Long bus journey before the decision

SG Flensburg-Handewitt started their longest bus journey in the history of the club on Wednesday morning. “We spend more time on the bus than in a handball hall,” smiles SG’s coach, Kent-Harry Andersson before the 10-hour bus trip to Poland.

The Bundesliga team are travelling for a game against MKS Zaglebie Lubin to be played on Thursday evening at 20.45. The Flensburg managers preferred taking a bus journey than flying. The other option may have been cheaper, but even more stressy.

The Germans are highly motivated: “We must win in Poland, we cannot count on a draw in handball,“ says Kent-Harry Andersson.

A side effect of a Flensburg victory would be: Drammen, former club of coach Andersson, would also reach third place and qualify for the Cup Winners’ Cup. In addition, Flensburg still have to take their own back for the 32:33 home defeat at the first game. The Polish player of Flensburg, Marcin Lijewski and the Croatian Blazenko Lackovic want to pay this back.

“My comeback against Lubin was a great relief on the one hand, a huge blow below the belt, on the other,“ says the Croatian who returned against the Polish team from a long knee injury.

“I was waiting for that moment so long, did so much for it and than we lost that game…”

There is doubt about Ljubomir Vranjes (fever) and Torge Johannsen (knee problems). Lubin’s pivit, Michal Stankiewicz will also miss the game after getting a red card in the last seconds of the Drammen game. 

However, Kent-Harry Andersson does not think this loss would be decisive: “Lubin’s strength is their backcourt.”