Throwing a ball during a game of handball - SC Magdeburg on track for four titles following their third league victory.
The SC Magdeburg won the German handball championship for the third time, with wins in 2001 and 2022. They now aim for the ultimate accomplishment on June 8th and 9th in Cologne, where they will try to defend their Champions League title after winning the DHB Cup and the championship, achieving a perfect quadruple.
With a dominant 34-21 victory against the Rhein-Neckar Lions, the SCM secured the championship one game before the end of the Bundesliga season. The award ceremony will take place on Sunday after their final home game against the HSG Wetzlar (4:30 PM/Dyn).
After just 28 minutes of play in Mannheim, the SCM had established a ten-goal lead (19:9). Daniel Pettersson scored six goals for Magdeburg and Juri Knorr scored five for the Rhein-Neckar Lions.
This season, the SCM had only experienced two losses. The first was against the Füchse Berlin with a 26:31 score, and the second was against the TSV Hannover-Burgdorf with a 27:28 result. There was also a 27:27 draw in Leipzig against the SC DHfK and a 29:29 draw in Melsungen. "We've earned the right to play for all the titles," said Wiegert, who has been coaching the SCM since 2016. Under his leadership, the ten-time DDR champion has won eight titles so far.
Bearded Bennet Wiegert, son of Moscow Olympic champion Ingolf Wiegert, is considered the architect of the success on the Elbe. He fosters a harmony between high-level sports and a family atmosphere at the SCM and has a unique playing philosophy. His approach relies on agile, fast players, fast positional play from a dynamic and sturdy defense. Wiegert has been planning this success for years, evident in the contract extension of Swedish player Felix Claar until 2028.
Following a series of 30 games without a loss, Wiegert had to shave his beard again after the loss in Hannover. Nonetheless, the entire league is astounded by the Magdeburg project. "He's now one of the best coaches in the world, I would not have believed that before," said Wiegert's former teammate at the SCM, Stefan Kretzschmar. Kretzschmar, who was the most formidable title rival this season with his team of foxes in Berlin, has high praise for his former coach.
The Icelandic duo of Omar Ingi Magnusson and Gisli Kristjansson are almost like the double heart of the Elbe team. They shine in one-on-one situations, have a strong game understanding, and remain fearless in front of the goal. The right-handed Magnusson was named HBL Player of the Season in 2022, then topscored at the EM 2022, and is a formidable opponent. Playmaker Kristjansson, who also often occupies the king's position on the left, is a tireless worker despite his injury setbacks.
The Magdeburg team bore the doping case of their goalkeeper Nikola Portner with remarkable composure. After a positive doping test and Portner's subsequent suspension in the final phase of the season, they relied on the Spaniard Sergey Hernandez. In the first half of the game, Hernandez saved numerous balls single-handedly. He put up an exceptional performance at the Final Four in Cologne, leading to the DHB Cup victory.
