This week, all eyes are on the EHF European League. For the third year in a row, the Winamax EHF Finals will be held in Hamburg. SG Flensburg-Handewitt heads to the Elbe as the “two-time” defending champion.
On Tuesday morning, the two trophies won in 2024 and 2025 were displayed on a bench in the Duburghalle. One by one, the players entered the training facility and looked at the mementos from the past two seasons. “This time it’s going to be even more intense than in the last two years,” said Simon Pytlick. “It’s not just about a title; it’s also about qualifying for the EHF Champions League.” With its last two losses, the SG has likely squandered its chance at second place in the DAIKIN HBL. “From now on, we’re only looking ahead, but we’ll take the lessons learned from the game in Stuttgart with us,” announced Simon Pytlick. “If you’re not 100 percent ready, you lose games.” The backcourt player himself is particularly excited, as he was forced to watch from the sidelines twelve months ago due to an injury.
A Tournament of Emotions
The SG squad stayed overnight in Stuttgart after the last game and didn’t return to the far north until Whit Monday. “If the game in Magdeburg had gone differently, we wouldn’t have lost in Stuttgart,” said Marko Grgić. “We’re only human, not robots.” For him personally—aside from youth tournaments—this is his very first Final Four event. “A lot will come down to emotions,” the backcourt player said on Tuesday. On Saturday, they’ll face MT Melsungen in the semifinals at 3:30 p.m. They beat the team from North Hesse 40-30 in April and secured a dramatic overtime victory against them in last year’s semifinals. “None of that matters,” said Marko Grgić. “We’re starting from 0-0.”