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Eisbären Bremerhaven: Melching plans to return to the Bundesliga!
Max Melching, new managing director of the Eisbären Bremerhaven, is aiming for promotion to the first league. Fifth win in ProA.
Eisbären Bremerhaven: Melching plans to return to the Bundesliga!
The Eisbären Bremerhaven are back on the rise! Max Melching, the traditional club's new managing director since October 1, 2025, has big plans for the future of the basketball club. “I see this as my dream job,” says the 34-year-old, looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead of him with fresh enthusiasm. Melching, who previously coached the club's second team in the regional league, not only wants to lead the Eisbären back into the Bundesliga, but also strengthen their presence in Bremerhaven.
Last Sunday the Eisbären celebrated a convincing 74:59 win against the Nuremberg Falcons. It was already the fifth success this season, but the only defeat of 81:84 against the Bayer Giants Leverkusen remains in the memory. With this current momentum, the Eisbären are now in third place in the ProA table.
The way up
The Eisbären, who have been struggling since being relegated from the Bundesliga in 2019, have clear goals: First, they should make it into the play-offs before aiming for a return to the first division. Melching relies on young German talents like Raphael Falkenthal, who is only 20 years old. “The club wants to grow organically and play with a good mix of experience and youth,” continued Melching.
A central concern is also the renovation of the town hall in Bremerhaven. The conditions for home games are currently restricted as they can only take place under special conditions. So that the club can continue to appeal to local fans, five home games will be moved to the Bremen Stadthalle, the next one on December 20th against VfL Bochum. There was particular enthusiasm recently among the more than 2,000 spectators who attended the game against Baskets Koblenz, which was won 100:91.
Historical roots and future prospects
The Eisbären Bremerhaven have an eventful history. Founded in 1981 as OSC Bremerhaven, they rose through various leagues to the Bundesliga. Legendary players like Cliff Windham made history, while the team flourished in the second Bundesliga in the 1985/86 season. In the years that followed, the club experienced ups and downs, changing coaches and constant development - from BSG Bremerhaven to the founding of Eisbären Marketing GmbH in 2003.
The last few years have been characterized by constant ups and downs, but with Melching's approach and the goal of greatly rejuvenating the team and attracting sponsors for the future, the Eisbären are ready to take the next step. Among the priorities set by Melching, returning to the Bundesliga is at the top.
So the Eisbären Bremerhaven are back in business and fans can be excited to see what the coming months will bring. The foundation has been laid, and with a breath of fresh air in the management team, the return to the first league could become a reality much faster than expected.