Rhein-Neckar Löwen

Rhein-Neckar Löwen
Rhein-Neckar Löwen
Full name	Rhein-Neckar Löwen
Short name	RNL
Founded	2002; 22 years ago
Arena	SAP Arena, Mannheim
Capacity	14,500
President	Jennifer Kettemann
Head coach	Sebastian Hinze
League	Handball-Bundesliga
2022–23	5th of 18
Club colours
Home	Away
	Website ; Official site

Rhein-Neckar Löwen is a professional handball club founded in 2002, based in Mannheim, Germany. The club competes in the German Handball-Bundesliga and continentally in EHF European League. Rhein-Neckar Löwen play their home games in SAP Arena, with a seating capacity of 14,500.

The club won the German championship twice under the leadership of Nikolaj Jacobsen, in 2016 and in 2017.^[2]

History

On 1 July 2002, the club was founded, originally named SG Kronau/Östringen, following a merger between two clubs, TSG Kronau and TSV Baden Östringen. Their home ground was

HSV Hamburg, and finished 6th in the Handball-Bundesliga. In the following season, they lost again in DHB Cup final, with a 33–31 to THW Kiel

, and finished 8th in the Handball-Bundesliga.

In the beginning of 2007–08 season, the club's name renamed to Rhein-Neckar Löwen.

HSV Hamburg

.

The club won its first title on 19 May 2013, after beating

EHF European Cup and EHF Cup Winners' Cup.^[5]

In

Füchse Berlin

, with a better result, 37–23. THW Kiel finished the season with a better goals difference and won the championship. Löwen finished only second.

A season after, in 2014–15, Rhein-Neckar Löwen appointed Nikolaj Jacobsen as their new head coach. He led Löwen again to the second place, and they finished as runners-up to THW Kiel for the second season in a row. But in 2015–16, Jacobsen was the first head coach to lead Löwen to a national championship, as they beat SG Flensburg by a one point. They also won the DHB-Supercup after a 27–24 win over SC Magdeburg. A season after, in 2016–17, they defended the title and achieved their second Bundesliga championship in their history.^[6]

Kits

AWAY
2020–21

Accomplishments

Handball-Bundesliga:
- Gold: 2016, 2017
DHB-Pokal:
- Gold: 2018, 2023
DHB-Supercup:
- Gold: 2016, 2017, 2018
EHF Cup
:
- Gold: 2013

Team

Squad for the 2023–24 season

Goalkeepers

Left wingers

Right wingers

Line players

Left backs

Central backs

Right backs

06 Niclas Kirkeløkke
42 Jon Lindenchrone

Transfers

Transfers for the 2024–25 season

Joining

Tim Nothdurft (LW) (from Bergischer HC)
Sebastian Heymann (LB) (from Frisch Auf Göppingen)
Ivan Martinović (RB) (from MT Melsungen)
Arnór Snær Óskarsson (RB) (back from loan at VfL Gummersbach)

Leaving

Joel Birlehm (GK) (to TSV Hannover-Burgdorf)
Uwe Gensheimer (LW) (retires)
Lion Zacharias (LW) (to HSG Wetzlar)
Philipp Ahouansou (LB) (to HSG Wetzlar)
Niclas Kirkeløkke (RB) (to SG Flensburg-Handewitt)
Ýmir Örn Gíslason (P) (to Frisch Auf Göppingen)

Transfers for the 2025–26 season

Joining

Manuel Zehnder (CB) (from HC Erlangen) ?
Luca Witzke (CB) (from SC DHfK Leipzig) ?

Leaving

Juri Knorr (CB) (to Aalborg Håndbold) ?

Notable former players

Henning Fritz (2007–2012)
Christian Schwarzer (2007–2009)
Michael Haaß (2006–2007)
Oliver Roggisch (2007–2014)
Christian Zeitz (2002–2003)
Michael Müller (2009–2012)
Stefan Kneer (2014–2016)
Hendrik Pekeler (2015–2018)
Steffen Fäth (2018–2020)
Marius Steinhauser (2012–2017)
Nikolas Katsigiannis (2020–2022)
Andy Schmid (2010–2022)
Ólafur Stefánsson (2009–2011)
Róbert Gunnarsson (2010–2012)
Guðjón Valur Sigurðsson (2008–2011, 2016–2019)
Stefán Rafn Sigurmannsson (2012–2016)
Alexander Petersson (2012–2021)
Snorri Guðjónsson (2009–2010)
Kim Ekdahl du Rietz (2012–2018, 2021)
Tomas Svensson (2011–2012)
Andreas Palicka (2016–2021)
Jesper Nielsen (2018–2021)
Jerry Tollbring (2017–2021)
Mariusz Jurasik (2003–2009)
Sławomir Szmal (2005–2010)
Karol Bielecki (2007–2012)
Krzysztof Lijewski (2011–2012)
Žarko Šešum (2010–2014)
Darko Stanić (2015)
Bogdan Radivojević (2017–2019)
Ilija Abutović (2018–2022)
Børge Lund (2010–2012)
Bjarte Myrhol (2009–2015)
Harald Reinkind (2014–2018)
Gedeón Guardiola (2014–2020)
Isaías Guardiola (2012–2014)
Rafael Baena González (2015–2018, 2020)
Borko Ristovski (2015–2016)
Dejan Manaskov (2016–2017)
Filip Taleski (2017–2019)
Niklas Landin Jacobsen (2012–2015)
Mads Mensah Larsen (2014–2020)
Richard Štochl (2015)
Maroš Kolpak (1997–2007)
Dmitri Torgovanov (2005–2007)
Sergei Gorbok (2007–2010, 2013–2014)
Jackson Richardson (2009)
Romain Lagarde (2019–2021)
Gábor Ancsin (2009–2011)
Dániel Buday (2007–2008)
Ivan Čupić (2010–2012)
Jan Filip (2008–2009)
Mait Patrail (2020–2022)
Andrej Klimovets (2005–2010)
Oleg Velyky (2005–2008)

Notable former coaches

References

^ "Technische Daten" [Technical Data] (in German). SAP Arena official website. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
^ "Nikolaj Jacobsen-erstatning får sparket i tysk storklub". sn.dk (in Danish). 22 February 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
^ "Saison 2007/08". Rhein-Neckar Löwen – DKB Handball-Bundesliga (in German). Retrieved 13 November 2017.
^ "European Handball Federation – 2007/08 Men's Cup Winners' Cup / Final". history.eurohandball.com. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
^ "Handball: Rhein-Neckar Löwen triumphieren im EHF-Cup". Der Spiegel. 19 May 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
^ "Nikolaj Jacobsen-erstatning får sparket i tysk storklub". sn.dk (in Danish). 22 February 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2021.

External links

Official website
Rhein-Neckar Löwen on
Facebook

Rhein-Neckar Löwen on
Twitter

Rhein-Neckar Löwen on
Instagram

Rhein-Neckar Löwen on
TikTok

[1] "Technische Daten" [Technical Data] (in German). SAP Arena official website. Retrieved 17 January 2012.

[2] "Nikolaj Jacobsen-erstatning får sparket i tysk storklub". sn.dk (in Danish). 22 February 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2021.

[3] "Saison 2007/08". Rhein-Neckar Löwen – DKB Handball-Bundesliga (in German). Retrieved 13 November 2017.

[4] "European Handball Federation – 2007/08 Men's Cup Winners' Cup / Final". history.eurohandball.com. Retrieved 17 March 2021.

[5] "Handball: Rhein-Neckar Löwen triumphieren im EHF-Cup". Der Spiegel. 19 May 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2017.

[6] "Nikolaj Jacobsen-erstatning får sparket i tysk storklub". sn.dk (in Danish). 22 February 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2021.

[1]

[2]

[5]

[6]

v t e Rhein-Neckar Löwen
History / statistics	History Seasons Players Head coaches European statistics
Home facilities	SAP Arena
Seasons	2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23
Website rhein-neckar-loewen.de

v t e Handball-Bundesliga
2023–24 teams	HBW Balingen-Weilstetten Bergischer HC Füchse Berlin ThSV Eisenach HC Erlangen Frisch Auf Göppingen VfL Gummersbach HSV Hamburg SG Flensburg-Handewitt TSV Hannover-Burgdorf THW Kiel SC DHfK Leipzig TBV Lemgo SC Magdeburg MT Melsungen TVB Stuttgart Rhein-Neckar Löwen HSG Wetzlar
Seasons	2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25

v t e EHF Cup and EHF European League winners
IHF Cup	1981–82: VfL Gummersbach 1982–83: ZTR Zaporizhzhia TV Großwallstadt Minaur Baia Mare 1985–86: Győri ETO 1986–87: Granitas Kaunas Minaur Baia Mare 1988–89: TuRU Düsseldorf 1989–90: SKIF Krasnodar 1990–91: Borac Banja Luka 1991–92: Wallau-Massenheim 1992–93: TEKA Santander
EHF Cup	1993–94: Alzira Avidesa 1994–95: Granollers 1995–96: Granollers 1996–97: Flensburg 1997–98: THW Kiel 1998–99: Magdeburg 1999–2000: Metković 2000–01: Magdeburg 2001–02: THW Kiel 2002–03: Barcelona 2003–04: THW Kiel 2004–05: TUSEM Essen 2005–06: TBV Lemgo 2006–07: Magdeburg 2007–08: HSG Nordhorn 2008–09: VfL Gummersbach 2009–10: TBV Lemgo 2010–11: Frisch Auf Göppingen 2011–12: Frisch Auf Göppingen 2012–13: Rhein-Neckar Löwen 2013–14: Pick Szeged Füchse Berlin 2015–16: Frisch Auf Göppingen 2016–17: Frisch Auf Göppingen Füchse Berlin 2018–19: THW Kiel 2019–20: (cancelled)
EHF European League	2020–21: SC Magdeburg 2021–22: S.L. Benfica Füchse Berlin

Authority control databases
International	VIAF
National	Germany