"My 'dark horse' is Melsungen; they have an incredible squad. Then there are four or five of us on the same level. We all have the same chance of finishing second or third." The Berlin team opens the season against Melsungen on Thursday night.
On Saturday evening, the capital's cup winners stood no chance against German champions Magdeburg in the Super Cup, suffering a 31–38 defeat in Munich. "It’s a reality check for everyone," said Gidsel. Nevertheless, he believes the Füchse will have a good season.
"We’ve lost a few types of players, but that also opens up new possibilities. It will take a bit of time, since we’ve played with the same lineup for four years. It’s a process, but I’m actually quite certain, the quality is there," said Gidsel who won the European championship with Denmark in January.
The fact that, on paper, only two other backcourt players are currently in the squad alongside him does not worry Gidsel. He isn't overly concerned about workload or fatigue; he wants to play the full 60 minutes. "If I’m sitting on the bench, I get angry. So, this suits me perfectly," he said.
The 61st season of the Opel Handball Bundesliga gets underway on Thursday with the match between THW Kiel and TBV Lemgo-Lippe.
A total of 306 matches lie ahead for the 18 teams in the Opel Handball Bundesliga, before the league trophy is latest presented on 6 June 2027, following 34 matchdays.