Cup shock for Fivers

Emotional end – “never seen anything like it!”

Team wing Eric Damböck was Fivers' top scorer and saw the red card in the heated finish.(Bild: Fivers/Nigg)

The Fivers lost 28:30 at home to Schwaz in the Cup quarter-final clash, ending the record winners' chances of winning the title. Things got really heated in Hollgasse in the final - and the refereeing duo did not come off well. Team wing Eric Damböck and Co. were very angry.

Packs formed, shoving matches and heated discussions among the players. Shouts of "boo" from the angry fans in the stands. And Fivers wing Eric Damböck, who tore off his jersey in anger, wanted to quit right away.

It was the last minute of the Cup quarter-final hit against league leaders Schwaz, and it was Damböck's team-mate Miskovec and Medic who stopped him on his way to the goal. "Medic grabbed my throwing hand," hissed Eric, who had already been fouled on the wing without punishment. And then, like Medic, saw red - the emotional climax of Saturday's 28:30 home defeat. "I've never seen anything like it," he said, referring to the refereeing duo Gradincic/Seidler, with whom both sides struggled. "Whistling like that and so much emotion - there's no excuse for that," growled Damböck. "It wasn't the better team that won."

Fivers center Leander Brenneis was also unable to avert the Cup exit.(Bild: Fivers/Nigg)

The game: The Viennese handball team trailed 5:8 after just over a quarter of an hour and were 3:3 behind for the first time - at the break it was 10:16. Because Boris Tanic, who returned home and was given a farewell by Fivers boss Thomas Menzl before the game, made a great save in goal. As did his opposite number Leon Bergmann. "Bobo is our party crasher," said Menzl about Marin Martinovic's best friend and best man, who said: "It was very emotional right from the start. Thanks to all the spectators for all the applause for me. I really appreciate it." Tanic had prepared himself conscientiously with his strong cover, "of course I know the shots of my ex-colleagues, but they know me too." The turmoil in the finish? "Emotions are part of it. But I've only seen something like that very, very rarely."

Goalkeeper Boris Tanic returned for the first time and was bid farewell by Fivers boss Thomas Menzl and club soul Sandra Zapletal.(Bild: Fivers/Nigg)

It was impressive that the Fivers tied the scores at 20:20 after the break thanks to a 10:4 run up to the 40th minute, before trailing 23:28 by the 53rd minute. "It's common this season for us to fall behind by a large margin and then catch up," said Head Coach Peter Eckl. "We stood firm, but there were a few unfortunate situations." For example, the record cup winners had to pull out before the Final Four.