This phase of the season is really tough. Five days after the 113th national derby and less than 48 hours after the EHF European League opener, the SG Flensburg-Handewitt must face ThSV Eisenach at 7 p.m. on Thursday.
The players were still in the GP JOULE Arena at around midnight yesterday (Tuesday) and were already on the team bus at 9 a.m. today (Wednesday) - in anticipation of a seven-hour journey. A training session is planned under the Wartburg, which does not include any intensive elements. The focus will be on movement exercises and a tactical discussion dealing with the special characteristics of the upcoming opponent. "Eisenach play very hard and rely a lot on one-on-one situations - we have to be ready," said SG coach Aleš Pajović. He is planning without Luca Witzke (shoulder) and Lukas Jørgensen (back). Everyone else has to get the last tough games out of their systems as quickly as possible. "The focus has to be on us," says Lasse Møller. "I'm sure we'll be physically and mentally strong enough to hold our own in Eisenach."
Special game for Marko Grgić
For one member of the SG squad, the trip to Thuringia is a journey into his own past. Marko Grgić played for ThSV until the summer and experienced three exciting years with promotion to the Bundesliga and two relegations. "I'm excited to see what it's like to play there as an away team," said the 22-year-old. "They'll certainly give us hell. You can't miss a game in that atmosphere." Marko Grgić knows what makes his former club tick and generates great strength from the supposed underdog role. "The expectations from wing players aren't exactly high, which makes the motivation all the greater internally," he explains. The SG can tell you a thing or two about that: It lost in Eisenach the season before last and only managed a draw in its last home game against ThSV Eisenach. The Thuringians, who have been coached by Sebastian Hinze since the summer, lost 30:32 at TSV Hannover-Burgdorf on Saturday.