One day after the clear derby defeat at THW Kiel, the handball Bundesliga team SG Flensburg-Handewitt parted ways with their coach Maik Machulla. The club announced this on Monday.

The 46-year-old took over from Flensburg in 2017 and led them to the German championship in 2018 and 2019. The job cost him a series of defeats in the past few weeks, which brought the SG to the most important goals of the season in the league, in the DHB Cup and in the European Cup.

"We have looked intensively at the situation and the appearance of the team and have come to the decision that we now have to give new impetus," said managing director Holger Glandorf. "It is now a matter of securing qualification for a European competition in the remaining eight games."

Title chances melted away

Up until a week and a half ago, Flensburg still had the chance to win three titles this season. But then they lost one after the other in the DHB Cup semifinals against the Rhein-Neckar Löwen and in the EHF Cup quarterfinals against BM Granollers. This defeat was particularly bitter because the SG missed the final tournament in their own hall.

The clear 19:29 on Sunday at arch-rival Kiel was the decisive factor for the release of Machulla, who was contractually bound until 2026. For the time being, his previous assistant, Mark Bult, will lead the team's training.