Incessant SCM advances towards another championship.
In the German Handball Bundesliga, SC Magdeburg is unbeatable. Following a victory over Rhein-Neckar Löwen, the team led by Bennet Wiegert has secured their third title of the season. Now, the squad looks forward to a historic chance.
SC Magdeburg won the German Handball Championship in 2001 and 2022. Now, Wiegert's group intends to achieve the perfect quadruple on June 8th and 9th in Cologne. The World Cup winner wants to protect their Champions League title after winning the DHB Cup and the Meisterschaft. This triple would be a perfect accomplishment. With a dominating 34:21 (19:11) victory over Rhein-Neckar Löwen on Thursday night, SCM ensured the perfect championship one game before the Bundesliga ends. The honors will then take place on Sunday at their final home game against HSG Wetzlar (4:30 pm/Dyn).
After 28 minutes, SCM had already established a ten-goal lead in Mannheim (19:9). The top scorers were Daniel Pettersson (6) for Magdeburg and Juri Knorr (5) for the Rhein-Neckar Löwen. Wiegert described the game to TV broadcaster Dyn, saying, "It feels great, it was a fantastic game from us. It's a little sad to let them go, especially since a great one is leaving the stage. We represented the interests of SCM today; it was also important to us." Wiegert paid tribute to Uwe Gensheimer, adding, "One of the greatest handballers Germany and the world have ever had."
SCM has only experienced two losses this season. The first was against Füchse Berlin (26:31) on the third game day, and the second was against TSV Hannover-Burgdorf (27:28) on the 22nd game day. Additionally, there was a 27:27 draw against SC DHfK and a 29:29 draw against Melsungen. "We've earned the right to compete for all the titles," said Wiegert, who has overseen the SCM's sports responsibilities since 2016. Under his leadership, the ten-time DDR champion has won eight titles.
"One of the best coaches in the world"
Bennet Wiegert, son of Moscow Olympics champion Ingolf Wiegert, is hailed as the father of success on the Elbe. It's not only due to the harmony between top-level sport and family atmosphere at the SCM, but also because of his playing philosophy. He favors mobile, quick players, fast positional play, and a dynamic, robust defense. He has been strategizing for this victory for years, as evidenced by the contract extension of Swedish player Felix Claar until 2028.
After 30 games without defeat across competitions, Wiegert had to shave his beard again after the loss in Hannover. Despite this, the whole league is astonished by the Magdeburg project. "He's now one of the best coaches in the world," said Wiegert's former teammate at the SCM, Stefan Kretzschmar. Kretzschmar, a coach for Füchse Berlin, was the toughest title rival this season.
The two Icelanders, Omar Ingi Magnusson and Gisli Kristjansson, are basically the double heart of the Elbestaedtern. They're unstoppable in one-on-one situations, have a strong understanding of the game, and are mentally tough when it comes to finishing. Left-handed Magnusson was named the HBL player of the season in 2022, then top scorer at the EM 2022, and is practically indispensable for the SCM. Playmaker Kristjansson, who also often plays on the king's position on the left, is a tireless worker, despite his many injury setbacks. Kristjansson, named the most valuable HBL player last year, is in peak form again.
The Magdeburgers also managed to overcome the doping case involving their goalkeeper Nikola Portner. After the positive doping test and Portner's suspension during the final phase of the season, they relied on Spanish goalkeeper Sergey Hernandez. In just the first half, he deflected a dozen balls, and he provided an outstanding performance for the DHB Cup victory in the Final Four in Cologne.
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SC Magdeburg's Handball team continues their dominant streak in the Bundesliga, having secured their third title of the season following a victory over Rhein-Neckar Löwen. This success brings them closer to achieving a historic quadruple, aiming to win the Champions League title, DHB Cup, and Meisterschaft, in addition to their German Handball Championship, on June 8th and 9th in Cologne.
Bennet Wiegert, the renowned coach of SC Magdeburg, has been instrumental in their success, favoring a playing philosophy that emphasizes mobile, quick players, fast positional play, and a dynamic, robust defense. Wiegert, a son of Moscow Olympics champion Ingolf Wiegert, is lauded as one of the best coaches in the world, having led the team to an impressive 30 games without defeat across competitions.
