Champions League winners SC Magdeburg landed a hat-trick of titles at the Club World Cup and continued their impressive series of successes on the international stage.
The German runner-up won the final against the European League winner Füchse Berlin in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, 34:32 (29:29, 13:16) after extra time and, like in 2021 and 2022, won the trophy.
In the dramatic duel with the Bundesliga leaders in front of almost empty stands, Albin Lagergren and Janus Smarason were the best scorers with seven goals each for the Magdeburg team, who beat Poland’s top team Industria Kielce 28:24 in the semi-finals. Mathias Gidsel scored nine times for the capital club, which eliminated Spanish series champions FC Barcelona in the semi-finals with a 35:34 win after extra time.
“Welcome source of income” for Berliners
The SCM received a prize of $400,000 for the triumph. For the Berliners, who won the title in 2015 and 2016, there was still $250,000. “Especially in our current situation, this is a welcome source of income. It’s no secret that our main sponsor and two or three other partners have left us,” Füchse managing director Bob Hanning said before the tournament. Barcelona secured third place with a 33:30 win against Kielce.
For a long time it looked like the Berliners would be successful. Thanks to a few saves from their outstanding goalkeeper Dejan Milosavljev and concentrated shots in attack, the Foxes quickly gained a three-goal cushion. That was used up again in the middle of the first half at 7:7.
Foxes are now five goals ahead
The Berliners, who had to do without the injured national players Fabian Wiede and Paul Drux as well as Sweden’s European champion Max Darj, were not impressed by this and once again pulled away by three goals.
The Magdeburgers, who were also plagued by personnel concerns and were missing backfield aces Gisli Kristjansson and Philipp Weber, made too many missed throws. They were initially unable to overcome this shortcoming even after the change.
In addition, coach Bennet Wiegert’s team barely got Berlin’s top throwers Gidsel as well as Mijajlo Marsenic and Jerry Tollbring (both 7) under control. The result was a five-goal deficit at 14:19.
Magdeburg is fighting back
But the SCM fought undaunted and equalized for the first time 16 minutes before the end (22:22). In the dramatic final phase of regular time, Daniel Pettersson could have made the victory perfect, but the Swede missed Milosavljev with a seven-meter shot a few seconds before the end. So it went into extra time, in which Magdeburg had more to add.
SCM coach Wiegert described reaching the third final in a row as “not normal”. “It’s crazy. It’s fantastic for us and for the club,” said the 41-year-old after Saturday’s success against Kielce in the repeat of the Champions League final from June this year. With the triumph against the foxes, his team took the crown once again.
