Seven days of “special leave” - more was not possible.

“The boys played handball for 15 months.

And now it starts all over again.

It's crazy what we're asking them to do, ”said Maik Machulla.

Actually, he should have welcomed his handball professionals again last Tuesday.

A good week after the Olympic final.

But Machulla gave the nine Flensburg Olympic starters an extra week of vacation.

“I would have liked to have trained with them for an extra week. But this special leave will pay off positively sometime in autumn and was therefore important to me, ”said Machulla. On September 8th, SG Flensburg-Handewitt starts the Bundesliga season 2021/22 at GWD Minden - and despite all the anticipation, the annoying topic of overload is always in the bag. Those responsible at the top German clubs are already looking at the summer break in 2022. Then it will be possible to give the players four weeks of vacation because there are no Olympic Games coming up.

Machulla would have liked to start the season two or three weeks later and thinks that it could have been included in the schedule.

But with a slight resignation he says: “I'm just a trainer and I have to adjust to what others decide.” In the scene, the hope has sunk to a minimum that the stress of the stars will soon decrease.

Top clubs like SC Magdeburg have reacted to the strain and increased the roster to 17 professionals.

Machulla is not a friend of it.

At the season opening press conference in Flensburg, he recalled seasons when he had 18 SG professionals in the group and had to put disappointed players in the stands game after game.

"Anyone who could walk was set up"

But the memories of the past season are still fresh. “Anyone who could run was set up,” said Machulla, “I would never want to experience something like that again.” Weakened in this way, Flensburg gambled away the fourth championship - the THW Kiel was more broadly positioned and benefited from it. Nevertheless, Machulla has to get by with a manageable staff. There are three injured in the 16-man squad who will only be able to report in the coming weeks or later. So the people of Flensburg start with 13 well-trained professionals.

And Machulla can gain a lot from that: “I think more of a small but fine squad.

Everyone knows their role and knows that they are needed. ”For him, the many injuries in the second Corona season at the Flensburgers were not a result of the pandemic or insufficient preparation, but bad luck - accidents.

As always, the well-rehearsed SG team starts the season with big goals.

“We want to play for the title.

The championship is our claim and we want to reach the final fours again, ”said managing director Dierk Schmäschke.

Machulla replied with a smile: "Nice that you don't put any pressure on."

Corona aid for the club

At 7.5 million euros, the SG's budget remains in the same order of magnitude as in previous years. Thanks to loyal sponsors and state aid to Corona, the club stayed on track financially and hopes to welcome 4600 fans to the 6300-seat Flens-Arena at the start of the season or a little later. That should be possible with the 3G concept. “We cannot survive without income from the spectators,” said Schmäschke.

While Berlin, Mannheim and Magdeburg are noticeably upgrading, the big competitor from the north remains the benchmark for Flensburg. Machulla said: "If you want to become a champion, you have to pass the THW." The new goalkeeper Kevin Möller, who comes from FC Barcelona, ​​put it a little more boldly: "I didn't come to Flensburg for second places." So it's done in Kiel - and maybe the competition can be outclassed a little less this time than in the previous season: The Schleswig-Holsteiners were miles ahead of the rest.