Mathias Gidsel and Lasse Andersson are currently performing very well, the defence is very stable, especially in the middle block, and our goalkeepers are strong. That's why we get into the attacking game well and make good decisions," says Nils Lichtlein, who arrived at the Füchse youth team from Regensburg at the age of 14 and had already won four German championships with the Füchse youth teams before he switched to the professional squad in 2021.
"Nils is a diamond," praises Füchse director Bob Hanning: "He has the rare gift to play one second in the future, he can read the match like no other. And still, he needs three to four years to develop. I am sure that he will become the face of the team in the future." This is why Füchse extended the contract with their "jewel" until 2026 – including special advice for the top talent: "Nils has to gain weight and muscles, at least five kilos to stand the heat in defence," says Hanning. And the fans at Berlin love Lichtlein: His playing shirt ranks third in sales just below the ones of Gidsel and Lindberg in the Füchse merchandising shop.
Finally, even German national team coach Alfred Gislason became a fan of the high-flyer: As Drux, Wiede, Luca Witzke and Marian Michalczik had to cancel their participation for the two test matches against Egypt for the EHF EURO 2024 hosts at the beginning of November, the Icelander nominated the top talent for the first time for a men's national team match. Lichtlein was part of both matches, scored his first three goals in the new environment – and now hopes to be part of the first-ever Men's European Championship on German ground. "It was really special to play in the men's team," he said after his debut.
Lichtlein is the leading figure among those five U21 World Champions in the Füchse squad – but also Tim Freihöfer, Lasse Ludwig, Matthes Langhoff and Max Beneke have left their marks, already in the successful 2022/23 European League season. "We have a different concept compared to other top clubs," says sports director Stefan Kretzschmar: "Besides signing world-class players such as Mathias Gidsel, we count on our youth program, which is an integral part of the Füchse DNA. This is why it might take some years to achieve our major goals, such as becoming German champions for the first time or winning the Champions League."
But first, it is Berlin's goal to finish their European League group on top – and therefore, need to win against Dinamo Bucuresti on Tuesday. Lichtlein: "Of course, we aim to win all potential trophies this season, including defending the title in the European League. But this competition is stronger than ever before. To make it to the EHF finals will be no walk in the park."
Photos: Axel Heimken / kolektiff & Füchse Berlin
