Top Handball Transfers 2015: Part II

GamingZion reviews the transfers that make considerable transformations in the squads of Europe’s top handball clubs for the season 2015/16.

In the previous articles GamingZion had a look at some of the most attractive transfers for the following season between Europe’s top handball clubs. The preparations of the clubs are soon about the start since the traditional summer tournaments all over Europe are starting in the middle of August,

• The handball transfer market is at its high
• Flensburg made considerable changes in their squad
• Kopljar and Syprzak only “an extra” in Barcelona

reports gambling news. Which teams will become stronger and which one less competitive after the bargain is done is something we will see in the following weeks. We continue in the next articles to review some of the most influential transfers on the market that will make considerable transformations in the team’s squads in the upcoming season.

Rasmus Lauge Schmidt and the new Flensburg

Although it was considered to be a great reinforcement for THW Kiel two years ago, Rasmus Lauge Schmidt didn’t fulfill the expectations. And his failure to do so was not a surprise for hadnabll fans. In the past two seasons, THW Kiel, had collected the cream of world class central backs: Domagoj Duvnjak, Aron Palmarson and Joan Canellas. A place for a young center who still needs to learn the tricks of the game was simply not an option. In the end it was only confirmed what many handball experts foresaw: his transfer in one of the most successful power houses in European handball was a real debacle for the development of the young Dane.

However, now he has a chance to come back again on the right track. SG Flensburg-Handewitt already presented the 1,96m tall Rasmus Lauge as their player in the following three years. Working with Ljuba Vranjes will definitely help Lauge Schmidt to develop into one of world’s top center back. In an interview for Flensburg’s web page Ljubomir Vranjes stated that with Rasmus Lauge the style of Flensburg will be even more varied and that he is looking forward to work with him, since his potential to develop further, Vranjes highly rates.

In the next year Flesburg Handewitt will have one of the most attractive teams not only in the Handball Bundesliga but on a European level too. Beside Rasmus Lauge, Flensburg will be the new-old team of Petar Djordjic, who played in the Flens Arena two years ago when he switched to Hamburg (HSV). Ljuba Vranjes will also have on disposition two more players from HSV: the Danish pivot Henrik Toft Hansen and the super talented French central back Kentin Mahe. Everyone who bet on sports in the US, is willing to see how the new Flensburg team is going to look like in the following season. They start their 2015/16 march at the end of this month on the Jacob Cement Cup.

Marko Kopljar and Kamil Syprzak for even more stronger Barcelona?

Both Marko Kopljar and Kamil Syprzak are considered to be in the highest ranked handball players today. And both of them will be definitely of great significance in many teams, but don't seem to be the winner poker for Barcelona. One thing is sure: if Xavi Pasqual takes them in his team then he must have a plan. But for the handball fans this is not as so obvious. And the reason might be that the “blaugranas“ still hasn't finished with this year's transfers.

The Croatian right back comes in Barcelona after three years spend in Paris Saint-Germain Handball (PSG Handball). If Barcelona’s squad remains still till the beginning of the season his co-players on the same position will be super star Kiril Lazarov and the Spanish Eduardo Gurbindo. However to suppose that Barcelona will play with three left handers in a situation when the best player in the world, Nikola Karabatic, who plays on the left back position, left the club, is not really plausible. Kiril Lazarov has already extended his contract with the Catalan team, and the star will definitely remain the first choice for the right back position in the following season. But who will be the second is an open question. What now seems most probable is that either Gurbindo will leave the club or Pasqui will assign him a new role in the team.



Kamil Syprzak’s transfer in Barcelona also creates an extra in the team. The Catalans already have on that position world class pivots like the Danish veteran Jesper Nodesbo and the French center Cederic Sorhaindo. Although Syprzak is a star in the rise in world’s handball and can definitely compete for the position of starter in Barcelona along with Nodesbo and Sorhaindo, it is difficult to imagine that there will be matches where the three pivots will play together. The transfer of the 23-years old Polish representative is of course a profitable investing for the future of the club, but how it is going to function in the next season is not very clear.

But extra or not, the transfers of Kopljar and Syprzak don’t change the rating of Barcelona when online sportsbooks in the EU are concerned. They are still rated as favorites for winning the domestic ASOBAL league and the Champions League. The departure of Karabatic lowers a bit their chances, but if the speculations about Mikkel Hansen coming back to the “blaugranas” become true, then the Catalans will again be top favorites with distinction in the Champions league next year.