Wrong timeout costs Flensburg their victory at the start of the season!

Wrong timeout costs Flensburg their victory at the start of the season!

On September 1, 2025, SG Flensburg-Handewitt started its 60th season of the Handball Bundesliga with a narrow draw against HSG Wetzlar. The match result report shows that Flensburg was tied 33:33 shortly before the end when coach Ales Pajovic made a fatal mistake. In the crucial minute, with 61 seconds left on the clock, he called a timeout even though his team had already used all three available timeouts. The result: possession of the ball switched to HSG Wetzlar, and the Flensburg bench was punished with a yellow card.

The match ultimately ended in a disappointing draw, which Pajovic said seemed like a ten-goal defeat. He immediately apologized to his team for the mistake and called the loss of points “tough school”. Flensburg's captain Johannes Golla was also disappointed with the result and his own performance, although the players supported Pajovic in the debriefing and emphasized that other mistakes also influenced the result.

A failed start to the season

With this unfortunate start, SG Flensburg-Handewitt has already recorded a minus point. The competition didn't let up either: THW Kiel won 31:29 against HC Erlangen the day before, while SC Magdeburg celebrated a 33:29 win against TBV Lemgo Lippe. Next Sunday things will get serious for the Füchse Berlin, who start with a home game against Bergischer HC.

Amid these tumultuous developments, it is clear that Pajovic, who began his career as a club coach in Austria and coached the national handball team there for six years, is under pressure. Under his leadership, the Austrian national team qualified for the EHF EURO four times, including for the upcoming EURO 2026. Pajovic emphasizes that the players have made great progress in recent years and many have ventured abroad, which significantly increased public interest in handball in Austria after the EHF EURO 2024. He also emphasizes his pride in the developments in domestic handball.

It remains to be seen whether Pajovic as a coach can learn from this unsuccessful start to the season. But one thing is certain: his time as a coach is characterized by challenges and exciting developments. After the disillusionment in the first round, it is important to strategically plan the next steps in order to achieve the goals set this season. As the coach himself says, “I’m not the typical Balkan coach” – that remains to be seen.

For more information about Pajovic and his career, see n-tv and eurohandball.com.