When the talk is about the world‘s best handball player, a few names come up frequently. Nikola Karabatic, because of his successes in countless battles. Mikkel Hansen, the Danish anchor player with the headband. Sander Sagosen was a contender for this unofficial title. Many saw Jim Gottfridsson at the peak of his creativity at the 2022 European Championships.
But as fast as handball has become, so quickly new names come into play – for good reason. Karabatic is recovering from an injury, Hansen has announced his break due to mental exhaustion. Sagosen and Gottfridsson fight their way back to everyday life after operations.
Attractive to the audience
Professional handball, with its many games and constant duels, is a brutal business. A business that always brings new faces out – also in the position of playmaker. That makes it attractive for the audience: while Sagosen and Gottfridsson were the heavyweights, everyone is now talking about Juri Knorr.
If you asked who the best handball player was in spring 2023, Gisli Kristjansson would probably come to mind. And if that’s too much for you, how about this: Most Wanted Player? When SC Magdeburg announced at the end of March that Kristjansson, 23, would extend his contract up to and including June 2028, some big clubs must have been amazed – hardly surprising if the Icelander, after his magical years in Magdeburg, had decided on an interlude in Barcelona or Paris, cosmopolitan and curious , how he works.
But why actually go away? Playmaker Gisli Kristjansson only experienced what is possible with the SCM again on Sunday evening. Of course he cast the main role in Cologne. He loves it. He takes shots, he makes the last pass – when everything is going towards winning action, he’s there.
Only this time it failed.
In a wild game full of twists and turns, the SCM had missed out on victory at the end of the 60 minutes by throwing a seven-meter throw, then ran after them in extra time, managed to equalize with a penalty throw seconds before the end and saved themselves by throwing a seven-meter throw. The 20,000 fans in the Deutzer Arena hardly wanted to look anymore. Gisli Kristjansson took charge when it came time for the decisive throw from the point. And failed. The Rhein-Neckar Löwen grabbed the DHB Cup with a 36:34. Magdeburg have two chances for the title.
The medical record is thick
Previously, he had scored nine goals in the effortless semi-final win over Lemgo, five in the final and also prepared many goals. Kristjansson is considered the player with the fastest first step. He often shakes his opponents effortlessly. Not that big, not that strong, he rarely throws from nine meters, but digs through the defense.
You hold your breath while doing this. Because Kristjansson’s medical record is thick. In January 2019, he injured his right shoulder during the World Cup and required surgery. In November of that year he dislocated his upper left joint. His then club THW Kiel let him move to Magdeburg. In the first game for the SCM, he was eliminated after a foul and paused until the end of the season – his left shoulder was affected again. The next drama followed in March 2021: Magdeburg versus Berlin, Kristjansson throws himself into the defense, is stopped, falls, lies on the ground screaming in pain. The left shoulder needs surgery. Kristjansson misses the rest of the season.
Wouldn’t that have been the moment to change fundamentals? “I will not change my style,” he said just the “Kieler Nachrichten”. Sensible strength training and good preparation allow him to trust his body: “I’m proud to have kept fighting.”
The club trusted him – which Kristjansson now emphasized when extending the contract. With him, the SCM became champion in May 2022, and without his injured partner Omar Ingi Magnusson, Kristjansson has had to steer even more since January. Coach Bennet Wiegert gives him complete freedom, which was one of the main reasons for staying in Magdeburg. He lives there with his girlfriend Rannveig Bjarnadottir, who has just moved in with him: there are many more beautiful places than many people think. The two have known each other since they played football in Hafnarfjördur when they were ten years old. The blonde couple now easily provides a bit of glamor in Saxony-Anhalt – if Gisli Kristjansson has his way, for many years to come.