Haukur Thrastarson Joins Rhein Neckar Lowen
Playmaker Leaves Champions League Participant Bucharest to Prove Himself in the Bundesliga
Haukur Thrastarson will become a Rhein-Neckar Löwe for the 2025/26 season. The playmaker has chosen to join the two-time German champion and cup winner, leaving Dinamo Bucharest, the Romanian league’s serial champion and Champions League participant, where he had signed a one-year contract for the current season.
Uwe Gensheimer is convinced that the 23-year-old Icelander is the ideal fit for the central position in the Lions’ system. “Haukur has an incredible handball IQ, excellent cooperation with the pivot, and is great at directing a game. Unfortunately, he has been slowed down by injuries multiple times in the past. I believe that joining the Lions is the perfect next step for him to unlock his full potential,” says the future sporting director of the Rhein-Neckar Löwen.
Haukur Thrastarson Joins the Lions: Moved to Kielce at 19
As Iceland’s most highly-rated playmaker talent at the time, Haukur Thrastarson moved to Polish top club Kielce in 2020 at just 19 years old. Over the next four years, he struggled with severe injuries, including a metatarsal fracture and a torn ACL. In 2024, he transferred to Bucharest, where he is currently the number one choice for the center-back position and is having a remarkably strong season. With 37 goals, he is among Dinamo’s top scorers in the Champions League and is on track for the playoffs with his team.
The 39-time Icelandic international sees his move to the Lions as a major career boost. “From my discussions with the Lions’ management, it quickly became clear to me how much they wanted me and that they have a central role planned for me. Competing in the Bundesliga against the best teams and players is something I’m really looking forward to. I’m convinced that this challenge will shape me and push me forward, both as a handball player and as a person.”
Haukur Thrastarson began playing handball in his hometown of Selfoss at the local sports club UMF. In 2019, at the age of 18, he won the Icelandic championship with the club—an achievement that UMF Selfoss has not replicated before or since. After his transfer to Polish powerhouse Kielce, he won the league title three times in a row and the cup in 2021, playing regularly in the Champions League whenever he was injury-free. In 2024, he terminated his original five-year contract early and signed a one-year deal with Dinamo Bucharest.
