HC ALKALOID – TSV HANNOVER BURGDORF 28-29 (14-14)

Venue: Avtokomanda in Skopje. Referees: Mihai Pirvu and Radu Potirniche from Romania. Delegate: Mihail Bashev from Bulgaria

HC ALKALOID: Kizikj (3 saves), Galevski (13 saves), Djonov, Þordarsson 7, Serafimov, Karasmanakis 1, Stojkovikj 2, Gjorgiev 2, Velkovski, Simonoski, Ivanovski, Kosteski 5, Petkovski, Mitev 2, Borzas 8, Alarov 1

Seven-meter throws: 1/5 Suspensions: 4 min.

TSV HANNOVER BURGDORF: Birlehm (17 saves), Gade, Tissier 2, Poulsen 7, Orlov 1, Steinhauser 5, Michalczik 3, Aho 1, Stutzke 1, Solstad, Fischer 8, Feise, Weber, Rodriguez

Seven-meter throws: 3/3 Suspensions: 12 min.

German side TSV Hannover Burgdorf were the overall winners of the two-legged duel, defeating HC Alkaloid again in Skopje (28–29) to advance further. Fired up to prove themselves, the players of HC Alkaloid delivered a fierce contest, with a pace worthy of the Bundesliga. The Germans embraced that style, giving the fans a rare chance to enjoy handball at full speed, with all the beauty and setbacks such a game brings.

Once again spurred by the saves of goalkeeper Birlehm, Hannover took the early initiative, pulling ahead by two (4-2). The match picked up rhythm, but the visitors adjusted perfectly, building leads of 9-6 and later 12-6. The character of HC Alkaloid’s players was tested, and they rose to the challenge. Ivan Galevski had a brilliant first half, balance was restored, and we finally saw the blue-and-white in full flight, erasing a six-goal deficit in 15 minutes and heading into halftime level at 14-14.

In the second half, HC Alkaloid conceded three in a row, but quickly struck back with five unanswered goals, turning the scoreboard to 19-17 in their favor. From there it was a back-and-forth battle, with the score tied at 20-20 and again at 27-27. A fourth missed penalty by Alkaloid proved costly, however, giving the German side just enough of a cushion in the closing minutes to secure victory in Skopje.

Tonight, our team proudly raised the EHF European Cup trophy after a dramatic victory over AEK Athens in the final! The cup was presented by Mr. Bozidar Djurkovic, EHF representative. For our club, this is the third trophy in history, following the Super Cup and the Macedonian Cup. To reach the European title, HC Alkaloid defeated Dragunas Klaipeda (Lithuania), West Wien (Austria), Brixen (Italy), Baia Mare (Romania), Runar Sandefjord (Norway), and AEK Athens (Greece).

HC Alkaloid is preparing for the rematch against Bundesliga side TSV Hannover-Burgdorf in the EHF European League qualifiers. The first leg ended in a loss for Alkaloid (37-27), and the team now faces the challenge of overturning that deficit to earn a spot in the group stage. Head coach Kiril Lazarov previewed the upcoming clash with the German squad, which spent much of last season leading the world’s strongest league.

“We have the rematch in the European League qualifiers against Hannover, a team that speaks for itself. They were leaders in the world’s top league for over eight months last season and this year they have strengthened with experienced players. I’m disappointed we lost by an unrealistic and unexpected ten-goal margin. Saturday is special because we’ll also lift the European Cup we won last year with our Macedonian team, a club that has been in the Super League for three years, another one in the First League, and is built on Macedonian players. It’s not ideal to lift a trophy with a ten-goal deficit from Germany, but we’ll adjust and enjoy the moment as much as we can before the match, and on the court we’ll demonstrate Macedonian handball with pride. I want a complete performance. I told the players we need to leave our hearts on the court, for ourselves, the project, and the fans. I was a bit disappointed, lost some sleep over it, but that’s sport. It’s a shame the Macedonian public couldn’t see how we played in Germany and that we didn’t deserve a ten-goal defeat. Hannover is in full Bundesliga rhythm, so this will be a big learning experience. I hope we play a full, solid game, and after 60 minutes we’ll see the outcome. Regardless of our hopes, this is a top-class opponent,” said Lazarov.

Speaking for HC Alkaloid ahead of the rematch, captain Igor Gjorgiev emphasized that the team won’t give up and promised maximum effort on every ball.

“After the duel in Germany against Hannover, we now face the home leg in front of our fans. In the first match, as a team, we had a bad day, especially in finishing clear chances and penalties, which is unacceptable against a squad like theirs. The deficit is big, but we won’t give up at any point. With our fans behind us, we’ll fight. Before the match, we’ll also receive last year’s European Cup trophy, so I invite everyone to join us in celebrating first, and then to be our eighth player,” said Gjorgiev.

Pivot Valentin Karasmanakis also spoke at the press conference:

“We had a bad team day with technical mistakes. Now the rematch is here. All we can do is give 100% on the court and, if the chance arises, improve on our previous performance and wait for the outcome. I call on the fans to give us their full support,” said Karasmanakis.

The rematch between HC Alkaloid and TSV Hannover-Burgdorf is set for Saturday at 19:30 in the Avtokomanda Arena. The match will feature a special moment for Alkaloid as they receive last year’s EHF European Cup trophy, won over AEK Athens in the final.

The refereeing duo comes from Romania: Mihai Marian Pirvu and Radu Mihail Potirniche, with Mihail Bashev from Bulgaria as match delegate. The winner of this tie will advance to Group E of the EHF European League, joining Fredericia (Denmark), Tatran Presov (Slovakia), and Savehof/Malmo (Sweden).

HC Alkaloid launched its European campaign in the EHF European League qualifiers but failed to secure a favorable result on the road, losing 37-27 to TSV Hannover-Burgdorf in the first leg of the playoff tie. The return leg will take place in seven days at Skopje’s Avtokomanda Arena, with the winner advancing to the group stage.

The match opened at a high tempo, with action flowing both in fast breaks and structured attacks. Hannover grabbed early control, benefiting from a saved penalty and a technical mistake from Alkaloid, building a two-goal lead. Alkaloid fought back to level the score after eight minutes (6-6), with Þordarsson delivering precise finishes to Joel Birlehm’s net. Alkaloid even took the lead for the first time in the 10th minute (10-9), with the Icelander hitting 5/5. However, a spell of missed opportunities and errors allowed Hannover to regain control, and by the 15th minute, they led 14-11, prompting Kiril Lazarov to call a timeout. Goalkeeper Birlehm came up with another crucial save, which sparked a Hannover fast break for 16-12. Alkaloid reduced the gap quickly through Borzas, and Galevski pulled off two more stops, but Birlehm blocked two consecutive shots, preventing Alkaloid from narrowing the deficit.

At halftime, Hannover maintained their edge, going into the break 19-15 ahead. The second half started as a back-and-forth exchange, with both teams scoring until 24-19. During this period, Alkaloid was reduced to six players after Velkovski received a red card, and Hannover exploited the advantage. The German side eventually extended their lead to a maximum of 10 goals in front of their home fans. HC Alkaloid’s main issue in the match was finishing, as reflected in the fact that Hannover’s goalkeepers recorded 19 saves over the course of the game.

This weekend marks the beginning of HC Alkaloid’s third straight season on the European stage, as the team kicks off its playoff tie for a place in the EHF European League group stage. HC Alkaloid is set to face TSV Hannover-Burgdorf, widely known as Die Recken (The Warriors), one of Germany’s strongest clubs in recent years and the highest-ranked team in the qualification round.

The first leg will be played on Sunday, August 31st, at 17:00 in Hannover, with the return scheduled for September 6 in Skopje, at the Avtokomanda Arena, starting at 19:30.

TSV Hannover-Burgdorf traces its history back to 1922, when it was founded as FT Burgdorf. Over 80 years later and after several transformations, the club officially became TSV Hannover-Burgdorf in 2005, and since then has been based in Hannover.

Their debut in the strongest German competition came in the 2009/2010 season, and in the past four to five years they have enjoyed their most successful spell, establishing themselves as a financially stable club with a squad capable of competing at the very top of the world’s strongest league.

Last season was the most successful in Hannover’s history. For the first time, they were genuine contenders for the Bundesliga crown, leading the table after 20 rounds. But the grueling pace of the league eventually caught up with them, and in the final 10 games they picked up only two wins and one draw, suffering more defeats than in the rest of the season combined. Even so, they finished in sixth place, just three points shy of giants SG Flensburg-Handewitt.

The team’s revival started under Christian Prokop, former head coach of the German national team, who took over in 2021. He stabilized the roster, added key signings, and reshaped the club’s long-term direction and has already been showing results. Hannover’s style of play has become instantly recognizable, a compact 6-0 defense with strong isolation and anticipation, combined with a lightning-fast transition that keeps going for 60 minutes, regardless of the score.

Their major Bundesliga clashes are staged at the ZAG Arena in Hannover, regularly filled with 11,000 fans. But the upcoming European fixture with HC Alkaloid will be played in the smaller Swiss Life Hall, which holds 4,500 spectators.

TSV HANNOVER-BURGDORF

Goalkeepers: Simon Gade (Denmark), Joel Birlehm (Germany)

Left Wings: August Pedersen (Norway), Hannes Feise (Germany)

Left Backs: Maxim Orlov (Germany), Lukas Stutzke (Germany)

Centre Backs: Marian Michalczik (Germany), Jonathan Edvardsson (Sweden), Leif Tissier (Germany), Sindre Aho (Norway)

Right Backs: Vilhelm Poulsen (Faroe Islands), Renārs Uščins (Germany)

Right Wings: Marius Steinhauser (Germany), Daniel Weber (Germany)

Pivots: Justus Fischer (Germany), Thomas Solstad (Norway), Luis Rodriguez (Germany)

Head Coach: Christian Prokop

New arrivals: Leif Tissier (Hamburg), August Pedersen (Flensburg), Maxim Orlov (Potsdam), Sindre Aho (Montpellier)

Departures: Tilen Strmljan (GRK Ohrid), Martin Hanne (Göppingen), Uladzislau Kulesh (Melsungen), Adam Nyfjall (Lemgo), Koray Ayar (Besiktas), Vincent Büchner (Eisenach), Maximilian Gerbl (retired)

Last season, Damjan Mitev took on one of the main roles, with the team depending on him in the most important matches, especially on the European stage. He passed that test with flying colors, and now he enters the new season with more experience and confidence in a system of play he already knows well.

The challenges ahead will be greater and more demanding, but HC Alkaloid has long since chosen its path.

“Our preparations are going at the highest level. I’m very satisfied with the team, we have good chemistry, and we fight for each other. This season brings a tough challenge. In the European League, we’ll face Hannover in a two-legged tie, starting away on August 31st. It’s a difficult opponent, a Bundesliga team, but we’ll give it our all and we won’t give up. Then comes the return leg in Skopje, where we need to show our best in front of our fans.

This year, the Super League will be one of the strongest and most competitive in recent seasons. We’re ready to fight, and we expect great results,” said Damjan Mitev.