The women's handball team of Thüringer HC dramatically squandered another triumph in the European League. The team coached by Herbert Müller lost the final against hosts JDA Bourgogne Dijon Handball by 25:29 (15:6) at the Final Four in Dijon after a dominant first half. Johanna Reichert was the Bundesliga club's best scorer with eight goals.
The Thuringians made a furious start to the game. They made consistent use of their chances in attack and paralyzed the French club's flow of play with their agile defense, who went almost eleven minutes without scoring. The THC led 11:2 after 16 minutes, but director Natsuki Aizawa had to leave the court a short time later with a facial injury. The Bundesliga club found it much more difficult in attack from then on, but was initially able to rely on its outstanding goalkeeper Laura Kuske, who had already made ten saves by the break.
Dijon looked transformed after the break and produced a 6:1 run to cut the deficit to 12:16 (37'). Müller responded with a timeout, but the THC was still not able to contain the French club's fast-paced play. As a result, Dijon took the lead for the first time in the 53rd minute (22:21). The Thuringians were no longer able to counter and ended up losing by a clear margin.
