Hagen Stamm looked around in the Berlin sports landscape – and found an encourager: the BR Volleys. They were recently in the final series for the German championship against VfB Friedrichshafen 0:2 in games and won 3:2. “It shows that anything is possible in sport,” says Stamm.
However, the president of Wasserfreunde Spandau 04 also says with a view to the water polo finals in best-of-five mode against Waspo Hannover: “We should have a little miracle.” The matter on paper is not unsolvable: Spandau has game one 9:12 lost, but kept up for a long time and now plays twice at home (Saturday 4 p.m./Sunday 2 p.m., both in the Schöneberg swimming pool). With two wins, the starting position would suddenly be very good.
Three of the last four championship titles went to Hanover, in the current season Spandau thought they were at eye level again, which the results in the direct duels initially underpinned. But then the problems started a few weeks ago: center Dimitrios Nikolaidis left the club, which had nothing to do with his sporting achievements, as the club officially announced.
Subsequently, coach Petar Kovacevic revealed a desire to move to Tourcoing Lille in France for family reasons. “That caught us off guard,” says Stamm. Kovacevic has been in Berlin for eight years, the contract runs until 2024. “We had a great time and a friendly relationship. We didn’t put any obstacles in his way,” says Hagen Stamm. There are three candidates to choose from as successors.
It’s also difficult in terms of personnel, Marko Stamm will be absent at the weekend because of a rib injury. In addition, Hannover has had three wins – Champions League, cup final and first final game – against Spandau since mid-April. In 2021, the water friends were also behind in the final against Waspo, also had two home games – and lost both. “We definitely want to prevent another march through,” says Hagen Stamm.
