The man behind Magdeburg’s impressive goalkeeper duo

“We are absolutely happy to have this duo with Niko and Sergey, as they always push us ahead. In modern handball, the role of goalkeepers gets more and more important. We have benefited from their experience and serenity since the first day they played for us. It makes us feel calmer and more confident to have them between the posts, as they have different character traits and different physiques. They simply match perfectly,” says Magdeburg’s coach Bennet Wiegert. 

But what are the keys to being on the highest level at the biggest event in club handball? When Hernandez and Portner are shining bright in the spotlight, like at the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4, their goalkeeper coach Dino Spiranec is in the background. 

Since 2023, the Croat has been part of the coaching staff at SC Magdeburg. The former goalkeeper, born in the handball-crazy city of Koprivnica, arrived in Germany in 2011. 35-year-old Spiranec never made it to the highest professional level in Germany, but became a top-goalkeeper coach in his younger days. And as one of his first clubs in Germany was Aschersleben, close to Magdeburg, he got in touch with some people from the now three-time EHF Champions League winners, including Bennet Wiegert and his assistant Yves Grafenhorst.

In 2023, he was the goalkeeper coach of the third-league team TSG Münster and of a regional federation. Then his phone rang. „A dream came true when SC Magdeburg contacted me,” Spiranec looks back: “SCM have always been my favourite club in Germany, and then you get the chance to work for this extraordinary club full of success and tradition, which just became EHF Champions League winners.” One of his predecessors was Swedish legend Tomas Svensson – and now this young Croat is in charge of one of the best goalkeeper duos in the world. “My wife always believed in me and said: 'Once you get a chance.’ But I never expected to get this far.“ 

One advantage for Spiranec was that he knew Nikola Portner – from a goalkeeper camp in Croatia a few years before. “When I arrived in Magdeburg, Niko took me by the hand and explained everything to me.” Simultaneously, Sergey Hernandez also arrived at Magdeburg. And this trio functioned well in all departments right from the first day. 

On average, Hernandez and Portner had 13 saves per match in the previous season, regardless of the competition. But what are the differences and special qualities of both goalkeepers for Spiranec?

“Sergey is a goalkeeper with quite a static way of playing, his personal style. He can read the match like no other, has a great intuition and extraordinary reflexes. One of his main strengths is to force the players to throw the ball exactly where he wants to have it. On the other hand, Niko is a mixture of the old Yugoslav goalkeeper school and all tendencies of modern handball, like from his movements. Besides, he goes into the deepest details in all video preparations. He knows 100 per cent what it means to work under professional conditions. In any training, he is at the highest level. And you can always rely on both of them. It is a real pleasure and joy to work with them every day.” 

As both goalkeepers are quite different in terms of style, physiques and mentality, the training sessions are adapted to their individual needs.

“Both have special requirements in the way they train, therefore Sergey has different training focuses compared to Niko, mainly when it comes to physical exercise,” says Spiranec, who is sure that “you need to have a former goalkeeper as a goalkeeper’s coach, as he sees the match with completely different eyes than a court player.”

When it came to the 2025 edition of the EHF FINAL4, the preparation routine was the same as for all other matches before. “You need to be at 100 per cent, regardless if it is a league match or an EHF Champions League final, so we did not change anything before we travelled to Cologne. We were extremely focused on the potential shots of our opponents like we always did before,” says Spiranec.

As Sergey Hernandez was on a high in the previous matches, he started between the posts against Barça. But the Spaniard did not have his best day – then he got replaced by Portner. “With all his experience of winning the EHF Champions League twice before and his calmness, he managed to turn the match around,” SCM’s goalkeeper coach explains, looking back at the semi-final.

In the final, Hernandez started again – and became the cornerstone of the success. “I knew that a goalkeeper of his level will not have two weak matches in a row, so we were confident that Sergey would make it – and he nail-shut the goal almost for the whole 60 minutes,” says Spiranec: “We were sure that all the hard work in the whole season would pay off in that moment.” He was right.

In every SCM training session, at least 20 minutes are reserved for goalkeeper training. “I know from other colleagues that they do not have such a long time and not every day. At Magdeburg, they know about the importance of the daily training and, in general, the importance of the goalkeepers. I cannot understand why not every professional club has a full-time goalkeeper coach. Therefore, I am really happy to have this position at SCM,” says Spiranec.

Besides the training on the court, a lot of time is spent on processing the previous match and on the video analysis of the upcoming opponent. “And we talk a lot. We are like buddies, we have a lot of fun together on and off the court. We work concentrated but still have a relaxed relationship. Being a former goalkeeper, I know exactly their emotions after and during a match, and know how to treat them from the bench. I try to help in all situations – we are simply one team, a successful team.”

Moreover, the close cooperation with coach Bennet Wiegert is crucial for the constant high level of Magdeburg’s goalkeepers. “We decide together which goalkeeper starts, or when it is time to change during the matches. Benno counts on my experience and gives me full trust for my work.”

Starting with their season opener against Paris Saint-Germain on 10 September, SC Magdeburg will be the hunted in the Machineseeker EHF Champions League. Though any club wants to beat the defending champions, Dino Spiranec does not expect higher pressure on his side: “We are a huge club with a long list of success, so we aim for trophies every season. And we know from different competitions how it feels to be the hunted ones, we are experienced in that way.”

For the first 10 rounds of the group phase, though, Magdeburg will have to do without Portner, who is suspended until 10 December 2025 for a breach of anti-doping rules. The upcoming season will also be a long farewell tour for the other of Spiranec's buddies: on Wednesday, SCM announced the departure of Sergey Hernandez next summer – following three extremely successful years. “After careful consideration, I have made the difficult decision to start a new chapter in my career. It has been a great honour to defend these colours, to grow here as a player and as a person, and to always represent the values of this club. We have another year ahead of us, full of goals, challenges, and special moments that I want to experience,” Hernandez was quoted in SCM’s media release.

Photos © Jozo Cabraja, Eva Manhart, Uros Hocevar / kolektiff; Eroll Popova (officials photo)