How Magdeburg and Kielce overcame rocky road to Cologne

For some teams at the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4, such as Barça, the Machineseeker EHF Champions League season has almost been like a walk in the park. The Spanish titleholders can win the trophy for a third year running and have won all but one games since September.

For others, like Kielce and Magdeburg, the road to Cologne has been more hectic.

Kielce are completing their everything but easy campaign this weekend due to off-court issues in the second half of the season.

“I am immensely proud of my players, who managed to focus on handball – and only on handball – throughout the season. To be here after such a crazy season, to be still in the position to fight for the biggest title in the world, of course, it has a special taste,” says Talant Dujshebaev, the Spanish coach who led Kielce to the title in 2016.

The Polish side had to let go Nedim Remili to rivals Telekom Veszprém HC in February – three months before the teams would meet in the quarter-finals.

The players that stayed at Kielce relied on their coach’s experience. Dusjhebaev went through rocky seasons as well during his time in his native Spain, and he has now guided his players through moments of darkness this season.

“I have a little bit more experience in life than them, from what I experienced in Ciudad Real for example,” he says. “I could not say everything to my players, so during the season, maybe I worried twice as much because I tried to take their burden as well as mine.”

But at the end of the season, Kielce are in Cologne and have the chance to land their second EHF Champions League title, after the one they won seven years ago.

First, they will have to win against Paris Saint-Germain Handball on Saturday at 18:00 CEST in what looks like a very tight semi-final.

“It is a very even game, as both teams are currently on top of their form,” Dujshebaev says. “I watched almost every Paris game in the EHF Champions League this season, and what they showed against Kiel in the quarter-finals was impressive. We will have to be at our best if we want to make it to the final.”

Magdeburg’s have faced different issues this season – but ultimately also booked their trip to Cologne. The German played in the quarter-finals against Orlen Wisla Plock without four major players.

But Danish line player Magnus Saugstrup made a surprisingly early comeback in the second leg of the quarter-finals. A month later, he is still a little bit surprised to be able to play at the EHF FINAL4.

“If you had told me in February that I would be on the court in Cologne, I would have told you that I would be very happy to do so,” he says. “Thankfully, everything went right with the rehab and my knee is feeling well. I am very happy to be part of it, especially as the only time I played the EHF FINAL4 in 2021, there were no spectators.”

Magdeburg coach Bennett Wiegert had to do without other key players like Ómar Ingi Magnússon, Gísli Thoreir Kristjánsson, Philipp Weber, and Oscar Bergendahl at various points during the season.

“It has been tough, but the guys all stuck together and every player gave an extra 10 or 20 per cent to make up for the injured ones. For sure, things would have been tougher for us if that was not the case.”

In Saturday’s first semi-final at 15:15 CEST, Magdeburg will face Barça, a team they have beaten twice over the last two seasons – an achievement no other team has accomplished. Is this a sign of something good to come ?

“They now know that we are a threat to them, and I expect them to be fully focused,” Saugstrup says. “We know what to do to beat them, but it is one thing to know and another one to actually do it. No matter what, we will give our best to proceed to the final, as we are not here just to be part of the event, but to try to make the best result possible.”

photos © Uros Hocevar, Jozo Cabraja / kolektiff