GWD Minden is in the middle of a hot relegation battle in the handball Bundesliga. The record champions come in the first of two finals.
The situation is precarious. But not hopeless. That’s how Aaron Ziercke sees it: “We may not have the best cards in the relegation battle, but we have to believe in ourselves,” says the coach Handball-Bundesliga team GWD Minden in conversation with wdr.de before the home game against THW Kiel on Wednesday (June 3rd, 2026).
For the Green-Whites, the starting position before the penultimate matchday of the 2025/26 season is precarious. After 32 games played, the Mindeners are in 17th place with 15:49 points and are therefore two points behind the saving bank.
A win against Kiel is necessary
After a long series without a win, the Dankers team managed to turn things around in the derby against TBV Lemgo Lippe on May 1st. As a result, the boys from the Weser got three points from the last three games, but it is now too late to stay in the league on their own.
So it happens that GWD Minden has to score points at home against Kiel and HSG Wetzlar is not allowed to win in Hamburg a day later so that, purely mathematically, it is still possible to remain in the league’s upper house. Then everything would come down to a long-distance duel with the Central Hesse team on the last matchday.
“Fight until the end”
GWD coach Ziercke has already got his team in the mood for the upcoming final. “We have to throw everything into it again and fight for this chance until the end,” said Ziercke.
In addition to his own condition, the coach is hopeful because of the upcoming opponent’s presumably not the best state of mind: Kiel has had a miserable season by his standards, crowned negatively by last week’s final defeat in the European League against MT Melsungen (23:24). “They’re certainly not in the best mental condition. We have to take advantage of that,” says Ziercke.
Kiel in crisis
The record champions also failed in their last chance to win the title this season. For the Northern Lights, not only was their hope of winning their first international title since their Champions League triumph in 2020 dashed, but at the same time the club will not be playing in the premier class of handball for the third time in a row.
On the other hand, the people of Minden no longer have it in their own hands. If HSG Wetzlar wins one of its last two games, the fight will be lost for Minden. “We have to give it our all and get at least one point in order to maintain our chances of staying in the league. For us, it’s about good goalkeeping performance, compact and aggressive coverage and a goal-oriented attack with a cool head and a clear plan,” says Ziercke.
The Dankers team’s last home win against Kiel dates back to February 12, 2006. From the Green-Whites’ point of view, a repeat a good 20 years later would be the perfect time.
Our sources:
- Author discussion with trainer Aaron Ziercke
- Homepage GWD Minden
Broadcast: WDR.de, GWD Minden is dependent on support, June 2nd, 2026, 11:45 a.m
