Handball journeys

Even the most ardent handball fan loses his battle against the possibility in accessing the much acclaimed event as fans face a huge spike in restrictions.  Four clubs, four fantastic set of fans and players. PSG - KIELCE and BARCA - MAGDEBURG .  I will have to attend the event without any funny attire and without my camera. It had been so easy watching it from EHF TV that I never realized how infrequent my actual in person Final Four visits to Cologne had been. I must remain neutral. If I had to choose I would have to pick Barcelona to retain the title so that Ludovic Fabregas ends his magical tenure on a high before his new Magyar venture. Spending a full week in Cologne in WM 2019 made me realize how much there is truly something special about the venue and its vicinity and for so many reasons. Barcelona Intersport legend Raul Entrerrios is also starring in my second book of poetry recently released.  I am so looking forward to catching up with so many legendary fans, ...

 Otra jornada tan genial desde el punto de vista deportivo asi como humano.  Un jugador me conmovio ayer por su gratitud y su bondad. Llego a la pista diciendo a mis companeros muy buenas tardes. Despues ayudo al miembro del equipo luso cuando parecia tocado.  Una remontada del Fraikin Granollers ante el Sporting de Lisboa ganando en los penaltis con 40 a 38. Mientras todo subia a tope con el Barcelona ganando ante Porto un nuevo titulo gracias a muchas paradas de Gonzalo. La final de la Supercopa vi el Bera Bera recortar distancia ante Malaga Costa del Sol y al final ganando en el money time por la minima. Celebrar una victoria siempre resulta dificil ya que siempre llevas celebrando mas de lo que deberias. Caben amigos y amigas en el seno de ambos equipos. Temia por una herida en el abdomen para Silvia. Se recupero y le gusto mi regalito de Navidad. Sobran pocas horas antes del viaje a Paris por Navidad. No me da tiempo como para hacer el mejor informe posible. Las madr...

Si bien los companeros de Antonio Garcia Robledo perdieron el rumbo no ha sido el caso en el secundo partido donde los del Barca estaban del tu a tu con el Sporting.  Again in the same vein as the Aalborg home outing Gonzalo outshined Emil. Much as I should be more au fait of the DHB Moly latest developments, I am sad for Emil that he is not part of the players picked for the Poland/Sweden IHF WC come mid January 2023. Jordi Ribera was in Malaga at least on Sunday and the Gonzalo show over the weekend must have pleased him.  Tanto la madre de Jennifer Guttierez rumbo a Algeciras cono Jose Ignacio Prades en la gala ubicada en un cine estuvieron el sabado pero ausentes desgraciadamente el domingo. Noelia Quero del ASOBAL estaba presente el sabado. La familia del balonmano, microcosmo tan sencillo y con much ternura. Los cules hicieron un partido sobresaliente en la secunda parte bastante emprendedora Un Ludo de lujo y tan agradable. Une photo avant de ne rentrer vers le centre e...

  Andalucia se viste de lujo navideno. Y antes de la final de la supercopa tan esperada. La All Star team tiene que estar en el cine a las 9 de la tarde.  La capital de la Costa del Sol será testigo este fin de semana del nacimiento de este atractivo torneo que reúne a los cuatro mejores equipos de España y Portugal   Tras mucha espera y expectación, llegó el momento: este fin de semana nace la  Supercopa Ibérica , el nuevo torneo fruto de la estrecha colaboración entre la  Real Federación Española de Balonmano  y la  Federação de Andebol de Portugal  que reunirá a los cuatro mejores equipos de ambos países.  Barça, Fraikin Granollers, FC Porto y Sporting CP  pelearán por el primer título en esta competición en el Polideportivo Ciudad Jardín de  Málaga , escenario sobre el que brillen las grandes estrellas del balonmano español y luso.   Dos jornadas de competición muy intensas y en las que podremos disfrutar de cuatro plantill...

Champions League week and local league quick successive matches are our bread and butter. Due to late fixture schedule release it was impossible to do a double header Chartes away and Ivry and PSG. Nantes Aalborg was a cracking match but the renewal season is also an imperative. I am still anoyed at the final result between Porto and Magdeburg.  What offence made the German outfit with their sublime kempe? A valid goal and then chalked off. I also missed a FC Barcelona - Kiel when Victor Tomas got his jersey removed. Whoever stole my WM 2013 Spanish flag from Krakow Ergo arena back in 2016 will have a Victor Tomas signed flag. He signed it on that famous Herning dancing night in 2014.   As Spain will be in group A in Krakow and the Qatar Football World Cup in Qatar very nears the last 8 stage very timely to have a quarter final Spain v Denmark image. Lets prepare for IHF2023 in Poland and Sweden. I will be flying to Poland the day after the night we play Oxfoird United aw...

Time to have a go at the good, bad and ugly of EHF 2022 Women’s EURO Ugly Empty arenas, not helped by hefty prices Media accreditations are not given on the basis that it takes out of the pot seats that could be sold. This point makes sense if the event is close to or is bound to be sold-out. These championships had all venues almost three quarters empty. The increase in prices strategy is not the right one. Add to this the very limited advertising and promotion of such event. At none of the airports did we see an advert for it. We did see Ana Gros in the street ads in Slovenia. One does not want to be brain-washed or annoyed by the campaign. There is a balance to be struck. Anyone attending the Montenegro Netherlands or the beginning of Poland – Germany would have been in shock. Inconsistent security measures: unfair, strict & zealous behaviour, unpredictable casus belli, wild open door based on trust I over-reacted to the marker incident.   The security was tight an...

Norway led by example and were a bit nore composed than France. German refs on the night were shambolic. I lost it slightly as I felt the unfair decisions stacking up. We did miss a couple of easy chances. Lessons from Granollers appear to have been forgotten. Scary how Norway got out of jail so quickly. Also France let the game slip with a 7-1 loss in the last ten minutes. Oftedal, Solhberg and Reistad were so impressive. Class exudes when it matters most. Had responded to a Montenegro fan in Skopje saying that Denmark would win the whole thing. Norway confortable winners with a 8-goal drubbing, one more than in Granollers last December.