The German handball champion SC Magdeburg has to do without the Swedish European champion Oscar Bergendahl in the final spurt of the season.
“I don’t have to be a clairvoyant to say that we probably won’t see him on the record in the next few weeks,” said SCM trainer Bennet Wiegert after the defeat in the DHB Cup final against the Rhein-Neckar Löwen (34:36 after a seven-meter throw).
The line runner injured his ankle in the semi-final against TBV Lemgo Lippe. In the final he was on the field for a short time, but shortly afterwards Wiegert took him down again.
“He wasn’t fit to play. We should look at everyone and give him a break, which he probably needs and which is far too long for us,” said a frustrated Wiegert. Bergendahl was signed after the World Cup as a replacement for Danish world champion Magnus Saugstrup, who had suffered a knee injury.
Despite missing out on the cup triumph, Magdeburg still have two titles in their sights this season. In the Bundesliga, the team from Saxony-Anhalt, third in the table, has good chances of successfully defending their title. In the Champions League, SCM is fighting against the Polish club Wisla Plock for a place in the Final Four, which, like the final round of the DHB Cup, is taking place in the Lanxess Arena in Cologne.