MT Melsungen

History

Foundation and early years

MT Melsungen was founded in 1861 as Melsunger Turngemeinde by 38 citizens of Melsungen. The club's handball department was established in 1921.

The handball team initially competed at local level. In the mid-1970s, the first men's team was still playing in the Kreisliga. Under the leadership of Herbert Rausch, the club began a sustained sporting development, bringing talented players from the region as well as more experienced players and coaches to Melsungen. In the mid-1980s, Melsungen won the Bezirksmeisterschaft and was promoted to the Oberliga.

In 1987, Melsungen won the Hessenmeisterschaft and was promoted to the Regionalliga Südwest. The team remained in the Regionalliga for five seasons from 1987 to 1992, competing in the northern division of the Regionalliga Südwest. Melsungen finished first in its division in both 1990–91 and 1991–92, establishing itself as one of the leading teams in the region.

Promotion to the second division

After finishing first in their Regionalliga Südwest division, Melsungen entered the promotion play-offs for the 2. Handball-Bundesliga in 1991. In the first leg against TuS 04 Kaiserslautern-Dansenberg, Melsungen lost 18–24 away, before winning the return leg 18–17 at home. As the aggregate score was still insufficient to decide the tie in Melsungen's favour, a third and decisive match was played at a neutral venue in Hüttenberg. Melsungen narrowly lost the deciding match 26–27, with a late turnover allowing Dansenberg to score the decisive counter-attack.

The defeat meant that Melsungen remained in the Regionalliga for another season. In 1992, the club secured promotion to the 2. Handball-Bundesliga by defeating TV Nieder-Olm 24–22 in the decisive promotion match in Nieder-Olm.

The promotion established Melsungen at national level and marked the beginning of a 13-year period in the second division. During its first years in the 2. Handball-Bundesliga, Melsungen initially had to establish itself in the reorganised league structure. The team finished 11th in its first season and subsequently improved its position, reaching fifth place in 1995–96. Melsungen's sporting development became particularly evident in the second half of the 1990s. The team finished third in the southern division in 1997–98, its best league position at that point. In 1999, the handball department entered into a playing partnership with TSV Eintracht Böddiger, competing as MSG Melsungen/Böddiger. The partnership continued until the club's promotion to the Bundesliga in 2005.

Melsungen reached the DHB-Pokal Final Four for the first time in the 1995–96 season. As a second-division club, the team eliminated three Bundesliga opponents in succession, defeating TuS Nettelstedt 28–23, GWD Minden 34–33 after extra time, and OSC Rheinhausen 24–23 to qualify for the Final Four in Hamburg

In the semi-final on 30 April 1996, Melsungen lost 17–22 to TUSEM Essen. Around 1,000 supporters travelled from North Hesse to Hamburg for the tournament, marking one of the largest away followings in the club's history at the time.

Promotion to the Bundesliga

The MSG Melsungen/Böddiger established itself among the leading teams in the southern second division during the early 2000s. After finishing third in 2003–04, the team won the 2004–05 2. Bundesliga Süd title and secured promotion to the Handball-Bundesliga for the first time.

The promotion was closely associated with coach Rastislav Trtík, who had taken charge of Melsungen in 2004. Trtík introduced an unusually offensive style of play and a 4:2 defensive formation with two advanced defenders. The system required considerable running and discipline from the Melsungen players and created problems for opposing teams, as the unusual defensive structure was difficult to adapt to. According to former Melsungen player Daniel Holl, Trtík's tactical concept was based on producing 70 to 80 attacks per match. His approach helped transform the team into one of the most successful sides in the second division during the 2004–05 season.

Under Trtík, Melsungen won 29 of 34 league matches in the 2004–05 season and finished first in the southern division, securing promotion to the Bundesliga. The team had already clinched promotion before the final matchday with the 34–24 victory over HBW Balingen-Weilstetten on 7 May 2005. The promotion marked the end of Melsungen's 13-year spell in the second division. From the 2005–06 season onwards, the club competed continuously in the Bundesliga under the name MT Melsungen.

Move to Kassel

Following promotion to the Bundesliga in 2005, Melsungen initially played its home matches at the Meirotels-Halle in Rotenburg an der Fulda. The Stadtsporthalle in Melsungen was too small for Bundesliga requirements, while the Meirotels-Halle, with a capacity of around 2,400 spectators, provided a larger venue and the infrastructure required for top-level handball. Melsungen played its first two Bundesliga seasons in Rotenburg, where the club also used shuttle buses to transport supporters from Melsungen to home matches.

The club subsequently sought a larger and more centrally located venue in the North Hesse region. The idea of moving to Kassel was promoted by head coach Robert Hedin, who saw the city's newly built Rothenbach-Halle on the Messe Kassel grounds as a suitable long-term home for Bundesliga handball.

Melsungen moved to the Rothenbach-Halle in December 2007. The final Bundesliga home match in Rotenburg was played on 22 December 2007, before the club made its debut in the new venue on 26 December against THW Kiel. The inaugural match was played in front of a sold-out crowd of around 4,300 spectators, although Melsungen lost 31–36.

The move established Kassel as the club's principal home venue while Melsungen retained its historic name and identity. The Rothenbach-Halle subsequently remained the MT's home venue for two decades. The club also continued to use venues in Melsungen for selected cup matches, including matches during its runs to the DHB-Pokal Final Four in 2013 and 2014.

In May 2025, Melsungen temporarily moved two Bundesliga home matches to the Probonio Arena in Kassel because the Rothenbach-Halle was unavailable due to a trade fair. Both matches were won by Melsungen. The successful games provided the club with an additional experience of the arena before its planned permanent move.

The agreement between Melsungen and Messe Kassel for the Rothenbach-Halle expires in June 2027. From the 2027–28 season, Melsungen is scheduled to play its home matches at the Probonio Arena in Kassel. The new agreement initially runs for five years. The arena is planned to have a capacity of around 6,200 spectators for MT home matches following redevelopment, providing a larger venue and expanded commercial and hospitality facilities.

Establishment in the Bundesliga

Following promotion in 2005, Melsungen's primary objective was to establish itself in the Bundesliga. The club initially achieved this in terms of maintaining its place in the top division, but made little progress in the standings. Melsungen finished 12th in both the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons and improved to 10th in 2007–08. The following season saw the team finish 11th, before dropping back to 12th in 2009–10. Thus, while Melsungen had established itself as a permanent member of the Bundesliga, its sporting development largely stagnated in the middle and lower half of the table during its first years in the top division.

The period was also characterised by several changes on the coaching bench. Swedish coach Robert Hedin took over in January 2007 and remained in charge until the end of the 2008–09 season. During his tenure, Melsungen recorded its highest finish to that point with tenth place in 2007–08, followed by eleventh place in 2008–09. Hedin was succeeded by Danish coach Ryan Zinglersen for the 2009–10 season, but the team was unable to build on its improved league position from the previous year and finished 12th.

For the 2010–11 season, Slovenian coach Matjaž Tominec replaced Zinglersen. The season began poorly, with Melsungen failing to earn a point from its opening four matches. After further defeats, Tominec was relieved of his duties in October 2010. Assistant coach Sándor Balogh initially took over on an interim basis, before Michael Roth was appointed as the new head coach. Roth's arrival brought an end to Melsungen's first phase of consolidation in the Bundesliga and marked the beginning of a new period in the club's sporting development.

The Michael Roth era

In October 2010, Michael Roth took over as head coach of Melsungen, replacing Matjaž Tominec. Roth joined the club after Melsungen had lost its first seven Bundesliga matches of the 2010–11 season and stood at 0:14 points. He remained in charge until April 2018, becoming the longest-serving head coach at Melsungen since the club's promotion to the 2. Bundesliga in 1992.

Roth initially stabilised the team in the Bundesliga. Melsungen finished 13th in 2010–11, followed by 10th-place finishes in both 2011–12 and 2012–13. The club's sporting development accelerated during the following seasons, with Melsungen finishing sixth in both 2013–14 and 2014–15 before reaching fourth place in 2015–16, its best Bundesliga finish at the time.

The 2012–13 season also saw Melsungen return to the Final Four of the DHB-Pokal for the first time since 1996. In the semi-final on 13 April 2013, Melsungen faced defending champions THW Kiel. The North Hessian side initially led 10–8, but Kiel turned the match around and eventually won 35–23 (16–14).

Melsungen returned to the Final Four in 2014, again reaching the semi-final. On 12 April, the team faced Füchse Berlin in Hamburg. Berlin led 15–13 at half-time and ultimately prevailed 30–28.

The 2014–15 season marked another milestone, as Melsungen qualified for European competition for the first time in the club's history. The team entered the EHF Cup and progressed through two qualification rounds before reaching the group phase. Melsungen subsequently reached the quarter-finals, establishing itself as a regular participant in European competition.

In the quarter-finals, Melsungen faced Danish club Skjern Håndbold. Skjern won the first leg 25–20 in Denmark, but Melsungen won the return leg 28–23 at home. The aggregate score was 48–48, with Skjern advancing on the away-goals rule. The tie represented Melsungen's first appearance in the quarter-finals of a European club competition.

The 2015–16 season became the sporting peak of the Roth era in the Bundesliga. Melsungen finished fourth with 47 points, the best league position in the club's history at the time, and qualified for another season of European competition.

The Roberto García Parrondo era

Roberto García Parrondo arrived at a club that had established itself as a permanent Bundesliga side but had struggled to compete consistently for the top positions. His first two seasons were marked by a gradual rebuilding of the team, with Melsungen finishing eighth in 2021–22 and ninth in 2022–23.

The 2023–24 season marked the first major improvement under Parrondo. Melsungen finished fifth in the Bundesliga and reached the DHB-Pokal final, where it lost 19–30 to SC Magdeburg. The result secured Melsungen's return to European competition for the following season.

The improvement continued into the following season, when Melsungen established itself among the leading teams in German handball. The club's return to European competition and its performances in the Bundesliga marked the beginning of a sustained period of success under Parrondo.

The 2024–25 season represented a major breakthrough for Melsungen. The club made an outstanding start to the Bundesliga campaign and finished the first half of the season at the top of the table, securing the unofficial title of Herbstmeister. Melsungen entered the winter break as league leaders after 17 matches and had established itself as a serious contender for the Bundesliga title.

Melsungen ultimately finished third in the Bundesliga, its best league position in its history at the time. The club also reached the Final Four of the DHB-Pokal for the third consecutive time. In the semi-final, Melsungen defeated HBW Balingen-Weilstetten 31–27 before losing the final 23–28 to THW Kiel.

In the EHF European League, Melsungen reached the Finals in Hamburg. After defeating Bidasoa Irun in the quarter-finals, Melsungen lost 34–35 after extra time to SG Flensburg-Handewitt in the semi-final and subsequently lost 31–37 to THW Kiel in the third-place match, finishing fourth overall.

The 2024–25 season therefore established Melsungen as a genuine contender at both domestic and European level. The third-place Bundesliga finish, another DHB-Pokal final and the appearance in the EHF European League Final Four represented the strongest overall season in the club's history to that point. However, Melsungen remained without a major title.

Club information

Crest

MT Melsungen's club colours are red and white, which are also the primary colours used in the club's crest, team kits and supporter materials. The club's visual identity has remained closely associated with the colours since the establishment of MT Melsungen under its current name.

Supporters

The club's organised supporter base includes several fan clubs, most notably Die Bartenwetzer, MT Supporters Kassel and the MT-Trommler. The Bartenwetzer have traditionally been associated with the club's home town of Melsungen, while the MT Supporters Kassel represent supporters from the nearby city of Kassel. The MT-Trommler are known for providing organised drumming support during matches.

The fan clubs regularly coordinate their activities at home matches and travel to support the team at away games. The MT-Trommler in particular form a visible part of the matchday atmosphere through their coordinated drumming.

The club also maintains an official fan representative (Fanbeauftragter) as a point of contact between MT Melsungen, its fan clubs and supporters. The role is intended to facilitate communication between the club and its organised supporter groups.

Rivalries

The rivalry between MT Melsungen and HSG Wetzlar is one of the most prominent rivalries in Hessian men's handball. The two clubs have regularly met in the Bundesliga since Melsungen's promotion to the top flight in 2005, with their encounters commonly referred to as the Hessenderby (Hesse derby). The fixture is considered more than an ordinary league match, with regional prestige and the ambition to be regarded as the strongest men's handball club in Hesse contributing to its significance.

The rivalry was further fuelled by the subsequent movement of personnel between the clubs. Several players and officials who had been closely associated with Wetzlar subsequently joined Melsungen. Among them were Michael Allendorf, who moved from Wetzlar to Melsungen in 2009. Michael Roth also later became head coach of Melsungen, while Axel Geerken subsequently became involved with the Melsungen organisation. The repeated movement of players, coaches and officials between the two clubs contributed to the increasingly heated atmosphere surrounding the Hessian derby and made matches between Wetzlar and Melsungen particularly emotional for supporters of both sides.

The intensity of the rivalry subsequently declined, although the fixture has retained its special status among supporters. HSG Wetzlar has continued to describe matches against Melsungen as a particularly emotional Hessian derby, while noting that the relationship between the two clubs has become more normalised compared with the earlier period.

A historically significant local rivalry developed between Melsungen and neighbouring HSG Gensungen/Felsberg. The two clubs represent towns only a few kilometres apart in North Hesse, making the fixture a local derby in the truest sense. Their close geographical proximity, combined with the clubs' regular meetings in the lower divisions of German handball, contributed to a strong rivalry between the two neighbouring communities.

The rivalry can be traced back to the early 1990s, when Melsunger TG and TSV Jahn Gensungen met in the Regionalliga Südwest. Following the formation of HSG Gensungen/Felsberg, the clubs subsequently faced each other in the 2. Handball-Bundesliga. From the late 1990s until Melsungen's promotion to the Bundesliga in 2005, the two teams regularly competed against each other.

Social responsibility

MT Melsungen has undertaken various social and community initiatives alongside its sporting activities. The club describes its commitment to social responsibility as part of its broader sustainability strategy, which also includes environmental and economic sustainability. Its social activities focus particularly on youth development, inclusion, diversity and equal opportunities.

One of the club's most prominent inclusion projects is the Glücksliga, a handball programme based on the Danish LykkeLiga concept. In April 2023, MT Melsungen became the first German men's Bundesliga club to establish a Glücksliga team. The MT Glückskinder provides children and young people with developmental delays and/or physical or intellectual disabilities with the opportunity to play handball without competitive pressure. Training takes place regularly in Guxhagen, and the team also participates in Glücksliga tournaments. The initiative is intended to provide an inclusive environment in which children can participate in sport, develop socially and experience handball regardless of their individual abilities.

Sports Hall information

Name: – Rothenbach-Halle

City: – Kassel

Capacity: – 4500

Address: – Damaschkestraße 55, 34121 Kassel, Germany

Period: 12/2007 until 06/2027

Name: – Probonio Arena

City: – Kassel

Capacity: – 6200

Address: – Am Auestadion 1, 34121 Kassel, Germany

Period: from 07/2027

Team

Current squad

Squad for the 2026–27 season

explanation of symbols

- team captain | - injured | - development squad

Transfers

Transfers for the 2027–28 season

Domestic competition

source of information

aDue to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season was abandoned after the 27th matchday. The final standings were determined based on points per game.

Accomplishments

Domestic

Handball-Bundesliga:

Bronze: 2025

DHB-Pokal:

Silver: 2020, 2024, 2025

Final Four appearances: 1996, 2013, 2014, 2020, 2024, 2025

2. Handball-Bundesliga:

Gold: 2005

International

EHF European League:

Gold: 2026

Final Four appearances: 2025, 2026

Awards

Awards received by players while playing for the club

Handball-Bundesliga top scorer

Savas Karipidis: 2009, 282 goals

HBL All-Star Team

HBL Player of the Month

Julius Kühn: February 2018

EHF European League top scorer

Ian Barrufet: 2025, 90 goals

EHF Excellence Award – Best Young Player (Men)

Ian Barrufet: 2025

EHF European League Finals MVP

Nebojša Simić: 2026

EHF Ranking

The European Handball Federation has introduced a club ranking in the men's and women's EHF club competitions.

Clubs are ranked according to their achievements, respectively the collected points in the previous three European cup seasons (currently 2025/26, 2024/25, 2023/24).

As of 24 June 2026

Former club members

Junior Team

MT Melsungen's youth development programme operates under the name MT Talents. From the U15 age group upwards, the teams compete as mJSG Melsungen/Körle/Guxhagen, a joint youth organisation involving MT Melsungen, TSV Körle and TuSpo Guxhagen.

The youth programme covers several age groups and is designed to develop players progressively towards senior handball. In 2022, the club announced a restructuring of its youth development programme, extending its structured development work to younger age groups from the E-youth level upwards and aiming to establish a continuous pathway between the different age groups.

The programme has produced several successful youth teams at national level. The B-youth team won the German championship in 2019. In 2021, the B-youth again reached the national championship Final Four, finishing third after a 29–30 semi-final defeat against the Rhein-Neckar Löwen and a 22–29 loss to TSV Bayer Dormagen in the third-place match.

The A-youth team has also regularly competed at the highest levels of German youth handball. In the 2022–23 season, the team finished second in the preliminary round of the A-Jugend-Bundesliga and qualified for the championship round.

For the 2026–27 season, the mJSG Melsungen/Körle/Guxhagen A-youth team competes in the second division of the A-Jugend-Bundesliga, South group, while the B-youth team competes in the national A-Jugend-Bundesliga's B-youth competition.

The youth programme also serves as a pathway into the professional squad. Players from the MT Talents have progressed into the Bundesliga team, with the club regularly integrating promising young players into training and development squads.

The MT Talents programme has also produced several players who went on to establish themselves in the Bundesliga. Johannes Golla, who joined the MT youth system in 2015, progressed from the A-youth team directly into the professional squad and later became captain of the German national team. He returned to Melsungen in 2026 after eight seasons with SG Flensburg-Handewitt.

Mascot

The mascot of the MT Bundesliga handball team—a dragon—is named "Henner." His birthday is November 11, 2009. The name "Henner"—a North Hessian diminutive of Heinrich—was chosen based on suggestions from fans; the name was selected by a random draw from the entries submitted at the time. The team's slogan back then was "Feuer und Flamme für die MT" (On Fire for MT), making a dragon the perfect choice for a mascot. Henner supports the team at every home game and represents the Bundesliga squad at promotional activities as well as at social and community events. The identity of the person inside the dragon costume is known to only a select few, including the team and the board.