Fivers showed up

Full steam ahead in the play-offs! “A huge opportunity”

Fivers forward Fabio Schuh was top scorer (9) against Schwaz and was sure-footed on seven-meters.(Bild: Toni Nigg)

The Fivers put down an exclamation marker at the end of the HLA basic round, defeating Schwaz by a clear 39:31 in Hollgasse and preventing the Tyroleans from jumping back into first place. Boss Tom Menzl was relieved and now waits for the pick for the quarter-final series.

Wow! The Fivers' handball team dispatched top team Schwaz 39:31 in the final game of the basic round on Saturday evening. Club boss Tom Menzl celebrated with top scorer Schuh, the strong Dvorak and co. And he spoke to the "Krone" about...

the win against the Tyroleans: "Nice attacks, quick counter-attacks and outstanding offensive cover - that was an exclamation mark at the right time, is good for the team and therefore makes me extremely happy."

Fivers boss Tom Menzl was delighted with the win against Schwaz.(Bild: Toni Nigg)

Sixth place in the basic round: "Not satisfactory! Despite good performances for the most part, we were often not rewarded because there were always difficult phases in the game. For example, when we missed seven-meter penalties and top chances or lost our heads at times. That's also due to the fact that the team is really young, especially at center, wing and goalkeeper."

a "dream draw" for the quarter-finals, if the top four are allowed to pick: "We have to take what comes. With our home wins against Schwaz, Hard, Bregenz and Krems, we've proven that we can keep up with the top teams. Peter (note: coach Eckl) will prepare the boys perfectly. We can make the season look completely different with just a few games. That's a huge opportunity."

Florentin Dvorak also showed up against Schwaz.(Bild: Toni Nigg)

theleague's legionnaire problem: "First the gentlemen's agreement was dropped, before the season the Austrian pot - clubs with a lot of legionnaires had to pay into it, which benefited those who had fewer or no legionnaires. Now the league is facing a flood of foreign players. There were already 55 at the start of the season - without us, because we don't have any, that's five per club! I see that as problematic, it means fewer opportunities for young players to develop."

the consequences of the European Championship boom: "What Austria's men around captain Bilyk, Hutecek and co. who trained with us have achieved is admirable. It also helps domestic clubs. The first indication: many children want to start and the number of spectators has risen, by 20 percent for us alone."