Harald Reinkind played a starring role as Kiel took their long stride to gold in the Bundesliga on Wednesday. Bergenseren scored nine goals as Wetzlar were thrashed 38-23

Kiel along with Reinkind (30), Sander Sagosen (27) and Petter Øverby (31) are now just one point away from the title, which for the German handball club is at least as important as winning the Champions League.

More than 10,000 set a golden mood Wednesday night.

– This full house and atmosphere, you don’t get it anywhere else. I can’t get enough of it, he says Reinkind to the Kiel website.

Sander Sagosen scored seven goals and six assists in his last home game at the Wunderino Arena in the northern German city.

At the same time, his future club Kolstad won the Norwegian play-offs after depriving Elverum of all three titles.

Petter Øverby had a strong first season for Kiel. He scored two goals against Wetzlar.

Harald Reinkind has no plans to follow Sagosen back to Norway. After four years at Rhein Neckar Löwen, he will end his fifth season in Kiel. He has scored 845 goals for the North German giants.

– Kiel is home to me and my family, says Reinkind, who married Lise Marie Karlsen Hagen last summer. The couple has two children.

Now Reinkind & co. just one point away from home against Frisch auf Göppingen on Sunday to claim their 23rd league gold. After two consecutive league titles in 2020 and 2021, the club had to watch Magdeburg claim the title last season.

Christian O’Sullivan’s club are the only ones who can take gold from Kiel. But that requires four points against Stuttgart (Thursday) and Wetzlar (Sunday) – at the same time Kiel should fall at Göppingen.

Magdeburg also still has a chance to win the Champions League. The national team captain’s club will meet Barcelona in the semifinals on June 17. Kiel was eliminated by PSG in the quarter-finals.