HB Käerjeng team; Credit: Ievgenii Karanov, Chronicle.lu

On Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 April 2026, Handball Esch in the men’s competition and HB Käerjeng in the women’s competition secured victories in the finals of the Loterie Nationale Coupe de Luxembourg, which took place at the Coque sports complex in Luxembourg-Kirchberg.

In the women’s final, played in front of 821 spectators, HB Käerjeng secured a 25-23 victory over Red Boys Differdange, having reached the final last year.

The match began evenly, with Käerjeng holding a narrow lead midway through the first half (7-6). However, goals from Sarah Kupke and Lola Scheuren briefly put Differdange ahead. Five minutes before the break, Käerjeng suffered a setback when one of their key scorers, Daria Milek, was sent off. Nevertheless, the team responded well: Lena Kirtz levelled the score at 9-9 before Lara Weibel restored Käerjeng’s lead just before half-time.

In an interview with Chronicle.lu, Käerjeng head coach Dan Mauruschatt reflected on the turning point: “I think the key moment was losing one of our biggest scorers, Daria. In the dressing room, I told them that we now had someone to play for. I think that mentally gave them a push, and we showed a very, very good second half.”

Käerjeng made a strong start to the second half and, with fifteen minutes remaining, had built a four-goal lead (20-16). Differdange fought back and reduced the deficit to a single goal (22-21) with ten minutes to go. However, Käerjeng held their nerve, with goalkeeper Zorana Jurcevic delivering a solid performance, including a saved penalty late in the match. Lena Kirtz proved decisive in the closing stages, scoring from open play and then converting a seven-metre throw to seal the final 25-23 result. She finished as Käerjeng’s top scorer in the final, while Jurcevic was named MVP.

Dan Mauruschatt also highlighted the importance of the victory, particularly after last year’s narrow defeat in the final: “It’s very important. Last year we were in the final against Dudelange and lost by one goal, which was very hard mentally because we felt we had been the better team. This season we have been improving step by step, so this victory is incredible. I cannot describe it, it’s unbelievable. Now we look ahead to next weekend, when we face Dudelange again in the championship.”

In the men’s final, played in front of 1,300 spectators, HB Dudelange missed out on the trophy for the second consecutive year, following their 2025 defeat to HC Berchem. This time, Handball Esch claimed a narrow 28-27 victory.

Esch took control in the first half, building a four-goal lead (15-11), largely thanks to the accuracy of Augusto Aranda and Felix Werdel, who each scored four times.

Dudelange responded strongly after the break and levelled the score at 17-17, with Aldin Zekan and Samuel Etute leading the attack. The latter then put his side ahead (25-24) with nine minutes remaining. However, Esch quickly regained momentum, with Moritz Barkow restoring parity before goals from Lou Fancelli, Augusto Aranda and Felix Werdel secured a decisive advantage that proved enough to see out the win.

As in the semi-final, goalkeeper Hugo Costa Figueira delivered a strong performance with twelve saves and was named MVP of the match. The victory marked Esch’s 34th Luxembourg Cup title.

Before the finals, a wheelchair handball demonstration match took place between the Dudelange Fox Riders and the Belgian team Cap2Sport. The teams were composed equally of players with and without reduced mobility, and included both men and women, with at least one woman required on the court at all times. The Fox Riders lost the match 7-18.

(Caption: Men’s final: HB Dudelange vs Handball Esch; Credit: Christian Kemp)