- This story plays out like an episode of some weekly sports crime show.
It’s always sad when a champion loses their trophy. In Germany, however, such an incident took place outside the court.
The championship trophy was stolen.
Fuechse Berlin, a handball team from Germany’s capital, is currently the sport’s reigning champion in the country. Late last year, however, the handball league trophy — a large all-silver plate — was stolen from the team’s headquarters.
The good news was that the police were able to track down the criminals relatively quickly. The bad news was that they had destroyed the trophy by melting it down.
Or that’s what people thought. The case recently took a strange turn when Fuechse Berlin suddenly informed the public that they had found the trophy.
It had been in their basement the entire time.
The team believes that the thieves hid the trophy there and planned to retrieve it later. However, they never got the chance, and now the trophy is back in the hands where it belongs.
Or, well, not really. The police have confiscated the silver plate as evidence in the criminal case.
A Priceless (and Expensive) Trophy
Fuechse Berlin is a professional handball team hailing from Germany’s capital that plays in the Handball-Bundesliga, the country’s top league. The team was founded 135 years ago, it has a long history, but it achieved its first championship only in 2025.
Fuechse Berlin is the reigning handball champion in its league. In recognition of the team’s exploits, it currently holds the Meisterschale, or the championship trophy plate.
And what a plate it is. The championship plate is a priceless artifact for handball, as the names of all past champions are engraved on it.
But it’s also valuable in monetary terms. Measuring more than 18 inches across and weighing nearly 6.5 pounds, the plate is made entirely out of 925 sterling silver.
Its value is estimated to be roughly $14,000 in terms of its silver content. So, you can see why somebody might want to steal it.
A Daring Theft
Theft is exactly what happened. In November 2025, Fuechse Berlin shared sad news with its fans.
Someone had broken into the team’s head office and stolen some valuables. In addition to some cash, the thieves made away with the Meisterschale.
The loss was devastating, but Fuechse had taken precautions.
“We have footage of the crime because we have hidden a camera in the room. We hope that everything will be cleared up quickly,” the team’s director, Bob Hanning, told German media.
The Lost Trophy
Indeed, the cops did quickly get on the thieves’ trail. In January 2026, they carried out a series of raids on addresses where members of the gang were believed to live.
Many of the suspects were arrested. The cops also found the Meisterschale — sort of.
In the possession of one of the criminals, the police discovered a large silver bar. They believed that this was the championship plate, melted down for sale.
The news of the plate’s destruction came as a shock to all German handball fans. If there was a silver lining (pun unintended), it was that the trophy’s loss didn’t compromise Fuecsse’s status as champions.
“We consider that Fuechse Berlin are still in possession of the original bowl,” the Handball-Bundesliga said at the time.
Hidden in the Basement
Recently, however, Fuechse Berlin made an incredible discovery that seems too good to be true. On March 23, 2026, the team posted a statement on its website announcing the great news.
The Maisterschale had returned.
By a complete stroke of luck, the championship plate was found in the basement of Fuechse’s office. The team believes the burglars had planned to come back for the trophy later, but the media frenzy around the theft discouraged them.
“The thieves had cleverly hidden the championship trophy there, intending to steal it later. Publicity likely deterred them, though. The risk of being caught seemed too great even for the would-be thieves,” the team wrote.
To the relief of the entire European handball community, Fuechse now has the coveted trophy ban in its possession. Well, in spirit at least, since it still can’t have the plate back in its office.
“The criminal investigation department has collected all evidence and seized the championship trophy as a piece of evidence,” wrote Fuechse.
Here’s hoping the investigation wraps up soon and the champions can enjoy their trophy again.