The next handball coup: MTV Lübeck brings “VfL legend” Toni Podpolinski into the team

MTV Lübeck, the new handball powerhouse in the north, has landed the next coup through its “Baltic 7” development club. After ex-manager Michael Friedrichs (52), the up-and-coming club has now brought another former player from second division VfL Lübeck-Schwartau on board: Toni Podpolinski (35). In June 2019, “Podde” hung up his handball shoes after eleven VfL years, a good 300 games and just over 1000 goals. Since then, his jersey with the number eight has been hanging in the Hansehalle behind the hall gate and is no longer awarded. Now the “VfL legend” is joining MTV at Friedrichs’ side as head of sport and development for the senior men. A surprise.

MTV Lübeck: New “home of handball” in the north

Podpolinski’s comeback as a player is out of the question

“We’ll share the job,” explains Friedrichs, “and maybe Podde will also play one, two, three games.” Because MTV is currently fighting for relegation in the fifth-rate Schleswig-Holstein league and can use any reinforcements. But Friedrichs’ hope will not be fulfilled. “I can definitely rule that out, one hundred percent,” says Podpolinski. He hasn’t touched a ball since the end of his career. To get moving, he started playing tennis in Pansdorf. “But nothing more. And that will remain so. Solely for self-protection.” Because he remembers his last days at VfL all too well, when he was repeatedly absent due to illness. Since beating cancer in spring 2015, his immune system has become more vulnerable. Even small infections last longer. But he’s in the mood for handball again. “When Friedel called and presented the project, I didn’t immediately say no the first time,” says Podpolinski. Because there had been some inquiries before. “And after I got deeper into it, I liked the idea of ​​following the MTV path all the more.”

An important point for Podpolinski: “The youth work at MTV is great. What they lack: The talents have no prospects in the transition to the men’s area.” When it comes to youth work, the men’s gymnastics club is number one in the region. There are the Handball Days, the second largest handball tournament in the world. The flagship. There are the 14 licensed coaches who are active in 29 junior teams. There is cooperation with clubs and schools. And there is the rise of the A-Youth in the Bundesliga, which has up to 700 spectators at home games and was even voted “LN Team of the Year 2021” and thus wrote history.