Linz for handball title

“Now is the time to write history

For only the second time this millennium, Handball-Linz will contest a showdown for the championship title on Wednesday. It would be the first for the Upper Austrians since 1996. The players see the odds in Hard at 50:50, President Bernhard Ditachmair believes 100 percent in his team. 

The handball tradition in Linz and Upper Austria is great and glorious - but the great successes were a long time ago. HC Linz, which has always played in Austria's top division since 1974, has won the championship seven times. All titles were won in the 1980s and then 90s, when money was virtually abolished at Linde Linz. Now the Steel Cities team, which reached the final in 2002, 2003 and 2023, is just one win away from the title for only the second time this millennium ahead of the showdown in Hard on Tuesday (20:20/live on ORF Sport+, on krone.tv)!

Even chances
In 2003, the decisive final in Hard was lost 23:29. For Tuesday, Milan Vunjak's team's chances are even after the 26:32 in Hard and the 36:28 in Linz: "We don't have the quality of Hard, but we've also found ourselves fighting - the odds are 50:50," says Lucijan Fizuleto, whose seven has less pressure.

Start & daily form important
"It will be a great game, even more combative - 50:50!", says Moritz Bachmann, another player in the backcourt, where a lot will depend on the outstanding Mislav Grgic. As well as on the strong 6-0 defense, the top energy in the team, the fantastic shooting percentage of Kislinger & Co, goalie Kaiper and Stojanovic, who won the duel with Babic.

"The response to Game 1 was clear"
"It's going to be a really hot game! Hard have home advantage, but many fans will be there to support Linz, who will go in with confidence. That will be decisive: Who comes in better? Who has the better day? 50:50!", says ÖHB sports director Paco Fölser. And Linz boss Bernhard Ditachmair explains: "Our response to game 1 was clear. Now it's time to write history!"