Barcelona claims 13th European handball title, defeats Füchse Berlin

FC Barcelona secured its record 13th European club handball championship title on Sunday, defeating Füchse Berlin 37-34 in the final match held in Cologne.

The Catalan team controlled the game from the outset, never trailing. They established a significant lead between the 16th and 22nd minutes, extending a narrow 9-8 advantage to 14-9. Barcelona's defense was particularly strong in the first half, focusing on neutralizing Füchse's top scorer, Mathias Gidsel.

While Gidsel improved in the second half, Füchse Berlin could not reduce the deficit to fewer than two goals. Luis Frade led Barcelona's scoring with seven goals, supported by six goals each from Blaz Janc and Aleix Gomez. Goalkeeper Emil Nielsen made 14 saves.

For Füchse Berlin, Gidsel was the top scorer with eight goals, while Lasse Andersson and Tim Freihoefer each scored seven. This marks the second consecutive year Füchse Berlin has reached the final but fallen short of the title. Magdeburg secured third place by defeating Aalborg.