SG Flensburg-Handewitt

History

SG Flensburg-Handewitt was created in 1990 following a merger of the handball divisions of TSB Flensburg and Handewitter SV. The first season of the club (1990–1991) took place in the 2. Handball-Bundesliga, with SG finishing in fourth position under Zvonimir Serdarušić. In 1992, they were promoted to the top division as SG Flensburg-Handewitt for the first time, winning every league fixture. In their first season in the top-flight, SG finished sixteenth, though they were spared relegation due to the liquidation of TSV Milbertshofen. The following year, under the leadership of Anders Dahl-Nielsen, SG were fourth and from that point, equalled that placement or better in each season until the 2008/09 season.

SG Flensburg-Handewitt acquired their first major trophy with the 1996/1997 EHF Cup by defeating Danish side Virum-Sorgenfri HK 52–42 on aggregate in the final. Three consecutive DHB-Pokal titles (2003/04 vs TUSEM Essen, 2004/05 vs HSV Hamburg, and 2005/06 vs THW Kiel) followed, as did success in the league, with a championship victory in the 2003/04 season. Flensburg defeated HSG Nordhorn-Lingen at Flens-Arena in round 33 to secure their very first title with a game to spare. Slovenian club RK Celje did however, prevent a third trophy that year for SG by winning the 2003-04 EHF Champions League final against them. The 2004-05 and 2005-06 league campaigns both saw Flensburg finish second behind THW Kiel. In 2007, SG once again lost the Champions League final, this time they were defeated by "Landesderby" rivals THW Kiel.

In 2010, former player Ljubomir Vranjes became the new coach and it was under him that SG Flensburg-Handewitt won the EHF Champions League final at their third attempt, beating THW Kiel 30–28 at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne. During Vranjes' time as coach of SG, they also won the DHB-Pokal for a fourth time, beating SC Magdeburg on penalties. Maik Machulla took over from Vranjes as head coach in 2017, and consecutive league titles (their second and third successes) followed in the 2017/18 and 2018/2019 campaigns. The 2017/18 title was secured on the final day of the season with a 22–21 victory over Frisch Auf Göppingen. The following year, SG once again took the title on the final day, winning 27–24 away at Bergischer HC. Machulla was sacked in April 2023 after Flensburg lost three vital matches in just eight days. They were defeated 38–31 by Rhein-Neckar Löwen in the DHB-Pokal semi-finals, 35–27 at Flens-Arena by BM Granollers in the EHF European League quarter-finals, and then 29–19 by THW Kiel in the Nordderby in a crucial Handball-Bundesliga game. In the 2023-24 season with Nicolej Krickau as head coach, Flensburg missed out on qualification for the 2024-25 EHF Champions League by finishing 3rd in the Handball-Bundesliga. They were also defeated in the semi-finals of the DHB-Pokal by MT Melsungen, though they were victorious in the 2023-24 EHF European League final, defeating Füchse Berlin.

Club information

Supporters

There are four official fan clubs of SG Flensburg-Handewitt. The largest is called "Hölle Nord" (Hell North). The other three are called "Die Wikinger" (The Vikings), "Nordlichter" (Northern Lights) and the "Alte Garde" (The Old Guard). Club songs include "Hier regiert Flensburg-Handewitt" by Andreas Fahnert and "Unvergleichliches".

Cooperations

SG Flensburg-Handewitt have sporting partnerships with SønderjyskE Herrehåndbold, VfL Lübeck-Schwartau, Lugi Handboll, DHK Flensborg and Flensburg Academy.

Rivalries

The main rival of SG Flensburg-Handewitt is fellow Schleswig-Holstein side THW Kiel. The two clubs compete in the "Nordderby" and have regularly and closely fought for national championships and in finals of the DHB-Pokal. As of March 2025, 114 matches have been contested between the two sides, with THW winning 67 and SG with 42 victories.

The other rival of SG is HSV Hamburg. Due to HSV's financial issues and subsequent license removal, Flensburg and Hamburg did not play each other for more than five years until the rivalry was renewed in October 2021 when SG won 33–27 in Hamburg.

Attendances

Flensburg first played at Wikinghalle, which was built in 1975. They last played there in 1995, having moved to the Flensburger Förderhalle in 1991. Flens-Arena has been the home court of the club since its completion in 2001. In April 2023, the naming rights for the arena became free, as the agreement with local brewery Flensburger Brauerei ended.

Accomplishments

Handball-Bundesliga:

Gold: 2004, 2018, 2019

Silver: 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021

2. Handball-Bundesliga:

Gold: 1988, 1992

DHB-Pokal:

Gold: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2015

Silver: 1992, 1994, 2000, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017

DHB-Supercup:

Gold: 2000, 2013, 2019

Silver: 1997, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2020

EHF Champions League:

Gold: 2014

Silver: 2004, 2007

Bronze: 2006

EHF Cup Winners' Cup:

Gold: 2001, 2012

Silver: 2002

EHF Cup / EHF European League:

Gold: 1997, 2024, 2025

Silver: 1998, 2000

Bronze: 2026

EHF City Cup:

Gold: 1999

IHF Super Globe:

Team

Current squad

Squad for the 2026–27 season

Technical staff

Head coach: Aleš Pajovič

Assistant coach: Anders Eggert

Sporting director: Ljubomir Vranjes

Athletic Trainer: Michael Döring

Physiotherapist: Torben Helmer

Club doctor: Thorsten Lange

Transfers

Transfers for the 2027–28 season

Domestic competition

aDue to the COVID-19 pandemic, the final table was decided on a points-per-match basis.

European competitions

Note: All five matches which could not be played due to COVID-19 restrictions were adjudicated by the EHF as 10–0 losses for the club which could not field a full team. This decision was officially criticised by SG Flensburg-Handewitt in a public statement.

EHF ranking

As of 5 December 2025

Former club members