Handball: Crazy journey pays off for Icelanders

The 2700-kilometre trip was only worthwhile for FH Hafnarfjördur because of a seven-metre throw. The Icelandic club won 4-3 at HC St. Petersburg in Russia and is thus in the third round of the EHF Cup.

The curious showdown took place in St. Peter’s. Petersburg on Sunday at 12 noon local time. Birkir Fannar Bragasson became a hero. The Hafnarfjördur goalkeeper saved two seven-meters of the hosts, while the Icelanders only put one throw on the bar.

The wild journey of the Icelanders to Russia – only to throw a few seven meters – had become necessary due to a wrong interpretation of the rules by the referees. After St.. Petersburg on 15. After having won the return leg of the second round in Russia on 16 October with 32:27 and thus exactly equalising the result of the first leg, an extra time was played on instructions from the non-party side.

The Russians were defeated in the overtime, but thereupon successfully protested. The reason for this is that the rules of the EHF-Cup stipulate that in the event of a tie, a seven-metre throw must be carried out immediately after the regular playing time.

This seven-metre throwing has now been decided and will go down in history as a curiosity. In the third round Hafnarfjördur will be dealing with the Slovak representative Tatran Presov.