Hammerlos for SC Magdeburg: The German handball champions meet defending champions and record winners FC Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Champions League. That was the result of the draw in Cologne, where the Final Four will take place again on June 17th and 18th.
France’s top club Paris Saint-Germain and the Polish champions KS Kielce with the German national goalkeeper Andreas Wolff determine the second participant in the final.
“Barcelona are the big favourites,” said Magdeburg captain Christian O’Sullivan about the tough draw. “They have a lot of world-class players. But we also have a good team. It can be an exciting game.” Last year, the Spanish series champion was the first team in the history of the premier class to defend the title with their tenth triumph.
Last two wins against Barcelona
Magdeburg, who were the first German team to win the trophy in 2002 and are taking part in the Final Four that was introduced in 2010 for the first time, recently managed to win twice against the Catalans. At the Club World Championships in 2021 and 2022, coach Bennet Wiegert’s team had the better end. “We’ve worked hard to get the chance to win the trophy again after 21 years. It’s a big thing for the club and the fans,” said O’Sullivan.