Hernandez’ game: “Motivation should never depend on the opponent”

The road through life has never been straight for Sergey Hernandez — it always had twists and turns. Born in Russia and raised in an orphanage, he was adopted as a child by Spanish track and field athletes José Luís Hernandez and Gregoria Ferrer. With his new family, he moved to Denmark, where, at age 12, he first discovered handball at KIF Kolding.

Five years later, the Hernandez family returned to Spain, and Sergey signed his first professional contract with Anaitasuna in 2013. Only a year later, tragedy struck: his father and his greatest role model passed away from cancer. Sergey made him a promise that one day, he would win the EHF Champions League.

“In Denmark, I learned how to train with discipline and focus,” Hernandez recalls. “Then, in Spain, I had a brilliant coach, Fernando Domeño, a true expert in goalkeeper training. He had a gift for developing young players, especially goalkeepers. I learned so much from him.”

After facing the athletic offence specialists of Danish handball, Hernandez found the Spanish game to be a different challenge. “We’re not as physically strong,” he explains, “but we understand the game deeply. Spanish players know how to move, how to create chances. That was something new for me.”

With Anaitasuna, he made his debut in a European competition, reaching the quarter-finals of the EHF Cup 2016/17 – their best result ever. Ironically, they were knocked out by SC Magdeburg, the club that would later become his home.

Climbing the ladder

In 2018, Hernandez joined CB Ciudad de Logroño. “We were a low-budget team,” he says, “yet we were able to compete at nearly the same level as the top clubs from Germany and France.”

Two seasons later, he moved west to Benfica in Lisbon. There, he met goalkeeping coach André Teixeira, who taught him a lesson that changed his approach entirely: fewer videos, more instinct.

“We analysed things differently,” Hernandez says. “You learn to read movements instead of relying on footage. If a shooter moves one way, he can’t hit the opposite corner — unless he has a magic wrist. Studying players’ body language during a match is far more useful. I only watch clips for special situations, like the final seconds of a game.”

Looking back, he believes his career decisions were perfectly timed. “I’ve never rushed a move,” he says. “I might have earned more money elsewhere or won different trophies, but every transfer came at the right moment. Step by step, I’ve reached the best club in the world. That’s why I’m among the best goalkeepers today.”

Breaking through in Lisbon

In May 2022, Hernandez faced Magdeburg again, this time in the EHF European League final, with Benfica playing on home soil. “I exploded in that match. That was my opportunity to show the world what I’m capable of.”

After overtime, Benfica became the first — and still the only — non-German team to win the EHF Finals Men. Hernandez not only claimed gold, but he was also named the Most Valuable Player for his outstanding performance.

A promise fulfilled in Cologne

A year later, Hernandez joined SC Magdeburg. Before moving to Germany, he watched them lift the EHF Champions League trophy in Cologne. “I told myself that I would play there one day — and I’ll win it for my father.”

In his first season, Magdeburg reached the EHF FINAL4, but lost to Aalborg in the semi-final. One year later, in June 2025, they returned. After a semi-final win over Barça, Hernandez knew the final would be different. “I didn’t know if we’d beat Berlin,” he says, “but I knew I wouldn’t play two bad games in a row after a weak performance in the semi-final. I was certain I’d have an impact.”

He did. 18 saves — including six against superstar Mathias Gidsel — sealed a 32:26 victory, giving Magdeburg their third EHF Champions League trophy overall and Hernandez his long-awaited first one.

“It’s all about mental strength,” he reflects. “You must erase bad memories. At an EHF FINAL4, there’s no time to think — only to push yourself with positive energy.”

Philosophy and the modern game

For Hernandez, every match holds equal value. “Whether you play Kiel or Eisenach in Germany, or Veszprém or Bitola in the Champions League – it makes no difference. Every match counts. The atmosphere in Cologne is unique, of course, your blood boils when you step into the LANXESS arena — but motivation should never depend on the opponent.”

Besides, Hernandez emphasises his cooperation with the defence as key to success. “In Spain, I learned how vital defensive blocks are. They protect their side of the goal, I protect mine. You have to force attackers to shoot where you want them to, not where they want. With perfect coordination, you gain six to eight saves per match. At Magdeburg, I talk constantly with Magnus Saugstrup, Oscar Bergendahl, or last season with Antonio Serradilla — we had a kind of blind understanding.”

Goalkeeping itself, he says, has evolved dramatically. “The game is faster now. Tall, powerful shooters aren’t defining handball anymore. It’s all about quick players, one-on-one specialists. I hate those situations from six or seven metres — you make a save, but it’s still a penalty or a foul. Matches today are faster and high-scoring. In the past, 10 saves made you king. Now, even 17 might not be enough to win.”

The scoring goalkeeper

Modern handball’s pace has created new opportunities — even for goalkeepers. Hernandez has already scored five goals in his first seven Bundesliga matches. “You have to be quicker and more involved now,” he says. “After a goal, you need to deliver a precise pass for a fast throw-off, or score yourself when the opponent leaves an empty net.” He regularly practises long-range shots in training — and with striking success.

One of Magdeburg’s standout results this season was a 22:21 victory at Barça’s Palau Blaugrana, their first ever there — in a fully atypical match. “Two high-speed teams, yet such a low score — so many technical errors, so many easy saves for both goalkeepers. It was unbelievable.”

Despite all his success, Hernandez remains critical of one thing: Spain’s lack of a dedicated national goalkeeping coach. “It’s so important to have someone on the bench who helps you clear your head, who talks you out of negative thoughts,” he says. “In Magdeburg, we have Dino Spiranec for that. In the national team, Rodrigo Corrales and I have to manage it ourselves, we back each other up.”

Photos © Kolektiff Images; Eroll Popova