MT Melsungen is a German professional handball club based in Melsungen, Hesse. The club's men's first team competes in the Handball-Bundesliga, the highest level of men's handball in Germany. The team plays its home matches at the Rothenbach-Halle in Kassel, although from the 2027–28 season it is scheduled to move to the Probonio Arena.
The club was founded in 1861 as Melsunger Turngemeinde. Its handball department was established in 1921. The first men's team reached the 2. Handball-Bundesliga in 1992 and the Bundesliga in 2005, where it has remained continuously since the 2005–06 season.
In 2026, MT Melsungen won the EHF European League for the first time, defeating THW Kiel 24–23 in the final in Hamburg. It was the first major title in the club's history, either domestically or internationally. The victory qualified Melsungen for the EHF Champions League for the first time in 2026–27.
History Foundation and early years MT Melsungen was founded in 1861 as Melsunger Turngemeinde by 38 citizens of Melsungen. The club's handball department was established in 1921.
The handball team initially competed at local level. In the mid-1970s, the first men's team was still playing in the Kreisliga. Under the leadership of Herbert Rausch, the club began a sustained sporting development, bringing talented players from the region as well as more experienced players and coaches to Melsungen. In the mid-1980s, Melsungen won the Bezirksmeisterschaft and was promoted to the Oberliga.
In 1987, Melsungen won the Hessenmeisterschaft and was promoted to the Regionalliga Südwest. The team remained in the Regionalliga for five seasons from 1987 to 1992, competing in the northern division of the Regionalliga Südwest. Melsungen finished first in its division in both 1990–91 and 1991–92, establishing itself as one of the leading teams in the region.
Promotion to the second division After finishing first in their Regionalliga Südwest division, Melsungen entered the promotion play-offs for the 2. Handball-Bundesliga in 1991. In the first leg against TuS 04 Kaiserslautern-Dansenberg, Melsungen lost 18–24 away, before winning the return leg 18–17 at home. As the aggregate score was still insufficient to decide the tie in Melsungen's favour, a third and decisive match was played at a neutral venue in Hüttenberg. Melsungen narrowly lost the deciding match 26–27, with a late turnover allowing Dansenberg to score the decisive counter-attack.
The defeat meant that Melsungen remained in the Regionalliga for another season. In 1992, the club secured promotion to the 2. Handball-Bundesliga by defeating TV Nieder-Olm 24–22 in the decisive promotion match in Nieder-Olm.
The promotion established Melsungen at national level and marked the beginning of a 13-year period in the second division. During its first years in the 2. Handball-Bundesliga, Melsungen initially had to establish itself in the reorganised league structure. The team finished 11th in its first season and subsequently improved its position, reaching fifth place in 1995–96. Melsungen's sporting development became particularly evident in the second half of the 1990s. The team finished third in the southern division in 1997–98, its best league position at that point. In 1999, the handball department entered into a playing partnership with TSV Eintracht Böddiger, competing as MSG Melsungen/Böddiger. The partnership continued until the club's promotion to the Bundesliga in 2005.
1996 DHB-Pokal run Melsungen reached the DHB-Pokal Final Four for the first time in the 1995–96 season. As a second-division club, the team eliminated three Bundesliga opponents in succession, defeating TuS Nettelstedt 28–23, GWD Minden 34–33 after extra time, and OSC Rheinhausen 24–23 to qualify for the Final Four in Hamburg In the semi-final on 30 April 1996, Melsungen lost 17–22 to TUSEM Essen. Around 1,000 supporters travelled from North Hesse to Hamburg for the tournament, marking one of the largest away followings in the club's history at the time.
Promotion to the Bundesliga The MSG Melsungen/Böddiger established itself among the leading teams in the southern second division during the early 2000s. After finishing third in 2003–04, the team won the 2004–05 2. Bundesliga Süd title and secured promotion to the Handball-Bundesliga for the first time. The promotion was closely associated with coach Rastislav Trtík, who had taken charge of Melsungen in 2004. Trtík introduced an unusually offensive style of play and a 4:2 defensive formation with two advanced defenders. The system required considerable running and discipline from the Melsungen players and created problems for opposing teams, as the unusual defensive structure was difficult to adapt to. According to former Melsungen player Daniel Holl, Trtík's tactical concept was based on producing 70 to 80 attacks per match. His approach helped transform the team into one of the most successful sides in the second division during the 2004–05 season.
Under Trtík, Melsungen won 29 of 34 league matches in the 2004–05 season and finished first in the southern division, securing promotion to the Bundesliga. The team had already clinched promotion before the final matchday with the 34–24 victory over HBW Balingen-Weilstetten on 7 May 2005. The promotion marked the end of Melsungen's 13-year spell in the second division. From the 2005–06 season onwards, the club competed continuously in the Bundesliga under the name MT Melsungen.
Melsunger TG → MSG Melsungen/Böddiger → MT Melsungen Until 1999 1999–2005 Since 2005
Move to Kassel Following promotion to the Bundesliga in 2005, Melsungen initially played its home matches at the Meirotels-Halle in Rotenburg an der Fulda. The Stadtsporthalle in Melsungen was too small for Bundesliga requirements, while the Meirotels-Halle, with a capacity of around 2,400 spectators, provided a larger venue and the infrastructure required for top-level handball. Melsungen played its first two Bundesliga seasons in Rotenburg, where the club also used shuttle buses to transport supporters from Melsungen to home matches.
The club subsequently sought a larger and more centrally located venue in the North Hesse region. The idea of moving to Kassel was promoted by head coach Robert Hedin, who saw the city's newly built Rothenbach-Halle on the Messe Kassel grounds as a suitable long-term home for Bundesliga handball.
Melsungen moved to the Rothenbach-Halle in December 2007. The final Bundesliga home match in Rotenburg was played on 22 December 2007, before the club made its debut in the new venue on 26 December against THW Kiel. The inaugural match was played in front of a sold-out crowd of around 4,300 spectators, although Melsungen lost 31–36.
The move established Kassel as the club's principal home venue while Melsungen retained its historic name and identity. The Rothenbach-Halle subsequently remained the MT's home venue for two decades. The club also continued to use venues in Melsungen for selected cup matches, including matches during its runs to the DHB-Pokal Final Four in 2013 and 2014.
In May 2025, Melsungen temporarily moved two Bundesliga home matches to the Probonio Arena in Kassel because the Rothenbach-Halle was unavailable due to a trade fair. Both matches were won by Melsungen. The successful games provided the club with an additional experience of the arena before its planned permanent move.
The agreement between Melsungen and Messe Kassel for the Rothenbach-Halle expires in June 2027. From the 2027–28 season, Melsungen is scheduled to play its home matches at the Probonio Arena in Kassel. The new agreement initially runs for five years. The arena is planned to have a capacity of around 6,200 spectators for MT home matches following redevelopment, providing a larger venue and expanded commercial and hospitality facilities.
Establishment in the Bundesliga
Following promotion in 2005, Melsungen's primary objective was to establish itself in the Bundesliga. The club initially achieved this in terms of maintaining its place in the top division, but made little progress in the standings. Melsungen finished 12th in both the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons and improved to 10th in 2007–08. The following season saw the team finish 11th, before dropping back to 12th in 2009–10. Thus, while Melsungen had established itself as a permanent member of the Bundesliga, its sporting development largely stagnated in the middle and lower half of the table during its first years in the top division.
The period was also characterised by several changes on the coaching bench. Swedish coach Robert Hedin took over in January 2007 and remained in charge until the end of the 2008–09 season. During his tenure, Melsungen recorded its highest finish to that point with tenth place in 2007–08, followed by eleventh place in 2008–09. Hedin was succeeded by Danish coach Ryan Zinglersen for the 2009–10 season, but the team was unable to build on its improved league position from the previous year and finished 12th.
For the 2010–11 season, Slovenian coach Matjaž Tominec replaced Zinglersen. The season began poorly, with Melsungen failing to earn a point from its opening four matches. After further defeats, Tominec was relieved of his duties in October 2010. Assistant coach Sándor Balogh initially took over on an interim basis, before Michael Roth was appointed as the new head coach. Roth's arrival brought an end to Melsungen's first phase of consolidation in the Bundesliga and marked the beginning of a new period in the club's sporting development.
The Michael Roth era
In October 2010, Michael Roth took over as head coach of Melsungen, replacing Matjaž Tominec. Roth joined the club after Melsungen had lost its first seven Bundesliga matches of the 2010–11 season and stood at 0:14 points. He remained in charge until April 2018, becoming the longest-serving head coach at Melsungen since the club's promotion to the 2. Bundesliga in 1992.
Roth initially stabilised the team in the Bundesliga. Melsungen finished 13th in 2010–11, followed by 10th-place finishes in both 2011–12 and 2012–13. The club's sporting development accelerated during the following seasons, with Melsungen finishing sixth in both 2013–14 and 2014–15 before reaching fourth place in 2015–16, its best Bundesliga finish at the time.
The 2012–13 season also saw Melsungen return to the Final Four of the DHB-Pokal for the first time since 1996. In the semi-final on 13 April 2013, Melsungen faced defending champions THW Kiel. The North Hessian side initially led 10–8, but Kiel turned the match around and eventually won 35–23 (16–14).
Melsungen returned to the Final Four in 2014, again reaching the semi-final. On 12 April, the team faced Füchse Berlin in Hamburg. Berlin led 15–13 at half-time and ultimately prevailed 30–28.
The 2014–15 season marked another milestone, as Melsungen qualified for European competition for the first time in the club's history. The team entered the EHF Cup and progressed through two qualification rounds before reaching the group phase. Melsungen subsequently reached the quarter-finals, establishing itself as a regular participant in European competition.
In the quarter-finals, Melsungen faced Danish club Skjern Håndbold. Skjern won the first leg 25–20 in Denmark, but Melsungen won the return leg 28–23 at home. The aggregate score was 48–48, with Skjern advancing on the away-goals rule. The tie represented Melsungen's first appearance in the quarter-finals of a European club competition.
The 2015–16 season became the sporting peak of the Roth era in the Bundesliga. Melsungen finished fourth with 47 points, the best league position in the club's history at the time, and qualified for another season of European competition.