Fivers at Olympiakos

Off to the witches’ cauldron – ready for a “groovy” game!

Fivers coach Fabio Schuh will lead the Viennese team as captain into the duel at Olympiakos.

(Bild: Toni Nigg)

A tough number! The Fivers visit last year's finalists Olympiakos Piraeus in the European Cup on Saturday, aiming for a respectable result in the first leg of the second round. "Let's make it a great match", demands coach Peter Eckl, who is missing captain Martinovic due to illness. The "Krone" will be there live.

"Welcome to Greece!" reads a banner in the wooden parquet hall in Chalkida, a coastal town just over an hour's bus ride from Athens. This is where the Fivers will face Olympiakos Piraeus in the first leg of the second round of the European Handball Cup on Saturday (17:00 CET). The local, almost 100-year-old traditional club is known from many sports, especially soccer. Someone who played for the Fivers as well as in Greece and therefore has the best insight: Thomas Bauer. Austria's former team keeper, who became champion with the Red & Whites from Piraeus in 2022, tells the "Krone": "Olympiakos currently has no real sporting home and plays partly in Chalkida, where the Greek national team is also based. But it can be fun there too. Sometimes the soccer crowd comes and creates a really loud atmosphere with chants."

The Fivers Friday evening at the final training session in Chalkida.

(Bild: Toni Nigg)

The 38-year-old Bauer was previously with AEK Athens, where he even won the EHF Cup and the treble. Playing with Olympiakos against his former club from the Greek capital was particularly explosive for him. "There were threats on social media that my wife shouldn't come to the city. It can get very charged. Nationally, as in soccer, no guest fans are allowed into the halls. But it was still a cool time for me."

Former team keeper Thomas Bauer knows the Fivers and Greek handball.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

How does Bauer, who now keeps goal for Bad Vöslau and is a family man, assess the starting position? "It's a dream draw for both clubs. The Fivers are playing in a southern country, Olympiakos can come to the beautiful city of Vienna. The Greeks are the favorites and have a superbly assembled team with home team players and legionnaires, some of whom have already played in the German Bundesliga." The goal of the Hellas champions is to win the European Cup.

The Fivers are in good hands at the Hotel Almira Mare in a bay of Chalkida.

(Bild: Toni Nigg)

Last season, they came close in the final against Valur (Iceland). They lost 30:26 on the road and 31:27 at home after regulation time before losing 5:4 on penalties. Bauer is hoping for a strong performance from the Fivers. "We need a good goalkeeping performance and Olympiakos to have a bad day. I hope that a lot is still possible for the boys from Hollgasse in the home game, which I want to come to."

Fivers coach Peter Eckl on the journey to Chalkida.

(Bild: Toni Nigg)

Creating a good starting position would be another international exclamation mark for the Fivers - "club soul" and head of the junior team Sandra Zapletal is the head of the delegation. Head coach Peter Eckl is missing captain Marin Martinovic ("vice" Fabio Schuh takes over) and Philipp Gangel due to illness, but is nevertheless in good spirits. "We have to be ready," he demanded at the final training session. "Olympiakos is physically strong and plays attractive handball. Even if we go into this clash as underdogs, we want to put up a good fight. Let's use this opportunity to play a great game in this arena."

West Vienna was really strong in the first second-round duel. The green boy group, which recently celebrated its first HLA win since being promoted again with a 30:28 victory over champions Linz, won 29:22 (13:13) at Vestmanna IF on the Faroe Islands on Friday evening. Top scorers Clemens Möstl, Jonas Kofler (4 each) and Co. can already seal their promotion to the third round in the second leg at the same venue on Saturday (18, CET).