Bennet Wiegert is now a master trainer, Andy Schmid no longer works magic and the SG Flensburg-Handewitt has seen better times – a look back at the Handball Bundesliga.
When SC Magdeburg became champion in 2001, Bennet Wiegert was not yet a renowned coach, but a young player who learned from Olafur Stefansson or Stefan Kretzschmar. Now that Magdeburg has won the championship again after 21 years, Wiegert is involved again. He is now a coach others look up to.
After winning the championship, Wiegert gave an interview to “MDR”. It was of course about the success of his team, but also about his role as a coach. “This is a champion team”said Wiegert, “They don’t need a master coach.” He’s still one now.
Wiegert, 40, has been training at SC Magdeburg for seven years, and it wasn’t always an easy job. But this season was a special one, one will remember it. On the 4th matchday, Magdeburg took the lead in the table – and defended it until the end of the season.
For a long time in Magdeburg they even dreamed of what is called a quadruple in sport, four titles in one season. It became two, after all: In addition to the championship, Magdeburg also won the Club World Cup. In the European League and the DHB Cup, the SCM only lost the final.
Farewell, part 1: Andy Schmid – the lions will miss him
Not much was missing, and that with Andy Schmid and the Rhein-Neckar Löwen would not have been a success story at all. In the summer of 2011, a year after his move, Schmid actually wanted to leave again. He had played little, there were also doubts. He stayed after all – and will hardly have regretted it.
Eleven years have passed since then, and now Schmid, 38, is really leaving. He was a great playmaker for the lions, together they won two championships and one cup. Schmid was voted the best player in the league five times and will be remembered.
Schmid will still play handball, yes, but in Switzerland and not in Germany. The lion trainer Ljubomir Vranjes told the “SWR” about Schmid: “His individual quality and his handball brain are something special.” The Bundesliga now has to do without it.
Farewell, part 2: Lasse Svan – 652 games, almost 2500 goals
A few days ago, after Lasse Svan, 38, played his last home game for SG Flensburg-Handewitt, he spoke to “NDR” about his departure. “When I made the decision to end my career a few months ago, I thought it would be no problem to say something now.”, Swan said. But it wasn’t that easy after all.
After the defeat against Bergischer HC, hardly anyone in Flensburg talked about the game, they all talked about Svan. He played for Flensburg for fourteen years, played 652 games and scored almost 2500 goals. Already during the game the fans shouted: “Once Flensburg, always Flensburg.” Of course they meant Svan, the captain.
Disappointment in Flensburg: Not in the top three for the first time since 2010/11
In general, it’s not a particularly pleasant week for everyone who is with SG Flensburg-Handewitt. Not only because the question now arises as to how they would like to replace Svan, the irreplaceable. In terms of sport, things have gotten better.
The club ended the season fourth, only fourth. It is the first time since the 2010/11 season that Flensburg is not among the top three teams at the end of the season. And the foxes from Berlin, third this season, could also compete with Flensburg in the future.
Best placement for 13 years – something is growing together in Lemgo
TBV Lemgo Lippe still has a big name in German handball. Around the turn of the millennium, the TBV won title after title, but the phase of success was followed by one of disillusionment. The fact that dreaming is allowed again in Lemgo has a lot to do with Florian Kehrmann.
Kehrmann, 44, was a player when TBV had its most successful time. Today Kehrmann is a trainer in Lemgo – and does a good job in this role too. When he took office at the end of 2014, the club was penultimate. In the end it was relegation.
Remaining in the league is no longer a goal in Lemgo, in the past season the TBV even played internationally as a cup winner. He could do that again in the new season: Before the last matchday, the club is in sixth place, which may qualify for participation in the European League.