Magnus Saugstrup is the new captain of SC Magdeburg, succeeding Christian O'Sullivan. "Naturally, it makes me very proud to lead the team as captain. You don't just want to play well; you also tend to be a bit more vocal. Even though not much else changes on the court—it's mostly about organizational matters," says the 30-year-old.
Saugstrup has been wearing the Magdeburg jersey since 2021. He is already familiar with the role of captain, as the pivot also leads the Danish national team. At Magdeburg, he is now supported by vice-captain Matthias Musche. A native of Magdeburg, Musche has been with the club for 26 years and has developed into a true figurehead for the team.
On Wednesday evening, Saugstrup had the honor of leading the Magdeburg team onto the court for the first time in the new season. In their opening pre-season friendly at the BWG Cup, Magdeburg secured a commanding 36–20 (16–10) victory over second-division side HSC 2000 Coburg.
It took eight minutes for Matej Mandic to concede his first goal. By that point, the German champions had already found the net four times. Coburg fought their way back into the match (5–4 in the 10th minute), Magdeburg remained unfazed, extending their lead from 8–5 to 16–10 by halftime. The game became one-sided after the break as the gap reached double digits in the 45th minute (25–15), and the final scoreline read 36–20.
"We got off to a good start today and handled the task impressively. It was fun playing here in front of this crowd," Saugstrup said after the final whistle, adding: "We had a strong opener today, and everyone put in a good performance."