MT Melsungen defeated THW Kiel and won the first European trophy in the club's history
MT Melsungen won the EHF European League Men 2025/26 after a dramatic 24:23 victory against THW Kiel in the final of the Winamax EHF Finals 2026, played on Sunday, May 31, 2026, at the Barclays Arena in Hamburg. In the all-German final, defenses, goalkeepers and the final attacks decided the outcome, and the team of coach Roberto Parrondo achieved the greatest success in the club's history. According to the official report of the European Handball Federation, this is MT Melsungen's first trophy ever, not only on the international stage but also in senior competitive terms. The EHF described the victory as the highlight of a weekend in which Melsungen first eliminated defending champion SG Flensburg-Handewitt and then defeated one of the most decorated German clubs in the final.
The final ended 24:23 for MT Melsungen, after the score at halftime was 13:12 for the team from northern Hesse. THW Kiel had a slight advantage in the early phase and led 6:4 in the 12th minute, and according to the official EHF description, they were last ahead at 10:9 in the 20th minute. Melsungen then reversed the rhythm of the match, relied on a solid defense and on goalkeeper Nebojša Simić, who had already given the match a different direction in the first half. Kiel came back from behind several times, equalized even in the very closing stages, but failed to take the lead in a period in which every mistake carried the weight of winning or losing the European title.
Mandić's goal and Simić's saves decided the finish
According to the EHF report, the finish was especially dramatic because Kiel equalized at 23:23 through Lukas Laube 55 seconds before the end. In the next attack, Melsungen found the solution through David Mandić, whose goal for 24:23 remained the last goal of the match. THW Kiel had one more chance, but Eric Johansson's direct free throw ended in Melsungen's block. That confirmed the victory, which immediately sparked a huge celebration among the players and fans in the Hamburg arena.
One of the key moments occurred two minutes before the end, when Nebojša Simić, with Melsungen leading 23:22, saved a seven-meter throw from Lukas Zerbe. WELT, citing dpa, points to precisely that detail as the turning point of the finish, while the official EHF report highlights that Simić, in the same period, first stopped two consecutive attempts and then the seven-meter throw as well. The EHF reported that the Melsungen goalkeeper made 11 saves in the final, while over the entire final tournament he collected 27 saves and was named the Most Valuable Player of the Winamax EHF Finals 2026. In a match with a low number of goals, that difference was decisive because every saved attack changed the psychological balance.
On the other side, Kiel also had goalkeeping support. The EHF notes that Andreas Wolff was replaced after 20 minutes by Gonzalo Perez de Vargas, who kept THW in the match after the break with a series of saves. Still, even his performance was not enough for Kiel to turn the final around. The attacks of both teams ran into exceptionally aggressive and disciplined defenses, so in the first 15 minutes of the second half each side scored only four goals. That rhythm suited Melsungen better, as they managed to keep a minimal lead even under pressure.
Kristopans and Zerbe were the most efficient, but the team structure was decisive
The official EHF data for the final state that Lukas Zerbe, with five goals, was THW Kiel's top scorer, while Dainis Kristopans, with four goals, was the most efficient player for MT Melsungen. The same information was also published by WELT in its report after the final. However, the match was not marked by big individual numbers, but by collective discipline, defense and control of mistakes. After the initial deficit, Melsungen patiently built their attacks, while Kiel repeatedly had to take risks in the continuation in order to find a way through the defensive wall.
In its analysis of the final, the EHF particularly emphasized Roberto Parrondo's tactical approach, which directed Melsungen toward defense as their fundamental weapon. Such an approach proved successful the day before as well, in the semifinal against SG Flensburg-Handewitt, but against Kiel it came fully to the fore. In a match in which there were no major scoring runs, every stolen ball, block and save gained the value of a goal. Because of that, Melsungen did not fall apart either when Kiel equalized at 21:21 in the 55th minute or when Laube scored for 23:23 in the final minute.
For THW Kiel, the defeat is additionally painful because this is a club accustomed to trophies, but the 2025/26 season ended without European celebration for Filip Jicha's team. WELT states that after this, Kiel remained without a title in a season it described as unsuccessful by the club's standards. German international Lukas Zerbe said after the match, according to the same report, that the defeat was extremely bitter, but that he could not reproach the team for anything because it fought until the 60th minute. In the EHF statements after the final, Jicha emphasized that both teams played with exceptional fighting spirit and that handball is sometimes cruel because in such a match there cannot be two winners.
Hamburg once again hosted the final stage of the second European competition
The Winamax EHF Finals 2026 were held on May 30 and 31 in Hamburg, and according to information from the International Handball Federation, this is the final event of the EHF European League Men, the second-tier European club competition. Before the tournament, the IHF stated that the participants were MT Melsungen, Montpellier Handball, SG Flensburg-Handewitt and THW Kiel. The semifinals were played on May 30, the third-place match and the final on May 31, and the final match began at 18:00 Central European Time. WELT reported that the final at the Barclays Arena was watched by 12,200 spectators.
Hamburg thereby once again became the center of the final stage of a competition in which German clubs have exceptionally strong continuity. In its preview of the tournament, WELT recalled that the 2026 final stage brought the same semifinal pairings as the year before: Flensburg against Melsungen and Kiel against Montpellier. The difference was in the outcome. In 2025, Melsungen lost to Flensburg after extra time and finished fourth, while in 2026 they first got revenge on Flensburg with a 37:30 victory and then defeated Kiel in the final.
The semifinal victory against the defending champion was an important psychological step. According to the EHF report from that match, Melsungen reached the first international final in the club's history against Flensburg, with especially important roles for Kristopans and Simić. WELT states that Kristopans scored nine goals in that semifinal, while Simon Pytlick, with eight goals, was Flensburg's best scorer. By then, Melsungen had already shown that they did not see the final tournament as an opportunity for a surprise, but as a competition in which they could control matches against the strongest opponents.
First trophy and a possible path toward the Champions League
The greatest sporting weight of the final lies not only in the 24:23 result but in the fact that MT Melsungen lifted a trophy for the first time. The EHF emphasized that this was the first domestic or international title in the club's history. For a team that in previous seasons was often present near the top, but without final confirmation through a major cup, the victory in Hamburg represents a turning point. In club terms, it is a result that changes the perception of Melsungen in German and European handball because it was achieved against THW Kiel, a club with a great tradition and a clear winning identity.
Alongside the title, the EHF also highlighted a possible additional reward: Melsungen could play in the EHF Champions League next season if Füchse Berlin do not win the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 2026. WELT also stated that the triumph in the European League could open Melsungen's path toward the elite European competition. That possibility gives the final additional competitive context, although the European title itself already represents a historic success. In handball, especially in the German Bundesliga, placement near the top often depends on very small margins, so a European trophy can affect both the sporting status and the attractiveness of the club in future seasons.
For Kiel, by contrast, the defeat means a missed opportunity to save the season with a European title. WELT states that after the defeat, THW must also think about its own European status in the next season, while the EHF, in statements after the match, conveyed Jicha's assessment that the team was left empty and sad despite a great fight. Kiel reached the final with a 29:28 victory against Montpellier in the semifinal, in a match in which, according to WELT, the finish and a strong goalkeeping performance by Andreas Wolff were decisive. But in the final against Melsungen, the key details went to the other side.
Flensburg finished third, Montpellier remained without a medal
The final day in Hamburg did not bring only the final. In the third-place match, SG Flensburg-Handewitt defeated Montpellier Handball 32:30, after the score at halftime was 16:16. WELT states that Flensburg had to change its match plan early because Niclas Kirkelokke received a red card already in the sixth minute after a foul on Valentin Porte. Despite that, the German team managed to take control in the continuation and secure bronze.
That result rounded off a tournament in which three of the four participants were German clubs, and the European trophy once again remained in Germany. Still, the story of the final weekend belonged to Melsungen. The club that a year earlier in Hamburg had been left without a final now defeated both the defending champion and THW Kiel in the same arena. In sporting terms, that is a rare turnaround in just one season, and in historical terms a moment that will be remembered in Melsungen as the first major title.
The celebration after the final whistle showed how much the trophy meant to the players and fans. WELT describes how the players danced on the court of the Barclays Arena, while the fan section celebrated the greatest success in the club's history. The EHF, meanwhile, highlighted that the gold medals and the trophy were presented to Melsungen by members of the EHF Executive Committee Stefan Lovgren and Božidar Đurković. In a match in which defenses were stronger than attacks, and the difference came down to one goal, Melsungen found enough composure for the final shot and enough solidity for the final defense.
Sources:
- EHF Home of Handball – official report on the final, the 24:23 result, MT Melsungen's first trophy, Nebojša Simić's role and the finish of the match (link)
- EHF European League – official match page for THW Kiel - MT Melsungen with the final result and competition data (link)
- EHF Home of Handball – report on the semifinal MT Melsungen - SG Flensburg-Handewitt and Melsungen's qualification for their first international final (link)
- WELT/dpa – report from Hamburg on the final, spectators, the course of the finish and the third-place match (link)
- International Handball Federation – preview and basic information on the EHF Finals Men 2026, participants, schedule and the status of the EHF European League as the second European club competition (link)