That was a tough one! For only the second time ever, SG Flensburg-Handewitt lost to TVB Stuttgart, 33–37. Here’s what they had to say.
Aleš Pajović, SG Coach: “That intense game in Magdeburg, the disappointment after that finish, the short preparation time, and the trip—none of that set us up well, but none of it should be an excuse either. We made a total of 14 technical errors, which is why it was so difficult. After 45 minutes, we had a moment where we were in the lead. Unfortunately, we missed chances and made mistakes there. We’ve done well so far. Now we want to put this loss behind us quickly. We’ll start focusing on the upcoming weekend right away. Luckily, we have a few more days to prepare.”
Benjamin Burić, SG Goalkeeper: “Our attitude wasn’t the same as it was in Magdeburg. I thought we’d laid a good foundation for the final games of the season with Magdeburg. However, none of us gave 100 percent. That’s on us players, because the preparation was good. We didn’t execute what we had discussed. We had a tough talk in the locker room. Hopefully, we’ll learn a lot from this game. We’re now fighting for the EHF European League, because that’s the only way we can qualify for the EHF Champions League.”
Patrick Zieker, left wing, TVB Stuttgart: “That was a very disciplined performance from us from start to finish. Flensburg’s schedule also worked in our favor. The Flensburg team had left some energy on the court in Magdeburg and couldn’t play their fast-paced game as they usually do. Fortunately, we managed to make up for our slump in the second half.”