VIVE TARGI KIELCE’s Historic Victory

The Polish Champions have been taking part in the Champion League group round for the sixth time already. Never before, in the whole tournament history have the Polish team been able to win the Champion League group round, although our teams would even take part in the finals of European Champion Clubs’ Cup; the tournament held previously in the period of 1957 – 1993. So far only two teams have been able to make it; it was Śląsk Wrocław in 1978 that lost in the final match to the German SC Magdeburg 22:28. Wybrzeże Gdańsk (with Bogdan Wenta as one of the team members) had played twice in the finals; in 1986 they lost to the Yugoslavian Metaloplasticie Sabac 24:29 and 23:30. A year later the Pomorskie team was made to yield to the Soviet Union SKA Minsk (the first match 24:32, the other 30:25).

The Kielce team had their first chance to play in the Champions League in the 1999/2000 season. Their another appearance in the group phase was the 2003/2004 season – the team of seven representing the Swietokrzyskie Mountains’ capital had a close brush with the victory; they came third in the group ranked just after the Hungarian Veszper and the Danish Skjern. Vive Targi Kielce had to wait long to fight its way to the next round; they finally pulled it through in the 2009/2010 season.

Last season the Polish Champions were again ranked third in their group in this Old Continent’s most exclusive handball tournament. Th time the Kielce handball players had to surrender to the Spanish Atletico Madrid and MKB Veszprem.

This season the Vive Targi Kielce team had already secured their first position in the C group one round before the Champions League’s group phase was to finish. What is more, they were able to perform so well despite the fact, that it was a turbulent time for the team as some of the leading team players: Manuel Strlek, Ivan Cupić, Denis Buntić and Tomasz Rosiński suffered from contusions.

It is not often the case that Polish sports club win the group phase of the Old Continent’s most prestigious tournaments, regardless the discipline. What is more; the Polish Champions have been an unbeaten teem in the series of nine Champions League matchers.