Jícha After Derby Win in Flensburg: “I’m Very Proud of This Team”
After two exhausting Bundesliga battles, Kiel had just 46 hours to reset before stepping into one of the toughest arenas in Germany. Yet they found enough composure, enough saves, and enough leadership to take the first step in a two-part European League duel with SG Flensburg-Handewitt.
“I’m very proud of the team that played today. After two brutally hard Bundesliga games, coming here 46 hours later and winning requires players who take responsibility,” Jícha said, highlighting the cold-blooded impact of Rasmus and the decisive goalkeeping of Andreas Wolff. “Rasmus was incredibly composed, Andi made important saves, Nikola managed the game well. It was important that we kept our calm.”
Still, the THW coach admitted it didn’t feel like a “classic” derby night — because this was only halftime in the bigger story.
“Derbies are usually all-or-nothing, today it was only the first half,” Jícha explained. “I’ve always stressed that every goal matters. We have to do our homework against Irun and then put everything into the return leg — the second half against Flensburg.”
Kiel were also forced to improvise without key names, but Jícha framed the situation as an investment in the future — minutes that turn into confidence.
“Today we wanted to deliver the next highlight without Eric and Elias; we wanted to go through with it. Because this is where you gain experience,” he said, before singling out his young backcourt option. “Rasmus knew he would be brought on early. He deserves special praise.”
On the other side, SG coach Aleš Pajović felt his team had the chances to flip the result late, but paid for a flat start after the break.
“We had a poor start to the second half… Toward the end we fought our way back, but in the last minutes we missed five 100-percent chances, which Wolff saved brilliantly,” Pajović noted.
And Wolff himself, once again central in a big Kiel moment, described the emotional weight of finally beating Flensburg again.
“The derby win feels really awesome,” Wolff said. “It’s great that after the strong game against Magdeburg we were able to pick up right where we left off today… This win means a lot to me too, because I can’t even remember exactly when I last actually managed to beat Flensburg.”
For Jícha, the broader picture is just as important as the adrenaline of the night: Kiel are showing freshness after the European Championship, and they’re growing with each high-pressure test.
“The win in Mannheim was a maturity test, the win against Magdeburg was extraordinary… and then we win here with this team in Flensburg, where it’s always difficult,” he said — before giving his players a simple reward for an intense week.
“That’s why the guys have earned a day off tomorrow.”
