SG Flensburg-Handewitt will play two away games within a few days, but won’t have to leave Schleswig-Holstein to do so. On Wednesday, the team kicks off its DHB Cup campaign. It will face its partner club, VfL Lübeck-Schwartau, at 7 p.m. There’s only one goal: the round of 16.
The matchup against second-division club VfL Lübeck-Schwartau holds special appeal due to the partnership agreement between the two clubs. When the national teams call them up, the two squads have even trained together in the past. No one believes this dynamic will have any impact on the game itself. “We know what’s coming, and so do they,” says Aleš Pajović. For the SG coach, the mental attitude is crucial. “We’ve made it our goal to approach this task with full focus,” he says. “If you don’t stay focused, you’ll run into problems—even if your quality speaks for itself.” A particularly nice bonus: the team bus doesn’t leave until tomorrow afternoon. It’s one of those rare day trips.
Natives of Lübeck versus natives of Flensburg
VfL Lübeck-Schwartau got off to a very strong start to the season, winning three of their first four second-division games. Their only loss was a narrow defeat against promotion favorite SC DHfK Leipzig. One key to their success is an aggressive, offensive defense that forces opponents into mistakes. The best-known player from the SG’s perspective is Magnus Holpert. The Flensburg native has been playing in the Hanseatic city since the summer of 2025 and recently extended his contract through 2029. In this millennium, the two teams have faced off four times in the DHB Cup—always at the Hansehalle. In March 2011, the match even determined who would advance to the Final Four. The SG prevailed 34–27. In December of the same year, the teams met again. The SG prevailed 35–22 in the round of 16. In 2017 and 2019, the northerners had to play their opening DHB Cup matches in Lübeck. The results were decisive: 37–18 and 30–14. At the turn of the millennium, Peter Möller was part of the VfL roster. He is the father of Simon Möller, who was born in Lübeck. It will be a special reunion in a sold-out arena.