Miscellaneous

ASC Grünwettersbach has been the subject of much discussion during the summer break and is one of the two teams playing in the TTBL opening match. In this interview, manager Martin Werner talks about Karlsruhe's Champions League debut, newly signed double world champion Hiroto Shinozuka and expectations for Olympic candidate Ricardo Walther.

Martin Werner, your team, ASC Grünwettersbach, along with Post SV Mühlhausen, will have the honour of playing the prestigious opening match of the 60th anniversary season of the TTBL on Wednesday. Does it feel any different from a ‘normal’ season opener?

Not really. Of course, there is a lot of excitement ahead of the first match of the season, and we face a very, very difficult task away in Mühlhausen. So for us, the fact that it is the TTBL opening match is not that important. For us, it is also the start of a ‘busy week’ with a TTBL match and three matches in the Champions League Stage 1. It will be tough: four matches in five days!

You mention it: a few days later, both teams will be in Novi Sad for the Champions League preliminary round tournament, battling it out for a place in the last 16. What are your club's priorities for the last week of August?

We always want to score points. There is no game we go into expecting to lose! We want to score points in Mühlhausen, knowing full well that Post SV is a force to be reckoned with at home and that the team has also strengthened considerably. In the Champions League, we want to advance to the next round! In summary, there are no priorities, as we want to celebrate success in both competitions.

What does the debut in the Champions League mean for ASC in general?

Well, it wasn't actually planned and means a considerable amount of extra work, financially for the club and athletically for the team. But since we qualified for the Champions League through two years in the ETTU Cup, we wanted to take on this adventure. Our fans and partners can hardly wait for it to start. There is no other club in our region that competes in the Champions League in any sport, which reinforced our decision to participate. It's a huge step for a small club like ASC, one we couldn't even have dreamed of years ago.

Champions League participants are considered heavyweights in national football and handball leagues. Do you see ASC playing a similar role in the TTBL?

No! There are many very strong teams in the TTBL, such as the current German champions TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen, who are not competing in the Champions League. Last season's Champions League final was between 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT and Borussia Düsseldorf... Those are different ‘heavyweights’! You have to make a clear distinction there. It won't be an easy task either, as there are other matches the team has to master. It could easily backfire. We have to make sure that the lads don't get burned out and hopefully remain injury-free.

A club from Europe's top 25 can certainly set ambitious goals for the season. What has your team set out to achieve?

We want to move away from the bottom two places in the TTBL as quickly as possible, which will be no easy feat given the strength of the league! In the Champions League, we would like to reach the round of 16. That would be a huge success! Perhaps this doesn't seem ambitious, but in my opinion it is realistic. We are experienced enough to know what can happen in a season.

Grünwettersbach starts the season with two away games. After Novi Sad, ASC will face TTC OE Clarity Telefonie-Systeme Bad Homburg. Would you have preferred to celebrate your home debut earlier?

It's fine for us. In Baden-Württemberg, we have late school holidays, which is actually not a bad thing for us, as we need a lot of volunteers for our home games and some of them are still on holiday at that time. Planning the match days is actually an impossible task for those responsible at the TTBL, which is why I would like to point out that this has been solved in an outstanding manner given the circumstances and existing hurdles!

Grünwettersbach is not only playing in the Champions League for the first time, but also has a world champion in its squad for the first time. What are the expectations for double world champion Hiroto Shinozuka?

We hope that Hiroto will settle in quickly and feel at home here. With his schedule, it will be very difficult to keep him in top shape all the time. But of course, we hope that he will help us to be more balanced and also a little more unpredictable. I think everyone at ASC is really looking forward to having him here; if he can pick up a few points, I'll be very happy.

What led to the Japanese player joining ASC?

I think our former player Masataka ‘Masa’ Morizono played a part in this. We still have a warm relationship with him today. I believe he told Hiroto about his time with us. Maybe a little luck was involved too.

In Saarbrücken, the signing of Olympic champion Fan Zhendong led to a hype-like rush for tickets. Are you noticing a similar world champion effect in your club?

Yes, we are. For the first time since our promotion to the TTBL, we had to stop selling season tickets so that we would still have enough individual tickets for the matches. Of course, the overall strength of the league also played a role, as some teams have strengthened considerably.

Last season, your team scored 16 out of 22 points in the doubles. Are you relying on this ASC speciality again in the new season?

You can never count on that! That wasn't the case last season either. First of all, doubles pairs have to be found. That will also be the coach's job.

Shinozuka isn't your only big-name signing. Tobias Hippler, whose development at national level is being closely followed by many, is getting his first chance in the TTBL with ASC. What are your expectations of him?

‘Tobi’ is already playing a hugely important role in our preparations. As well as the TTBL team, he's also looking after our lads in the second team and another new signing, Damian Floro. Damian has just turned 17, so I'm very happy that ‘Tobi’ is supporting him. I'm really looking forward to seeing ‘Tobi’ in action; he has been given a very warm welcome in Grünwettersbach and has already settled in really well at the club. He will play an important role for us in all areas. He is a team player through and through!

Any discussion about ASC always includes the topic of Ricardo Walther. ‘Ric’ has attracted international attention several times in recent months, most recently at the Europe Smash in Malmö. How much does Walther's status as a candidate for the German Olympic team in 2028 affect personnel planning for individual matches?

I am very happy for Ric that things are going so well for him internationally! I therefore hope that he can carry this form over to the ASC. Despite all the joy surrounding his WTT successes, what counts for us, of course, are points for the club! Ric must lead the way at the ASC and also take on responsibility. However, he has already shown several times in the ASC jersey that he can do this!

Thank you very much for talking to us, Martin Werner.

Interview: Florian Manzke