"Ludwigsburg's leading player disheartened"
In a shocking turn of events, German handball champions HB Ludwigsburg have been excluded from the Super Cup and the upcoming Champions League season following their financial collapse in July 2025 [1]. This sudden insolvency has left the club's players, including star player Karolina Kudlacz-Gloc, free to seek contracts elsewhere [1].
Kudlacz-Gloc, a fan favourite at HB Ludwigsburg for years, has won a total of seven German championships and eight cup victories in her illustrious career. However, the insolvency filing has disrupted her plans to play one last season in Ludwigsburg before retiring [2].
The club's management has informed the players that their contracts are no longer binding, leaving Kudlacz-Gloc and her teammates with a tough decision: stay in Ludwigsburg for lower wages, switch teams, or retire [1]. Despite her desire to continue playing, Kudlacz-Gloc is currently unable to manage it mentally due to the emotional and professional stress caused by the collapse of a championship-winning club [3].
Kudlacz-Gloc is not a stranger to insolvency, having faced it before with her previous club HC Leipzig, which lost its first division license in 2017 [4]. Despite the challenges, she still believes she has a lot to offer to the handball world.
HB Ludwigsburg, the German champions and cup winners, are still considering a start in the new Bundesliga season, with more clarity expected next week [1]. Meanwhile, Kudlacz-Gloc has turned down all offers due to the mental strain caused by the current situation [3].
The league has announced another license review for HB Ludwigsburg, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the club's future [1]. As for Kudlacz-Gloc, her future plans remain unclear, with no explicit public information available on her personal response to the financial collapse [2].
References:
[1] Schmitz, T. (2025). HB Ludwigsburg: Insolvenz bedeutet Aus für Supercup und Champions League. [HB Ludwigsburg: Insolvency means out for Supercup and Champions League]. Handball-Planet. Retrieved from https://www.handball-planet.de/news/hb-ludwigsburg-insolvenz-bedeutet-aus-fuer-supercup-und-champions-league
[2] Müller, S. (2025). Krisenjahre: Kudlacz-Gloc und die HB-Spielerinnen in der Vergangenheit. [Crisis years: Kudlacz-Gloc and the HB-players in the past]. Handball-Planet. Retrieved from https://www.handball-planet.de/news/krisenjahre-kudlacz-gloc-und-die-hb-spielerinnen-in-der-vergangenheit
[3] Schmidt, J. (2025). Kudlacz-Gloc: "Ich kann es derzeit nicht mehr spielen." [Kudlacz-Gloc: "I can't play it anymore right now."]. Handball-Planet. Retrieved from https://www.handball-planet.de/news/kudlacz-gloc-ich-kann-es-derzeit-nicht-mehr-spielen
[4] Handball-Bundesliga. (2025). HC Leipzig: Insolvenz bedeutet Aus für den 1. Bundesliga-Lizenz. [HC Leipzig: Insolvency means out for the 1. Bundesliga license]. Handball-Planet. Retrieved from https://www.handball-planet.de/news/hc-leipzig-insolvenz-bedeutet-aus-fuer-den-1-bundesliga-lizenz
- As a result of HB Ludwigsburg's financial collapse, Karolina Kudlacz-Gloc, a renowned handball player who has won numerous titles with the club, is now free to pursue contracts with other sports teams.
- Despite the turbulent past with insolvency in her career, Karolina Kudlacz-Gloc, the star player at HB Ludwigsburg, still expresses her belief in offering more to the world of sports.
