Löwen top scorer Kirkeløkke aims for successful farewell

Rhein-Neckar Löwen have two different faces in this season: a smiling face in the EHF European League and a sad face in the German Bundesliga. The former German champions rank only 11th in the domestic championship, so all hopes for a sweet end of the season are on the EHF Finals on 25/26 May.

One of Löwen’s key players at Barclays Arena, where they lock horns with domestic rivals Füchse Berlin, is their top scorer in both competitions: Niclas Kirkeløkke, who scored 148 goals in the Bundesliga and 85 in the EHF European League, including 79 since the start of the group matches. Only Dinamo Bucuresti right wing Andrii Akimenko has scored more goals: 83.

“I have not thought about being the top scorer in both competitions at the start of the season, and I rather would have won more matches in domestic competitions if I could choose,” says Kirkeløkke.

The 30-year-old Danish right back scored heavily against two teams from Lisbon – 14 times in a 36:35 away win against Sport Lisboa e Benfica, and 10 times in the first leg of the quarter-final against Sporting CP (32:29).

“Definitely, our performances in the European League were much better than in the Bundesliga. I really do not know why, but maybe we started well on the international stage and got this momentum and the confidence which we did not have in the league. We took both competitions seriously and put the same effort into them,” Kirkeløkke says.

After eliminating former EHF Champions League winners Vardar with two wins in the qualification round, Löwen continued in the group matchs with a five-game winning streak before they lost at HBC Nantes, followed by a surprise 29:26 defeat in their main round opener against Górnik Zabrze in Poland.

But this was the turning point in Kirkeløkke’s opinion: “Except the defeat in Zabrze, we played a strong European League season. We showed a great home match against Nantes, and after the really weak performance at Zabrze we struck back and won six matches in a row.”

Twice they beat German rivals TSV Hannover-Burgdorf in the main round, twice they beat former EHF Finals participants RK Nexe in the play-offs.

Next up were Sporting CP, who had beaten both Füchse and Dinamo twice, and who were seen by many as favourites in this quarter-final with their talented Costa brothers in fine form. But Rhein-Neckar Löwen built the base for the ticket to Hamburg with a 32:29 win in the first leg at home.

“This match against Sporting was one of our best games of the season, it was a proof of our will. For sure, we could have even won in a clearer way – by five or seven goals – and maybe would not have had such a thriller in Lisbon, where (Löwen goalkeeper) David Späth was extremely important,” Kirkeløkke says.

Späth, the young German international goalkeeper, saved 15 shots in Lisbon, adding to his 16 saves from the home leg.

For the second time after they hosted the inaugural edition in 2021 (and lost in the semi-final against Löwen), Löwen appear at the EHF Finals. They also played the finals tournament of the former EHF Cup in 2013.

“Especially after a season like this, to make it onto the podium in Hamburg would be a very special icing on the cake. This would mean so much for us, we are all eager to make it again,” says Kirkeløkke.

He hopes for a similar success like at the final weekend of the German cup in Cologne in 2023, when Löwen arrived as underdogs but left with the trophy, having beaten Flensburg in the semi-final and SC Magdeburg in the final.

“Maybe we like this role of underdogs, but Füchse Berlin have a world-class squad, play an outstanding season, and for such a long time we could not beat them in any competition,” says the Dane, referring to the fact that, including that 2021 semi-final of the EHF European League, Füchse have won the last seven matches against Löwen.

Kirkløkke will be up against several fellow Danish internationals in the Füchse squad: Mathias Gidsel, Hans Lindberg, and Lasse Andersson.

“You get used to face Danish players in German or international competitions. But it is still always fun to meet your friends. You talk before and after the matches, but for 60 minutes you are opponents, everybody wants to win.”

The EHF Finals in Hamburg are something special for Kirkeløkke anyway, as he leaves the club after the season to join their potential final opponents, SG Flensburg-Handewitt, who he sees as favoruites in their semi-final against Dinamo Bucuresti.

“To finish my five years at Löwen with another trophy would be a perfect farewell,” says the 2023 world champion and EHF EURO 2024 silver medallist.

Photos © 2024 Max Krause; João Pedro Morais; Ivan Ćosić