The 60 minutes of Aarhus are on the score sheet. There are just as many minutes to be played in the EHF European League play-offs. SG Flensburg-Handewitt would like to book their ticket to the quarter-finals against SAH. Kick-off in the GP JOULE Arena is at 18:45 on Tuesday.
Behind the abbreviation SAH are the city names Skanderborg and Aarhus - plus Håndbold. In 2021, two first division clubs merged their operations after Aarhus Håndbold filed for bankruptcy. The aim was to finish in the top five of the Danish league. The target was met exactly for the first time in spring 2025. Things are going even better now: although defending champions Aalborg appear to be stronger, SAH are fighting an equal battle with GOG. In the EHF European League, the Danish upstarts were on the verge of qualifying directly for the quarter-finals. On the last matchday, they suffered a setback: a home defeat against FC Porto and a drop to third place. SAH has two home venues. However, the Fælledhallen in Skanderborg only seats 1700 spectators. The top matches are therefore played in Djurslands Bank Arena. Johan Hansen certainly has the best reputation among the handball players. The right winger is not only a multiple world champion, but also his team's top scorer. He was under contract with SG Flensburg-Handewitt from 2022 until last summer.
Squad and coach of SAH
Half-left wing Emil Lærke has also played in the DAIKIN HBL, namely for TBV Lemgo Lippe. The Icelandic left-hander Kristjan Örn Kristjansson has already played for the French club PAUC in Flensburg. No question: there is a lot of experience in the team. Playmaker Morten Balling has been a fixture in Danish club handball for 19 years and played nine international matches a long time ago. Half-back Sebastian Henneberg got to know the EHF Champions League in Aalborg and with the Norwegian club Elverum. Swedish playmaker Fredrik Olsson played for SG cooperation partner Lugi HF for many years. SAH is also a talent factory: circle players Andreas Søgaard and Morten Kaalund and left-handed player Oscar Hansen are home-grown. Left winger Jeppe Cieslak and half-back Christoffer Dreyer emerged from the GOG academy. Magnus Petersen is currently the star in goal. He teams up with Simon Sejr. Head coach Nick Rasmussen is one of SAH's guarantors of success. The 57-year-old has been on the sidelines since 2017. His contract was only recently extended until summer 2028. "For us, it is crucial that a head coach not only delivers results, but is also able to promote a culture in which both people and players develop," explains sports director Mads Lind.
