Final4: Magdeburg’s handball players land a coup in the premier class

After the triumph in the heart-stopping final, coach Bennet Wiegert rushed to his family in the stands, his protégés formed a big cheering cluster on the floor. Thanks to a spirited and passionate performance, the SC Magdeburg handball team won the Champions League for the second time after 2002.

In front of 20,000 fans in Cologne, the German runners-up defeated the Polish champions Industria Kielce with the German national goalkeeper Andreas Wolff in the final by 30:29 (26:26, 13:15) after extra time and thus increased the bonus for the entire season in the premier class to one million euros.

“A sporting fairy tale”

“What SC Magdeburg has achieved is outstanding and a sporting fairy tale. No matter what setbacks this team had to cope with – they always came back,” congratulated DHB boss Andreas Michelmann and stated: “That was another great moment for the German handball.”

For coach Wiegert’s team, who was there as a player when they first triumphed 21 years ago, it is the culmination of continuous development over the past few years. In 2021, the SCM had won the European League, a year later the German championship. In addition, the Magdeburg team became club world champions in 2021 and 2022 and were in the final of the European League last year.

The first jubilation among the Magdeburg fans came even before kick-off, when backcourt ace Gisli Kristjansson ran into the arena to warm up despite his shoulder injury suffered the day before in the semifinals against record winners and defending champions FC Barcelona. “It’s not a miracle cure,” Wiegert said on the broadcaster DAZN.

The 23-year-old Icelander came to him and said he really wanted to play. “I then spoke to our doctors about what a worst-case scenario could look like. I was told: It can’t get any worse than the upcoming operation,” reported Wiegert.

Kristjansson initially on the bench

At first, Kristjansson only sat on the bench. But even without him, the SCM got off to a good start and quickly pulled away to 4:1. However, the cushion was used up after twelve minutes at 6: 6 because DHB keeper Wolff presented himself in top form in the Poland goal. A little later, Kielce took the lead for the first time.

In the middle of the first half, Kristjansson came onto the floor and was successful with his first throw. But the Polish champion was now better in the game and went into half-time with a two-goal advantage. After the change, the gap even grew to four goals.

The SCM never gave up, but initially ran after the deficit in vain. However, with 12:20 minutes to go and the score at 20:22, the sporting events took a back seat when the game had to be interrupted for 13 minutes due to a medical emergency in the stands.

As it went on, Magdeburg managed to tie and four minutes before the end at 25:24 a lead again for the first time, which didn’t last. So it went into overtime, in which the SCM had the better end for itself. Kay Smits was the best thrower for the German runners-up with eight goals. Kristjansson still scored six goals.

For the traditional club from Saxony-Anhalt it is the fourth victory in the highest European club competition. In 1978 and 1981 the ten-time East German champions won the European Cup.

Eighth German CL victory

It is the eighth triumph of a German team since the introduction of the Champions League in the 1993/94 season. In addition to Magdeburg, THW Kiel (2007, 2010, 2012, 2020), HSV Hamburg (2013) and SG Flensburg-Handewitt (2014) also won the premier class.

In the semifinals of the Final4 tournament on Saturday, Magdeburg beat Barcelona 40:39 after throwing seven meters in a handball thriller. Last year’s finalist Kielce reached the final with a 25:24 against Paris Saint-Germain, which was lost again. The Poles have to wait for their second victory after 2016.