"To be honest, I still can’t quite believe it myself, but the trophy is back. We can all be happy that this tradition lives on and that the teams who have won it, and those who will win it in the future, can once again hold it in their hands," said managing director Bob Hanning. Previously, it had been assumed that thieves had melted down the trophy.
Burglars broke into the headquarters last November and reportedly took cash as well as the trophy. The Füchse filed a report, and the criminal police arrested two suspects in mid-January. However, the story since then has taken a surprising twist.
"Recently, a remarkable discovery was made by chance in the basement rooms of the headquarters. The thieves had cleverly hidden the championship trophy there, planning to retrieve it at a later time. However, the publicity around the case likely made them abandon their plan," said Füchse in their statement.
The Berlin club, featuring three-time World Handball Player of the Year Mathias Gidsel, won the championship for the first time in the summer of 2025.