Samir Bellahcene: “The reality in Kiel is even better than the dream”

“Everything happened so quickly. I had contact with Veszprém in the summer, but things did not work out. So when THW Kiel called, I knew how big an opportunity it was for me, and I’m grateful I was able to join” said the 28-year-old.

Bellahcene insisted on doing things the right way, as he even called Vincent Gérard before moving to Kiel, just so he would not step on his boundaries. “He was very classy, he did not know where to stand because I’m still here to replace him. He is a friend of mine so I did not want him to take things the wrong way.”

This being done, just a couple of days after signing his contract, Bellahcene – who enjoyed his first games with the France national team in April – was on the court in the Wunderino Arena, for the Machineseeker EHF Champions League second round game against Pick Szeged.

When he was 13 years old, he traveled for a handball week run by Nikola Karabatic, then a THW Kiel player. “That was a birthday gift from my parents. I spent a week there, went to a game and Thierry Omeyer came with a jersey as a birthday gift for me. When I came back home, I told my parents that I wanted to be a professional player and play in Kiel” he smiled, before adding: “For all of this to actually happen is a little bit mind-blowing, to be honest.”

But so far, Samir Bellahcene has not had the time to be star-struck. Of course, he might be training with some of the best players in the world, but he has proved why THW Kiel’s staff decided to pick him up. Against Szeged, he made six saves before adding 12 others to his record in round 3, in Bitola against Pelister.

“Everyone has done everything to make me comfortable. The staff is amazing and so are my teammates. So far, the reality is even better than the dream I had. But I know I am here to help the team to work as hard as I can in order to do so” he said.

It had been seven years since Samir Bellahcene last played in the EHF Champions League. If some of you might see him as a newcomer, the reality is that he played a couple of games with former club Montpellier when he was barely 20. After playing for one season in the French club Massy and six others in Dunkerque, the French goalkeeper is now back in the top tier of European handball.

“Of course, that was the motivation to come to Kiel. Just looking at the schedule makes me hungry. Paris Saint-Germain, Aalborg, those are some of the best teams in the world. I’m really looking forward to playing against Kielce on Wednesday at home, the atmosphere is going to be amazing. Those are the kind of games that I used to watch on TV last season, so to be part of it is incredible” Bellahcene concluded.