AUDIO: Showdown for the crown: SC Magdeburg wants the title (1 min)
Handball | Champions League
As of: June 12, 2026 4:03 p.m
Who will be crowned European handball champion this season? In a German-German semi-final, Magdeburg and Berlin are fighting for the final ticket. SCM captain O’Sullivan wants to say goodbye with his twelfth title.
The SC Magdeburg handball players have already made their first visit to the town hall balcony this season. On Monday (June 8, 2026) the SCM presented the championship trophy to the fans. The supporters were able to celebrate wildly. The players want to make up for it this weekend. The SCM is challenged in the Final 4 of the Champions League and wants to bring the premier class trophy to the Elbe for the third time in just four years.
German-German semi-final SCM vs. Füchse
In the semi-finals on Saturday (June 13, 2026, 3 p.m. in the live ticker and audio live stream) there will be a repeat of last year’s final against Füchse Berlin. The Magdeburgers had clearly humiliated the runner-up with 32:26, which is why the Berliners are looking for revenge. “We want to win the tournament,” said the always combative Füchse managing director Bob Hanning at the sports information service. “It’s totally open,” emphasized Hanning, who is hoping for his first Champions League triumph. “The Champions League is not won by the best team. It is won by the team that can play the best handball in 48 hours.”
Video:
“We should be as happy as possible and let ourselves be celebrated” (1 min)
SCM is a permanent guest in Cologne
Or the team with the most experience. The SCM has clear advantages over the foxes. The Green-Reds have qualified for the final tournament in Cologne for the fourth time in a row. SCM captain Christian O’Sullivan, who has been wearing the Magdeburg jersey for ten years and will experience a big moment at the weekend, was there. After the Final4, the 34-year-old leaves Magdeburg – and hopes for his twelfth title with the SCM.
O’Sullivan: “Knows our abilities”
Captain O’Sullivan was already celebrated by his teammates after the SCM championship.
“I know about our abilities. We can absolutely win the Champions League,” says the Norwegian at SPORT IM EAST. The amateur golfer, who was seen playing golf in the Magdeburger Herrenkrug before the tournament, believes above all in the individual strength of the SCM. “The current team is perhaps the best I’ve ever played in.”
Second semi-final Aalborg against FC Barcelona
The second semi-final between Aalborg HB from Denmark and the premier class record winner FC Barcelona should also be exciting. The SCM should be hoping for a duel against Barcelona – the SCM has often had the better end for itself against the former dominator in European handball. But O’Sullivan is sure: “All four teams can win the title. That’s why it was so much fun, because it’s so exciting.”
O’Sullivan carries on and hopes for the balcony
The Norwegian will not end his career after his departure from SCM. The two-time vice world champion is already hoping for a wet and happy final party with the SCM at the town hall next week.
Dirk Hofmeister