FC Barcelona won a tenth Handball Champions League on Sunday, June 13, in Cologne, Germany. The Spanish team thus improves its own record in the competition, thanks to its landslide victory in the final against the Danish club Aalborg (36-23). Before this success, the last coronation of the Spanish team, which had ruled out Nantes (31-26) in the semi-finals on Saturday, dated back to 2015.
Beaten in the final of the 2020 edition by the German club Kiel, the Catalan giant was not surprised by Aalborg, a novice at this level of the competition. The Danish team had achieved the feat of dismissing Paris-Saint-Germain (35-33) in the semi-finals on Saturday for its first participation in the Final Four.
Nice end of career for Raul Entrerrios
The Blaugranas applied themselves from the first period to gain the upper hand over the Scandinavian team. With his fast play and a solid Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas in the cage, Barça was five lengths ahead at the break (16-11). The result of an offensive festival after a good start to the Nordic club.
But Aalborg was finally deceived only during the first ten minutes. In the second half, the gap continued to increase. The change of goalkeeper on Aalborg’s side, with the entry of Simon Gade in place of Mikael Aggefors, did not change the turn of the game.
It is an end in apotheosis for several pillars of the Spanish club, whose face will change next season. Head coach since 2009, Xavi Pascual will join Bucharest, like the French pivot Cédric Sorhaindo.
The 40-year-old center-half and captain Raul Entrerrios can put an end to a busy career, including three Champions Leagues with Barça, a world champion title (2005) and two European coronations with the Spain.
“The great captain” can be proud of the Blaugrana who have achieved an exceptional season by winning all their matches, except one, the final of the C1 2020, postponed to December due to the health context. “It’s a great source of pride, because I’ve been chasing for five years”, the Champions League, savored Dika Mem (2 goals), one of the other members of the French colony of Barça, with Ludovic Fabregas (3) and Timothey Nguessan (6).
PSG come in third position
The Paris SG, it remains at zero. He finished for the fourth time on the third step of the podium, winning in front of Nantes (31-28). A consolation prize that will not forget his disillusionment with Aalborg.
“Of course that’s not why we come to the Final Four. But it shows that each time Paris has been able to bounce back from a failure. It’s true that failure hurt, it was hard to take. It’s a whole season that suddenly comes to an end, when it was possible ”, commented left winger Mathieu Grébille.