Handball stronghold Magdeburg: Champions League victory brings new shine!

Handball stronghold Magdeburg: Champions League victory brings new shine!

A new era in handball is emerging! On June 16, 2025, SC Magdeburg won the Champions League and impressively underpinned the dominance of the Handball Bundesliga (HBL) as the strongest league in the world. This represents an important milestone for German handball, which was most recently inspired by SG Flensburg-Handewitt, which the European League had won. These successes show that the local teams not only play nationally, but also international. The Borkener Zeitung reports that HBL managing director Frank Bohmann expresses the wish for more German starting places in the Champions League.

Currently only two Bundesliga clubs are allowed to take part in the prestigious competition. However, Bohmann demands a third place for the Bundesliga defenders, and Magdeburg coach Bennet Wiegert also supports this proposal. "The competition in Germany is so strong - there is something," says Wiegert. The European Handball Federation (EHF) is planning a reform of the premier class in this context, whereby the final decision is to be made this year. EHF President Michael Wiederer praises the width of the Bundesliga and the professional work of the clubs.

final sprint of the Bundesliga

in the Daikin Handball Bundesliga, which has a long tradition and was introduced in 1966/67, the final sprint runs around the title and against relegation. On June 14th and 15th, the Final4 of the Champions League took place in the Cologne Lanxess-Arena, in which SC Magdeburg played against FC Barcelona and the Foxes Berlin had to measure itself with the French HBC Nantes. There are already considerations that three clubs from the HBL could possibly get to the final weekend of the Champions League. According to Sportbild, Bohmann indicates possible changes in the Champions League, which would go to the German teams.

The competition in the HBL is not only tension -loaded for the clubs, but also for the fans. Bohmann emphasizes that a purely German finale is not in the interests of the supporters and demands more diversity in the European League to better integrate Spanish, Scandinavian and Eastern European teams. The league is based in Dortmund and is currently sponsored by Daikin, who has been holding the rights since 2024.

handball Bundesliga at an overview

The HBL currently includes 18 clubs and is on the right track to continue writing their own story. Here are some of the participating teams of the 2024/25 season:

Team	venue	capacity
foxes Berlin	Max-Schmeling-Halle	9,000
SC Magdeburg	GETEC ARENA	6.600
THW Kiel	Wunderino Arena	10,285
SG Flensburg-Handewitt	Flens-Arena	6.300

The coming time remains exciting, both for the fans and for the clubs. The discussions about the reform of the Champions League and the possible third place for German teams are in full swing. The results and the progressive development of the league show that the HBL is on the best way to further consolidate its position in Europe and continue to keep the handball world in suspense - this promises a great season! The Wikipedia has further interesting information about the handball Bundesliga and its fascinating history.