The 150 Gummersbach fans who traveled with them were over the moon when they returned to the first division, for many Gummersbacher players - like the new captain Julian Köster - it was the first Bundesliga game of their career, and then they started immediately by an away win at the European League participants.

But Sigurdsson doesn't want anything to do with exaggerated euphoria: "We've only completed 60 minutes of a long season and nothing has happened yet. We worked hard with the guys for two years until they promoted again. Now we're back and we're definitely going to keep our feet on the ground. We've shown that we can keep up with a team like Lemgo, but we haven't been consistent enough in preparation, we still have to work that out.”

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Nevertheless, the Icelander is of course extremely proud to have set this signal right away. "Our fans should of course enjoy this win." The traditional club is tackling the mission of staying up in the league with a young team. The duo on the left back -  Köster and Miro Schluroff - are both 22 years old, playmaker Ole Pregler only 20 - and together with the top scorer Dominik Mappes (arrived from Hüttenberg before the season) already formed a strong attacking hub in Lemgo. “In line with managing director Christoph Schindler, we have put together what we believe to be the best possible team that also fits into our budget. Christoph put the club on a sound financial footing, and that's exactly the way we're going to continue," says Sigurdsson, who is extremely satisfied with the commitment and hard work of his players, but also with "the great character of the lads".

The Icelander relies a lot on communication and always expects feedback from his players, for example as to whether his tactical guidelines can also be implemented in their way: "When we play with Julian Köster, we have different tactics than with Miro, so everyone should contribute their opinion to all considerations.”

Of course, the focus of the public is on young international Köster, about whom his coach says that he is not only intelligent and absolutely important for the team, but at the same time also "plays a great leadership role off the field, a very intelligent guy". But Sigurdsson also emphasizes that "we have our qualities everywhere in the team, and we don't align and focus our game only on one player. Success is only possible by the team.”

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On the way to the long-term goal of staying in the league, VfL Gummersbach does not set any intermediate markers as to when and how many points must or should be achieved: “So much can happen in such a long season, so you cannot plan everything in advance. We now have two points on our account and that's very good, but now we have to prepare ourselves from game to game."

And now everyone at VfL is looking forward to the first LIQUI MOLY HBL home game in three years - on Thursday in the SCHWALBE Arena they face none other than champions SC Magdeburg. "A huge game that everyone is looking forward to," emphasizes the Icelander, who played with SCM coach Bennet Wiegert during his three year stint as a player at VfL and also knows Gisli Kristjansson and Omar Ingi Magnusson from the national team.

“Many of our guys have now played a single Bundesliga game, and when you then play against the best team in Germany, that's great and a huge motivation. I hope that we perform similarly as in Lemgo.” For the SCM, the game in the SCHWALBE Arena is the second duel with a promoted team after the 31:23 victory against ASV Hamm Westfalen.

The Icelander knows from his own experience how important the “eighth player” is for VfL Gummersbach, not only on Thursday: “Our hall is definitely one of the loudest in the league, I appreciated that as a VfL player. We've already had a lot of sold-out games in the second division and the euphoria around the club is huge, which is also reflected in the season ticket record. Everyone is very interested in Bundesliga handball, and the fans want to see that the boys put their hearts into the field, so they give their all in the stands."

Photo: Wieking