“Overall satisfied”

The day after the final game of the season, our editorial team sat down for an interview with Aleš Pajović. The coach of SG Flensburg-Handewitt took stock of the season and also looked ahead a bit.

Pajo, what goes through a coach’s mind when the final whistle of the season blows? Relief? Or a sense of emptiness?
Aleš Pajović: There’s definitely a sense of anticipation for vacation. The season was long, with a lot of games and its share of ups and downs. In the end, both our bodies and our minds were exhausted.

The SG won bronze in both the DAIKIN HBL and the EHF European League. How would you assess this season?
Aleš Pajović: Overall, I’m satisfied, but I’m unhappy with some of the results. We achieved some of the goals set by the team and the club, but not others. In any case, we’ve taken a few steps forward in our development. We had a good chance to qualify for the EHF Champions League. After the game in Magdeburg, the team was physically and mentally drained in Stuttgart. And then there was Melsungen. The three losses in ten days really hurt. On the other hand, third place is a success, since we achieved it with five new players and despite some injuries. And there’s still potential for more.

Before the season, you had picked SC Magdeburg as the title favorites. You were right…
Aleš Pajović: Magdeburg has been very dominant in recent years. When they performed unexpectedly poorly in the DHB Cup in April, some people thought they would now slip up. But they then proved that they are an absolute top-tier team in Europe. We’re not at that level yet, but we’re working on it.

Which player gave you the most joy this past season?
Aleš Pajović: The atmosphere within the entire team has developed well. When I joined SG in February 2025, things were quite different. The team fights together on the court—and has fun doing it. That’s the only way to be successful. If I had to single out one player, I’d name Marko Grgić. He’s shown that he can become one of the best in his position. Especially in the fall, Marko had to take on a lot of responsibility, since he and Simon Pytlick were on their own in two backcourt positions.

Which part of the team are you more satisfied with: the defense or the offense?
Aleš Pajović: The offense. We played a fast-paced game with lots of fast breaks. We had to work harder on the defense overall.

On offense, you didn’t have a traditional playmaker, since Luca Witzke was injured for most of the season. Was that a weakness? Or is the role of a central playmaker not really that important in modern handball?
Aleš Pajović: Lasse Møller and Simon Pytlick did a really good job. With the right system, you can compensate for not having a typical playmaker. But I’m really looking forward to Aymeric Minne. With him, we’ll have significantly more options and greater depth. We’ll have six backcourt players in the future. And when Luca Witzke returns, there will even be seven.

On defense, you mostly played a 6-0 system. Why did other formations play almost no role?
Aleš Pajović: We tried a 5-1 defense at the beginning, but the 6-0 defense worked better. I didn’t want to experiment further during the season. Overall, we mainly have players who are better suited to a compact 6-0 defense than to an offensive defense.

What will your summer break look like?
Aleš Pajović: First, my wife and I are heading to Austria to visit our son. Then we’ll go on to Slovenia—to see friends and family. Mountains, mountain biking, and fresh air. We’ve definitely earned this vacation. I’ll be back in mid-July, and then we’ll have our first meeting.

Training starts again on July 17: What will be different in the upcoming preseason compared to last year?
Aleš Pajović: Mainly the new players. We have two pivots, a backcourt player, and a goalkeeper as new additions. Our most important goal will initially be to integrate these players as quickly as possible.

Johannes Golla won’t be with us anymore. Have you given any thought to who will become the new SG captain?
Aleš Pajović: Not yet. The focus has been entirely on the past season. It was painful to have to say goodbye to such important players as Johannes Golla, Kevin Møller, and Lukas Jørgensen.

20260524-IAJ39837-2 — The defense was rated too negatively.

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