The final Four of Handball-European League will be played in Hamburg at the weekend. There are defending champions SG Flensburg-Handewitt, the THW Kiel, MT Melsungen and Montpellier HB from France. There is no clear favorite.
“The weekend has no favorite, not even a little one,” said Kiel’s keeper Andreas Wolff before the final round. And yet it is anything but unlikely that there will be a German winner in the fight for the second most important trophy in European club handball.
The European League is not the Champions League. But in view of the pairings, “royal classes” quality is guaranteed in Hamburg: On Saturday, from 3 p.m., Flensburg and Melsungen will be contesting the first semi-finals, at 6 p.m. the game follows THW Kiel against Montpellier. On Sunday (6 p.m.) the final is about a winning bonus of 100,000 euros, the prestige and above all a title.
Triumphs Montpellier, it would have far -reaching consequences
A little more is at stake for Flensburg. They have been represented in international competition for 30 years. A proud series that could soon tear. If Montpellier won the trophy, the Bundesliga would only have three starting places in the European League in the coming season.
The THW Kiel as the DHB Cup winner and the current second in the table MT Melsungen would not be affected. The SG, on the other hand, – currently in sixth place – only remained the audience role.
However, if one of the three German clubs prevailed, the European Association EHF would most likely increase the German contingent for a fourth club.
Flensburg travels to Hamburg
The Flensburgers go to the tournament as defending champions, but had to put a dampers on Sunday at 28:33 against the Rhein-Neckar Löwen. The numerous fans traveling fans – 800 have received tickets on the official way – hope for the good omen of a failed dress rehearsal. Last year there was an unexpected slump in Eisenach, eight days later the SG cheered on the podium.
“Maybe it was a wake -up call because we all have to think about how we get the black moments from our game.”
-SG coach Ales Pajovic
“Of course we want to defend our title. But we also know about the strengths and qualities of the opponents,” said SG Managing Director Holger Glandorf. “We all have to be 100 percent ready this weekend.” However, the Flensburg squad is a bit narrower this time. Since Simon Pytlick (Upper Armbruch) and Kay Smits (illness) have been missing for weeks, responsibility for the three back space positions is largely shouldered by only four players.
The semi -finals brings the fourth comparison this season with Melsungen. In Kassel, the MT won in the Bundesliga and in the DHB Cup. At the beginning of March, the Northern Lights returned to their “Hell North”. For coach Ales Pajovic, who took over the SG in February, it was the first duel.
Melsungen dreams of the trophy
At the time of the ex-Flensburg Aaron Mensing at the North Hesse, which will now be missing due to an Achilles tendon tear. His club dreams of a trophy, but makes a little smaller in advance than the competition. Monday, with the sovereign 33:27 success in the Hessenderby against Wetzlar, brought a brilliant mood.
“We haven’t won a title yet, and it is the first time that we play an international final four.”
-MT sports director Michael Allendorf
The MT marches as confidently than ever before, which is primarily a merit by the coach Roberto Garrondo. The Spaniard is considered a varied and meticulous representative of his guild – and is humble: “We do not think about a final, but only about Flensburg and a strong team that we can only conquer with a maximum of performance.”
In any case, there are two superlatives in his team. Back space left-handed Dainis Kristopans is the largest player with 2.15 meters, and the MT also offers the oldest player. Since regular goalkeeper Nebojsa Simic is long with a cruciate ligament rupture, the 44-year-old Carsten Lichtin was reactivated to support Adam Morawski. He is the record player of the Bundesliga with 716 missions.
THW Kiel wants the second title of the season
The form curve speaks for the Hesse, for the THW Kiel the law of the series: since 1994 the German record champion has only missed the Champions League four times, but won the EHF Cup – the forerunner of the European League. Now the “zebras” want to get a second title this season after the DHB Cup.
The Kielers were happy that the draw resulted in the French cup winner as the opponent. “Playing the charm against a French team is higher than against a German,” said right winger Lukas Zerbe.
Spicy: Twelve months ago, the Schleswig-Holsteiners with their upcoming opponent fought an epic quarter-finals in the Champions League. Montpellier designed the first game Triumphal with 39:30, but then suffered a bitter 21:13 clap in the second leg on the Baltic Sea.
“We want to tackle the semi-finals like a final,” explains THW rights from Bence Imre. “Only if we do our best, we have a chance of the final on Sunday.” The Kielers will probably have the largest fan warehouse in the 13,000 spectator in the back.
Does Kiel’s internal reappraisal fruit after Potsdam game?
Most recently, however, only a lean 25:22 work victory in Potsdam. “One or the other player was already in Hamburg with his head,” said THW coach Filip Jicha and announced an internal preparation. He also cares about defense chief Hendrik Pekeler, who recently complained about knee scattering. Left -handed Harald Reinkind (medal fracture) will definitely be missing. Nikola Bilek, on the other hand, celebrated his comeback last week after a lengthy thigh leaves and enlarges the alternatives in the back.
Golla: “Three teams will be extremely disappointed”
Montpellier HB has an international and experienced team with national players from nine different countries, including the Croatian circuit runner Veron Nacinovic, who was hired as the successor to Patrick Wiencek (career end). The southern French are currently in third place in the French league – just behind HBC Nantes, a participant in the final four of the Champions League.
The level of the Hamburg handball event is therefore remarkable. “All four teams have the same chance of being at the top in the end,” says Melsungen’s Kristopans. And SG captain Johannes Golla stated: “Three teams will be extremely disappointed, the fourth will be in the joy.” But which one will it be? That is the exciting and open question.
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Sport Current | 24.05.2025 | 3:00 p.m.
