# Neckarsulmer SU (women's handball)

Sport-Union Neckarsulm is the women's handball team of the sports club Sport-Union Neckarsulm, from the town of Neckarsulm in the southwest of Germany. The team competes domestically in the Handball-Bundesliga and the DHB-Pokal. They play their home matches at the Ballei-Sporthalle and usually wear dark navy shirts and shorts.

## History
### Early years

Sport-Union Neckarsulm was founded on New Year's Day in 2009 as Neckarsulmer Sport-Union (NSU) through the merger of Sportvereinigung Neckarsulm 1946 and Sportfreunde Neckarsulm. The name alludes to the NSU Motorenwerke, the predecessor of Audi, which was located in the city of Neckarsulm until 1985. The multi sports club consists of 17 different sections of which the women's handball section is one of the best known because of their multi-year participation in the Bundesliga, Germany's most important handball league.

### Climbing up the league pyramid

After two championship titles in regional fifth and fourth tier leagues, coach Emir Hadzimuhamedović led the team also to promotion to the 2. Bundesliga in the summer of 2013. In the following years, the team established itself there and gained promotion to the Bundesliga as second division champions in 2016.
A big part in the various promotions from regional amateur levels to professional tiers played the successful under-17 team, which won the German championship in 2011. Talented players of this youth team formed an integral part of the first team in later years.

### New name and establishment in the Bundesliga

After promotion to the Bundesliga Neckarsulmer Sport-Union was fighting against relegation for their first three years in Germany's top tier but eventually managed to stay in the league. With coaches Pascal Morgant and Tanja Logvin at the helm, the team established itself in the following years as a solid force in the Bundesliga with a sixth-place finish in the 2020-21 season, the best result to date.
In 2021 Neckarsulmer Sport-Union was forced to change its name and crest due to unwanted associations with the right-wing extremist organization National Socialist Underground, although the abbreviation NSU has a long regional tradition in and around the city of Neckarsulm. Now playing as Sport-Union Neckarsulm the club produced players like Selina Kalmbach or Sarah Wachter who went on to become internationals for Germany.

## Season to season

| Season | Tier | Division | Position | Points | DHB-Pokal |
| 2009–10 | V | Württembergliga (Nord) | 9th/12 | 19:25 | |
| 2010–11 | V | Württembergliga (Nord) | 1st/12 | 44:0 | |
| 2011–12 | IV | BW-Oberliga | 1st/14 | 50:2 | Round of 32 |
| 2012–13 | III | 3. Liga (Süd) | 1st/14 | 48:4 | |
| 2013–14 | II | 2. Bundesliga | 7th/14 | 27:29 | Round of 16 |
| 2014–15 | II | 2. Bundesliga | 4th/14 | 34:18 | First round |
| 2015–16 | II | 2. Bundesliga | 1st/16 | 53:7 | Quarterfinals |
| 2016–17 | I | Bundesliga | 12th/14 | 13:39 | Round of 16 |
| 2017–18 | I | Bundesliga | 13th/14 | 10:42 | Round of 32 |
| 2018–19 | I | Bundesliga | 12th/14 | 13:39 | Quarterfinals |
| 2019–20 | I | Bundesliga | 9th/14 | 12:24 | Quarterfinals |
| 2020–21 | I | Bundesliga | 6th/16 | 37:23 | Round of 16 |
| 2021–22 | I | Bundesliga | 7th/14 | 26:26 | Round of 16 |
| 2022–23 | I | Bundesliga | 12th/14 | 15:37 | Round of 16 |
| 2023–24 | I | Bundesliga | 10th/14 | 14:38 | Round of 16 |
| 2024–25 | I | Bundesliga | | | Round of 16 |

## Arena

Sport-Union Neckarsulm play their home matches at the Ballei-Sporthalle, a multi-purpose arena which hosts up to 1,500 spectators (standing and seated). The arena complex also includes a hall for cultural events for up to 1,000 people as well as a restaurant and a bowling alley. The men's handball team of the club plays selected matches at the Ballei as well. The arena is among the most visited in the Bundesliga.
* Name: Ballei-Sporthalle
* Location: Neckarsulm, Germany
* Capacity: 1,500 spectators
* Address: Deutschordensplatz 1, 74172 Neckarsulm
The club's most prominent supporters' group is Blaue Wand ("Blue wall"), which is located in sector B of Ballei's Foyer-Tribüne. The Blaue Wand arranges away day travels as well as meet-and-greets with players and staff and is also heavily involved in the organisation of home matches.
Bundesliga attendances at Ballei-Sporthalle :
| Season | Overall | Average | Rank |
| 2016–17 | 14,305 | 1,100 | 4th/14 |
| 2017–18 | 13,541 | 1,041 | 7th/14 |
| 2018–19 | 13,550 | 1,042 | 6th/14 |
| 2019–20 | 7,511 | 938 | 9th/14 |
| 2020–21 | 1,217 | 304 | 5th/16 |
| 2021–22 | 9,378 | 721 | 1st/14 |
| 2022–23 | 11,878 | 914 | 5th/14 |
| 2023–24 | 12,865 | 990 | 5th/14 |
| 2024–25 | | | |

## Team
### Current squad

    Squad for the 2024-25 season.
| No. | Position | Player | Date of birth (age) | Height | Year signed | Signed from | End of contract |
| Goalkeepers |||||||||
| 12 | GK | Johanna Fossum | (2003-01-25) 25 January 2003 (age 22) | 1,75m | 2024 | Sola HK | 2026 |
| 29 | GK | Lena Ivančok | (2001-03-29) 29 March 2001 (age 23) | 1,84m | 2023 | RK Lokomotiva Zagreb | 2026 |
| 66 | GK | Aleksandra Orowicz | (1996-09-07) 7 September 1996 (age 28) | 1,76m | 2024 | SG 09 Kirchhof | 2026 |
| Wingers |||||||||
| 8 | RW | Vasiliki Gkatziou | (1997-10-08) 8 October 1997 (age 27) | 1,68m | 2023 | BM Remudas | 2025 |
| 19 | RW | Iva van der Linden | (1998-04-19) 19 April 1998 (age 26) | 1,78m | 2024 | Boden Handboll IF | 2026 |
| 21 | LW | Alessia Riner | (2004-01-08) 8 January 2004 (age 21) | 1,70m | 2023 | LK Zug | 2026 |
| 55 | LW | Rabea Pollakowski | (1998-02-26) 26 February 1998 (age 27) | 1,62m | 2023 | VfL Waiblingen | 2025 |
| Line players |||||||||
| 5 | P | Kim Hinkelmann | (2001-10-16) 16 October 2001 (age 23) | 1,83m | 2023 | Holstebro Håndbold | 2027 |
| 92 | P | Stefanie Kaiser | (1992-10-31) 31 October 1992 (age 32) | 1,81m | 2024 | HSG Blomberg-Lippe | 2026 |
| Backcourt players |||||||||
| 7 | LB | Angunn Gudmestad | (2001-05-08) 8 May 2001 (age 23) | 1,67m | 2024 | Aker Topphåndball | 2026 |
| 10 | CB | Sinah Hagen | (1996-10-12) 12 October 1996 (age 28) | 1,68m | 2024 | Buxtehuder SV | 2026 |
| 11 | CB | Annefleur Bruggeman | (1997-07-23) 23 July 1997 (age 27) | 1,81m | 2022 | Bayer 04 Leverkusen | 2026 |
| 17 | CB | Lynn Holtman | (2004-07-07) 7 July 2004 (age 20) | 1,75m | 2024 | Westfriesland SEW | 2026 |
| 23 | LB | Munia Smits | (1999-12-23) 23 December 1999 (age 25) | 1,78m | 2022 | HSG Bad Wildungen | 2026 |
| 58 | RB | Lilli Holste | (2001-04-25) 25 April 2001 (age 23) | 1,79m | 2024 | HSG Bensheim/Auerbach | 2026 |
| 97 | LB | Veronika Andrýsková | (1997-05-24) 24 May 1997 (age 27) | 1,92m | 2023 | DHK Baník Most | 2025 |

### Transfers

    Transfers for the 2024-25 season.
    Transfers for the 2025-26 season.

### Technical staff

    Technical staff for the 2024-25 season.

## Personnel
### Notable former players

* Maike Daniels
* Nina Engel
* Ann-Cathrin Giegerich
* Selina Kalmbach
* Lucie-Marie Kretzschmar
* Nele Reimer
* Luisa Schulze
* Johanna Stockschläder
* Sarah Wachter
* Mette Gravholt
* Mia Møldrup
* Michelle Goos
* Lynn Knippenborg
* Anouk Nieuwenweg
* Irene Espínola Pérez
* Daphne Gautschi
* Seline Ineichen
* Celia Schneider
* Chantal Wick
* Emilia Galińska
* Birna Berg Haraldsdóttir
* Valeria Gorelova
* Melanie Herrmann
* Mirjana Milenković
* Alena Vojtíšková
* Nives Ahlin

### Appearances and Goalscorers

Competitive matches and goals in the Bundesliga only. As of 1 June 2024.
Most appearances :
| Rank | Player | Years | Games |
| 1 | Selina Kalmbach | 2016–2022 | 134 |
| 2 | Sarah Wachter | 2019–2023 | 97 |
| 3 | Irene Espínola Pérez | 2018–2022 | 95 |
| 4 | Seline Ineichen | 2016–2020 | 91 |
| 5 | Nele Reimer | 2017–2020 2021–2022 | 82 |
| 6 | Sharon Nooitmeer | 2021–2024 | 75 |
| 7 | Lynn Knippenborg | 2019–2022 | 72 |
| 8 | Nathalie Hendrikse | 2019–2022 | 72 |
| 9 | Jill Kooij | 2019–2022 | 72 |
| 10 | Lucie-Marie Kretzschmar | 2019–2022 | 72 |
Top goalscorers :
| Rank | Player | Years | Games | Goals | Ratio |
| 1 | Irene Espínola Pérez | 2018–2022 | 95 | 420 | 4.42 |
| 2 | Nele Reimer | 2017–2020 2021–2022 | 82 | 361 | 4.40 |
| 3 | Lynn Knippenborg | 2019–2022 | 72 | 324 | 4.50 |
| 4 | Nathalie Hendrikse | 2019–2022 | 72 | 280 | 3.89 |
| 5 | Nina Engel | 2022–2024 | 50 | 263 | 5.26 |
| 6 | Seline Ineichen | 2016–2020 | 91 | 206 | 2.26 |
| 7 | Selina Kalmbach | 2016–2022 | 134 | 205 | 1.53 |
| 8 | Lena Hoffmann | 2016–2019 | 52 | 191 | 3.67 |
| 9 | Jill Kooij | 2019–2022 | 72 | 183 | 2.54 |
| 10 | Maike Daniels | 2016–2018 | 48 | 177 | 3.69 |

### Former coaches

Competitive matches in the Bundesliga only. As of 1 June 2024.
| Coach | From | To | G | W | D | L | Win% | PPG | Honours |
| Stefan Arnold | 07/2009 | 06/2010 | — | − | − | − | — | - | |
| Emir Hadžimuhamedović | 07/2010 | 02/2018 | 38 | 9 | 2 | 27 | 023.68 | 0.53 | 1 2. Bundesliga 1 3. Liga 1 BW-Oberliga 1 Württembergliga |
| Annamária Ilyés (Caretaker) | 02/2018 | 03/2018 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 000.00 | 0.00 | |
| Tanja Logvin | 04/2018 | 06/2018 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 014.29 | 0.43 | |
| Pascal Morgant | 07/2018 | 01/2020 | 37 | 9 | 1 | 27 | 024.32 | 0.51 | |
| Maike Daniels (Caretaker) | 01/2020 | 06/2020 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 042.86 | 0.86 | |
| Tanja Logvin | 07/2020 | 01/2023 | 67 | 32 | 3 | 32 | 047.76 | 1.00 | |
| Mart Aalderink (Caretaker) | 01/2023 | 06/2023 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 035.71 | 0.79 | |
| Thomas Zeitz | 07/2023 | Present | 26 | 7 | 0 | 19 | 026.92 | 0.54 | |
A. $^^$ Win percentage is rounded to two decimal places.

## Honours

* 2. Bundesliga
** Champions (1): 2016
* 3. Liga (Süd)
** Champions (1): 2013
* Baden-Württemberg Oberliga
** Champions (1): 2012
* Württembergliga
** Champions (2): 2011, 2024 (Second team)

## Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors

HOME :
* 2018-19
AWAY :
* 2018-19
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Main shirt sponsor |
| 2009/10 – 2010/11 | H$_2$O | Autohaus Weilbacher |
| 2011/12 – 2012/13 | Hummel | TDS Informationstechnologie AG |
| 2013/2014 | ProTouch | TDS Informationstechnologie AG |
| 2014/2015 | ProTouch | Fujitsu |
| 2015/2016 | ProTouch | Bäckerei Härdtner |
| 2016/17 – 2020/21 | Erima | Kaufland/Lidl |
| 2021/22 – 2023/24 | Joma | Kaufland/Lidl |
| 2024/2025 | Erima | Kaufland/Lidl |
| 2025/26 – 2028/29 | JAKO | Kaufland/Lidl |