National handball player Julian Köster is playing his farewell season with VfL Gummersbach. Above all, he wants to enjoy it and get the most out of it.
The VfL Gummersbach is good from the starting blocks in the Handball-Bundesliga had it not been for last Sunday with the 29:32 defeat at ThSV Eisenach.
“That dampened the mood a bit. Overall, we can be happy with how things have gone so far.”says Julian Köster, the captain of the Gummersbach team. There will be an opportunity to make amends in the next game on Thursday against HC Erlangen (7 p.m.). A home win is definitely planned.
Increased demands
The demands have increased in Oberbergisch. After seventh place last season and sixth place the season before last, the club with its great past and Julian Köster himself want to get involved in the concert of the greats again.
“VfL Gummersbach is such a big club, such a traditional club, it actually has to go into international business”says the Bielefeld native in an interview with WDR.
Euphoria has long since arisen again in the glorious handball city. VfL coach Valur Gudjon Sirgudsson’s team has strengthened, top performers have been retained, and the arena at Heiner-Brand-Platz is almost always sold out.
More time for regeneration
“The atmosphere in the hall is great. We want to give something back to the fans,” says Köster and sees something positive in missing out on the international ranks and the associated double burden: “It’s a shame that we’re not playing in the Europa League, but we now have a lot more time in the training hall and more time to regenerate. The body thanks you for it.”
The tall backcourt player with the charming smile even had a two-and-a-half week vacation in Portugal in the summer.
Consistency is required in autumn
The 25-year-old does not dare to predict whether the good conditions will actually be enough for a place in the top six, as the season is still too young for that.
Nevertheless, a lot will happen in the fall. There are cracking games from the top teams in the Bundesliga, and consistency is required, which he also wants to show with his Gummersbachers.
New Challenge in the North
For Julian Köster himself, it will be the last autumn and the last season in the blue jersey of VfL. Next summer, one of the most sought-after players in German handball will move to record champions THW Kiel (contract until June 2030).
However, the Schalke fan hasn’t given much thought to this change yet. “I’m busy with everyday life here, training hard and preparing for the games. I still want to enjoy my time in Gummersbach”says Köster.
Looking forward to a new task
In any case, in Kiel it will no longer just be about the Europa League, but about winning titles. “It was a conscious decision, but also a decision that I’m really looking forward to. I can develop there both athletically and personally.”
Furthermore, Julian Köster doesn’t want to set his goals too high. This also applies to the national team, with which he celebrated his greatest sporting success last year at the Olympic Games and won the silver medal, but also experienced disappointment with the quarter-final exit at the World Cup in January.
Special games against the Icelanders
“Simply be successful” is his motto and that also applies to the tasks at hand. Köster – already 70 international matches – will meet Iceland with the national team on October 30th in Nuremberg and on November 2nd in Munich. “These are special games because I have an Icelandic club coach and Icelandic teammates,” he says, and you can tell from his grin that he’s really looking forward to these duels.
