The season is in full swing, and SG Flensburg-Handewitt is off to a strong start. With an 11-1 record, the team sits at the top of the Opel HBL standings. They’ll be looking to build on that record against FRISCH AUF! Göppingen. The game tips off at the GGW Arena on Saturday at 7 p.m.
FRISCH AUF! Göppingen isn’t just making a name for itself—the city’s handball tradition is also incredibly strong. And not just because of the nine German championships won between 1954 and 1972. The club has consistently produced great players who have worn the DHB national team jersey. Starting with Bernhard Kempa and Horst Singer, the list continues after the turn of the millennium with Manuel Späth, Tim Kneule, and Lars Kaufmann. The current roster includes at least three players who have already received multiple call-ups from the DHB. The experienced left wing Marcel Schiller competed in the 2021 World Championship and the Olympic Games, and left back Martin Hanne was part of the German squad for the 2024 European Championship on home soil. The talented left-handed player Max Beneke has made three appearances for the German national team so far. Other potential candidates can be found as well. For instance, the 22-year-old playmaker Elias Newel is increasingly making a name for himself. His development is being closely monitored by the DHB coaches. His teammate Ole Pregler, who is two years younger and currently injured, is also highly regarded. He transferred from VfL Gummersbach to Göppingen this winter—in a trade for the Swede Ludwig Hallbäck. Julian Buchele, a very young goalkeeper at 22, is also considered a very promising prospect. However, the Norwegian Kristian Sæverås has the edge for the starting goalkeeper position.
A Well-Coordinated Team
Overall, there is a great deal of continuity at FRISCH AUF! Max Beneke is the only new face and has replaced the experienced David Schmidt on the right backcourt; Schmidt has moved to Greece. “We are consistently continuing on our path of building a young team with development potential,” explained Ben Matschke, who serves as both coach and sports director. Among the Green-and-Whites, you don’t just hear the Swabian dialect—Nordic accents can be heard as well. The team includes three Swedes, one Icelander, and one Norwegian. And there’s a Dane: Victor Kløve, who will join SG next summer. After three seasons in the lower half of the standings, the Göppingen team seems to be moving back up. Last season, they managed to finish in ninth place. However, the club officials—who are planning with a budget of 6.7 million euros—did not specify a concrete goal. What is definitely more concrete is the age of the club as a whole: FRISCH AUF! Göppingen was founded in 1896. Last weekend, the club celebrated its 130th anniversary at the EWS Arena.
