“There are more important things in life”
Tragic death in the final: the coach wanted to stop the game
06/19/2023, 07:18 am
SC Magdeburg triumphs in the final of the Champions League. But it almost didn’t get that far. The game is interrupted due to an emergency doctor’s visit to a journalist. Magdeburg coach Bennet Wiegert suggests ending the game and proclaiming Kielce the winner.
“You saw again how close happiness and sadness are to each other. I’m so sorry, that just sucks,” said SC Magdeburg coach Bennet Wiegert after the Champions League final in handball. His team had just won 30:29 against top Polish club Industria Kielce in a tight game including extra time. And it’s not as if Wiegert wasn’t overjoyed, but his sympathy was with the Polish journalist, who suddenly collapsed in the press box 12:20 minutes before the end of regular time. The game was interrupted because the emergency doctor was called, and the journalist later died in hospital.
At the time of the interruption, Magdeburg was 20:22 behind, but Wiegert didn’t care at all at the moment. The 41-year-old showed human greatness and showed that there are more important things than sport. During the break he went to his coaching colleague Talant Dujshebaev and offered him: “Let’s end the game. We take the result and you’re Champions League winners because there are more important things in life,” reported Wiegert.
Kristjansson fights through
Things turned out differently, the game continued and Magdeburg defeated Kielce. Despite the tragic circumstances, of course a reason to celebrate for the people of Magdeburg. On the night drive home on the autobahn, the team celebrated their second triumph in the Handball Champions League after 2002, before a big reception for the team around MVP Gisli Kristjansson in Magdeburg in the afternoon. “I’m totally humbled with everything that’s happening here now. And I’m really sorry. My sadness, my condolences are with the deceased journalist from Kielce. I’m really sorry. That’s all I can say,” emphasized Wiegert.
Before leaving with the winner’s trophy, he explained the sporting success: “It will take weeks or even months to realize everything that happened this weekend in Cologne. I will never forget it in my life, I know that. I can cannot praise the character of the team highly enough.”
“I can only begin to imagine what will happen in Magdeburg in the next few days,” said national coach Alfred Gislason, who led the traditional club to its first triumph in the Champions League 21 years ago. The SCM is currently “the most effective team in the world” and “rightly won the title”. Wiegert felt the same way and praised the players in the highest tones. “Everyone has made history. This team is just fantastic,” said the 41-year-old, who was a player in the first premier class win in 2002.
“Will in me was so strong”
An example of the team’s mentality was Kristjansson’s lightning comeback, who dislocated his throwing arm in the semi-final against FC Barcelona the day before and still scored six goals in the final 24 hours later. “When it happened, I thought I wouldn’t play handball again until January. But the will in me was so strong. I just wanted to be there and help the team, no matter for how long,” said the 23-year-old backcourt player and added with a smile: “Icelanders never give up. That’s just our mentality.”
Kristjansson’s appearance also made Wiegert emotional, especially since the Iceland international will probably be out for a long time. “I’m so happy for him because I know what a tough time he has ahead of him,” said the successful Magdeburg coach, adding: “If we had lost the game, I would have mourned such a good player for a long time losing for a long time. With the trophy, it doesn’t hurt him that much.”