German handball trophy found in basement after being reported stolen

"The club believes that suspects stole the trophy from its offices then hid it to retrieve later, but decided against doing so because of media attention around the theft."

"The trophy, which was valued at around 12,000 euros ($13,900) as of 2014, is engraved with the names of champion teams going back decades and had seemed lost."

"After authorities found a silver bar during a series of raids on addresses in January, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office told the Sport Bild newspaper that the suspicion was the trophy had been melted down."

"Fuechse Berlin won't get to hold the trophy again for a while longer, though. The club says it's been taken by the police as evidence."

Fuechse Berlin, Germany's champion men's handball team, discovered its missing trophy in a basement after it was believed stolen and melted down. The trophy, valued at approximately 12,000 euros, went missing in November. The club suspects thieves hid the trophy due to increased media attention. Authorities initially thought the trophy had been melted down after finding a silver bar during raids. The league has canceled plans for a replacement trophy, but the police have taken the trophy as evidence.

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