GOG meets German club Füchse Berlin in a pre-season exhibition match in Arena Svendborg on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, with Mathias Gidsel returning to his former club.
The handball game brings the Danish league side together with one of Germany’s leading clubs for a test before the new season. Avisen Danmark reports that Gidsel is expected to face GOG in Arena Svendborg, the club where he began his senior career.
According to Europamester, throw-off is set for 7 p.m. on August 19 in Arena Svendborg. The same outlet reports that fans were given a further chance to buy seats after additional tickets were released.
Fyens Stiftstidende describes the fixture as a homecoming for Gidsel to South Funen and as a pre-season test for both squads. Per the same outlet, the match will be shown on DirekteSport, and GOG has treated the game as a high-interest event.
Interest in the fixture prompted the hosts to put more tickets on sale, as reported by Fyens.dk. Radio Diablo also noted that GOG opened up additional seats for the visit from Berlin.
Several Berlin figures with GOG history
Gidsel is not the only visitor with a past in Svendborg. As noted by Radio Diablo, the Füchse Berlin squad for the trip also includes Tobias Grøndahl, another former GOG player, while former GOG head coach Nicolej Krickau is part of the Berlin setup.
Europamester likewise reports that Gidsel, Grøndahl and Krickau are all linked to GOG’s recent history. That gives the exhibition game an added local dimension in Arena Svendborg.
Why the match is being played now
The timing follows both clubs’ pre-season calendars. Radio Diablo reports that the game is GOG’s final test before the new season begins, making it the last chance to try out the squad in a competitive setting.
For the German side, the trip to Funen serves a similar purpose. Zeit Online reports that Füchse Berlin are using the GOG game as their last warm-up before the German Supercup against SC Magdeburg on August 22.
Zeit Online also placed the fixture in a run of Berlin test matches ahead of the Supercup, including a defeat to Barcelona reported on August 16, 2026. Avisen Danmark has framed the Svendborg meeting as a special fixture for the home club, with a world-class player heading to South Funen.
