| Clubname: | Sport-Union Neckarsulm |
| Fullname: | Sport-Union Neckarsulm e.V. |
| Short Name: | SUN, Sport-Union |
| Ground: | Ballei-Sporthalle |
| Capacity: | 1,500 |
| Chairman: | Rolf Härdtner |
| Manager: | Thomas Zeitz |
| League: | Handball Bundesliga Frauen |
| Season: | 2023-24 |
| Position: | 10th |
| Website: | https://handball.su-neckarsulm.de/ |
| Colour1: | blue |
| Colour2: | white |
| Leftarm1: | 0F52BA |
| Body1: | 0F52BA |
| Rightarm1: | 0F52BA |
| Shorts1: | 0F52BA |
| Leftarm2: | FFFFFF |
| Body2: | FFFFFF |
| Rightarm2: | FFFFFF |
| Shorts2: | 0F52BA |
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.
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.
After two championship titles in regional fifth and fouth 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.[1]
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.[2] 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 | 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 | 12:22 | 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 |
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.[3] 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.[4]
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.[6]
| 2016–17 | 14,305 | 1,100 | 4th/14 | [7] | |
| 2017–18 | 13,541 | 1,041 | 7th/14 | [8] | |
| 2018–19 | 13,550 | 1,042 | 6th/14 | ||
| 2019–20 | 7,511 | 938 | 9th/14[9] | [10] | |
| 2020–21 | 1,217 | 304 | 5th/16[11] | [12] | |
| 2021–22 | 9,378 | 721 | 1st/14[13] | [14] | |
| 2022–23 | 11,878 | 914 | 5th/14 | [15] | |
| 2023–24 | 12,865 | 990 | 5th/14 | [16] | |
| 2024–25 |
Squad for the 2024-25 season.[17]
| No. | Position | Player | Nationality | Date of birth (age) | Height | Year signed | Signed from | End of contract | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | ||||||||||
| 12 |  | 25 January 2003 | 1,75m | 2024 | 2026 | |||||
| 29 |  | 29 March 2001 | 1,84m | 2023 | 2025 | |||||
| 66 |  | 7 September 1996 | 1,76m | 2024 | 2026 | |||||
| Wingers | ||||||||||
| 8 | 8 October 1997 | 1,68m | 2023 | 2025 | ||||||
| 19 | 19 April 1998 | 1,78m | 2024 | 2026 | ||||||
| 21 | 8 January 2004 | 1,70m | 2023 | 2025 | ||||||
| 55 | 26 February 1998 | 1,62m | 2023 | 2025 | ||||||
| Line players | ||||||||||
| 5 | 16 October 2001 | 1,83m | 2023 | 2025 | ||||||
| 92 | | 31 October 1992 | 1,81m | 2024 | 2026 | |||||
| Backcourt players | ||||||||||
| 7 | | 8 May 2001 | 1,67m | 2024 | 2026 | |||||
| 10 | 12 October 1996 | 1,68m | 2024 | 2026 | ||||||
| 11 | 23 July 1997 | 1,81m | 2022 | 2026 | ||||||
| 17 | 7 July 2004 | 1,75m | 2024 | 2026 | ||||||
| 23 |  | 23 December 1999 | 1,78m | 2022 | 2026 | |||||
| 58 | 25 April 2001 | 1,79m | 2024 | 2026 | ||||||
| 97 |  | 24 May 1997 | 1,92m | 2023 | 2025 | |||||
Transfers for the 2024-25 season.[18]
Johanna Fossum (GK), from Sola HK Angunn Gudmestad (CB), from Aker Topphåndball Stefanie Kaiser (P), from HSG Blomberg-Lippe Aleksandra Orowicz (GK), from SG 09 Kirchhof
Boden Handboll IF
Valentyna Salamakha (GK), retiredTechnical staff for the 2024-25 season.[19]
Goalkeeping coach: Branka Zec
Physiotherapist: Sergi García Irene Espínola Pérez
Daphne Gautschi Seline Ineichen Celia Schneider Chantal Wick Emilia Galińska
Birna Berg Haraldsdóttir
Valeria Gorelova Melanie Herrmann
Mirjana Milenković Alena VojtíškováCompetitive matches and goals in the Bundesliga only.As of 1 June 2024.[20] [21] [22]
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Coach | From | To | Honours | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stefan Arnold | 07/2009 | 06/2010 | ||||
| Emir Hadžimuhamedović |  | 07/2010 | 02/2018 | 1 2. Bundesliga 1 3. Liga 1 BW-Oberliga 1 Württembergliga | ||
| Annamária Ilyés (Caretaker) |  | 02/2018 | 03/2018 | |||
| Tanja Logvin | | 04/2018 | 06/2018 | |||
| Pascal Morgant | 07/2018 | 01/2020 | ||||
| Maike Daniels (Caretaker) | 01/2020 | 06/2020 | ||||
| Tanja Logvin | | 07/2020 | 01/2023 | |||
| Mart Aalderink (Caretaker) | 01/2023 | 06/2023 | ||||
| Thomas Zeitz | 07/2023 | Present | [23] |
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Main shirt sponsor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009/10 – 2010/11 | H2O | Autohaus Weilbacher | |
| 2011/12 – 2012/13 | Hummel | TDS Informationstechnologie AG | |
| 2013/2014 | ProTouch | ||
| 2014/2015 | Fujitsu | ||
| 2015/2016 | Bäckerei Härdtner | [24] | |
| 2016/17 – 2020/21 | Erima | Kaufland/Lidl | [25] |
| 2021/22 – 2023/24 | Joma | [26] | |
| 2024/25 – | Erima | [27] | |