IBWF Champions Cup Final in Valladolid, Spain
Early on Thursday morning the new ten-time German Champions RSV Lahn-Dill will leave for their last weekend “at work” of this season 2012/2013. The team will travel via the Spanish capital Madrid to then go by bus another 220 kilometres northwest to the capital of the region Castilla y Leon.
The Wetzlar Rollis will arrive in the 320.000 inhabitant city at the river Pisuerga as title defendants, but not as favourites for this year’s title. That is definitely the role of last year’s second team and ex-Champions Galatasaray Istanbul, who is looking forward to revenge after their 64:79-final-defeat in May 2012.
The venue this year with room for about 6.800 spectators is Arena Polideportivo Pisuerga at Plaza de Méjico, where the German Champions and Cup Winners are one of the European top teams, but not a favourite of the tournament with their young new team. Still, RSV are travelling confidently to the Iberian peninsula, after coming out on top twice this year despite the personnel changes.
The situation for the international tournament is definitely comparable with the situation in Germany this past season, as experts also predicted a tough time for Nicolai Zeltinger’s team in the Bundesliga. But during an exciting season the team around captain Michael Paye grew to become a strong unit and triumphed in the end, whilst the opposition from Zwickau and Elxleben had to watch.
RSV’s opposition
The title defendants find themselves in a very strong and tough group, with high-class European teams from Istanbul, Madrid and Santo Stefano. The opponents on Friday at 15:45 o’clock will be the latter team, who are still an unknown quantity on international level. Santo Stefano were third in the Italian league, but lost against Cantu in the semi-finals.
On the same day in the evening the duel against Spanish serial-Champions Madrid will take place at 20.15 o’clock, where RSV will re-unite with Petr Tucek who used to play for Zwickau. Together with Australian Bill Latham and Briton Terry Bywater the Czech player is quite a threat as those three build a physically powerful trio. The team that is stronger than ever is completed by National players and brothers Alejandro and Pablo Zarzuela.
On Saturday last year’s final opposition and top-favourite Galatasaray Istanbul await RSV Lahn-Dill at 12.30 o’clock. After their defeat at home the team surrounding top-stars Matt Scott (USA), Tristan Knowles (Australia) and Piotr Luszinski and Mateusz Filipski has been upped with great names. Also new members in coach Sedat Inescu’s team are Frenchman Soufiane Mehdaoui and Bremen-born and former Bundesliga-player Mustafa Korkmaz.
If RSV manage to get first or second in this preliminary group, they would again have jumped the hurdle to becoming one of the top four teams in Europe. “This is going to be a very demanding task, and the key-game will probably be the one against Madrid.” Coach Nicolai Zeltinger is aware of the tough times ahead, but trusts in his young and willing team. “By winning the cup and the league we fuelled up on confidence and grew together as a unit.”
For Joe Bestwick, Christopher Huber and assistant coach Ralf Neumann this weekend in Valladolid will also be their premiere at the European Champions League. The two coaches are travelling with a full squad of thirteen players, and even had to drop one of them. Instead of David Amend, who will be travelling but not playing, Annabel Breuer came back in after her start with RSV in December.