U21 world champion Renars Uscins (l.) is part of the future of German handball. He is already facing world champions Denmark in the European Championship semi-finals.
Photo: imago/Maximilian Koch
What happens to athletes who have left their hearts on the field in six games within 14 days when they find out an hour before their seventh appearance that they are not in a serious competition, but rather a friendly match? Germany’s handball players experienced exactly the same thing before their final main round match of the home European Championship. Because the competition from Austria and Hungary had lost, the path to the semi-finals was clear – whatever the outcome of the showdown against Croatia.
On the one hand, it was liberating to have achieved the big goal, but on the other hand, it was “really hard on the head,” cyclist Justus Fischer revealed later in the mixed zone. The result was a drop in tension that was particularly noticeable in the second half, which led to the German players missing a number of clear throwing opportunities and ultimately having to accept a clear 24:30 defeat.
It was the first defeat ever in the declared favorite arena of the German Handball Association (DHB). The myth of Cologne is gone, but playmaker Juri Knorr also felt compelled to apologize to the paying audience. The Rhein-Neckar Löwen professional said he was “sorry for the many fans who bought tickets for today”: “We switched off in our heads a bit after we knew we were through. That’s actually not our mentality. But we are in the semi-finals, we still have to hold on to that.”
National coach Alfred Gislason took advantage of the moment and diligently rotated his staff. This is how the future of German handball was presented in the second section: For the first time in the tournament, all four U21 world champions from 2023 who made it into the squad were on the field at the same time: David Späth (21 years old), Renars Uscins (21), Nils Lichtlein (21) and Justus Fischer (20) in order to rest regular players such as Knorr, captain Johannes Golla, goalkeeper Andreas Wolff and Julian Köster for the semi-final against Denmark this Friday (8.30 p.m. on ZDF). However, the second row was unable to advertise on its own behalf. “I think they didn’t really concentrate when they threw,” the national coach again criticized quite critically.
Nevertheless, the conclusion after the end of the main round is positive. By reaching the semi-finals, Gislason’s commitment to the DHB should be extended. Jumping into the top four nations on the continent was not explicitly stated as a must before the tournament began, but players, coaches and officials had repeatedly reiterated that this goal corresponded to their own aspirations. Gislason himself, who had won titles in a row as a coach in Magdeburg and especially in Kiel, always made it clear that he would also be measured by results. He has now delivered that, so he can hope that his contract, which expires after the Olympic Games in Paris, will be extended early.
The trainer repeatedly emphasizes how much he would like to raise his young ensemble to a level where they can not only meet the industry leaders from Denmark, France and Sweden as challengers, but on an equal footing. He relies on the time factor, “after all, our most experienced players on other teams are among the youngsters” when it comes to age structure. The project can be pushed forward, at least if you listen to DHB President Andreas Michelmann, who makes no secret of his appreciation for his senior employee: “The way I experience Alfred here in Cologne, he is exactly the rock in the surf that he is We need a young team,” said the German handball boss recently.
The contract extension in February should be nothing more than a formality. A lot is currently happening for the trainer out of passion. After the win against his compatriots from Iceland, the 64-year-old even reported that he loved his team – an unusually emotional confession for the northerner, who tends to be objective. In the semi-final against the heavy favorites and reigning world champions Denmark, his team now needs “the best performance in decades”. The sensation should not fail because of Gislason. Although he had “pretty little sleep, he also had a lot of fun with the boys.”
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