A dramatic weekend in Hamburg saw MT Melsungen clinch the title in the EHF European League Men this season, the maiden trophy for the German side, after losing the final of the German Cup in 2020, 2024 and 2025 and finishing third in the German league in the 2024/25 season.

After a long season, four teams made it into the EHF Finals Men, with the winners of the two previous editions, SG Flensburg-Handewitt being joined by fellow German sides MT Melsungen and THW Kiel, as well as French side Montpellier Handball, the same line-up as in the previous edition.

However, if the last season saw MT Melsungen finish fourth, this time around the German side proved to be the best side in the line-up, with a hierarchy which was turned on its head being presented after the four matches.

Indeed, the same semi-finals like in the previous season provided two different winners, as Melsungen and THW Kiel made the final, after two strong outings on Saturday.

Melsungen, which are enjoying a golden age under the tutelage of coach Roberto Garcia Parrondo, started strong and delivered a fantastic second half against Flensburg in the first semi-final, with a clear 37:30 win.

Latvia right back Dainis Kristopans scored nine goals, with Tunisia centre back adding seven more, while goalkeeper Nebojsa Simić also contributed with 15 fantastic saves, for a 33.3% saving efficiency throughout the match, silencing Flensburg in the second half.

Kiel had already lost one match against Montpellier last season, but made it three out of three against the French side this season, adding their third success with two others coming in the preliminary round.

The German side, looking for their fifth title in the second-tier European competition, led 15:12 at the break, spurred by Sweden left back Eric Johansson, who was the team’s top scorer, with six goals, but from a whopping 16 attempts.

Kiel stood tall in the second half, despite Montpellier’s furious comeback attempts, eventually taking a 29:28 win and making it to the final for the fifth time in history, having won the previous four.

After Flensburg finished third, with a 32:30 win over Montpellier, it was time for the final, with Kiel winning three of the last four matches against Melsungen and, generally, holding more experience in these key situations.

Kiel took control of the match in the first minutes, but Melsungen were better in the last 10 minutes of the first half, when Kiel could only manage to score twice, having a six-minute goalless stint.

With Melsungen leading, 13:12, at the break, they also got a fantastic Simić between the posts in the last 30 minutes. While the overall saving efficiency (33.3%) and sheer save numbers – 11 – do not sound like much, the Montenegrin goalkeeper, who was named the MVP of the EHF Finals Men, was crucial in keeping his team’s momentum.

All but two of Melsungen’s outfield players scored at least one goal, in a fantastic team effort, which kept them in front throughout the whole second half. While Kiel managed to cut the gap, they failed to tie the score with the final attack, as Johansson’s last free throw was blocked by Melsungen’s defence, for a 24:23 win. It was the lowest-scoring final of the competition since the Final Four format has been introduced in the 2013/14 season.

“I am just feeling happy for the fans, the team, the club, our families, I know how hard this moment is for Kiel. They are a great team, they will come back and will be successful and have better times. My family was suffering on the tribune, so this victory is also for the families of the players,” said Garcia Parrondo, Melsungen’s coach, after his team’s win.

Since the inaugural edition of the competition, in the 1993/94 season, the second-tier European club competition was won 26 times by teams from Germany. 10 of the last 11 trophies went to German teams.

The top scorer of the season was Sweden centre back Axel Månsson, who scored 98 times for IFK Kristianstad. 

Credit photo: EHF / kolektiff / Saša Pahič Szabó