As of: October 31, 2025 11:14 a.m
Juri Knorr shone in the national handball team’s massive victory against Iceland in Nuremberg. The Flensburg native’s international experience should help the DHB team on the way to the European Championship medal. It’s not always easy for him in Aalborg.
Interviews with Juri Knorr are always a surprise. Sometimes the handball star is self-critical and harshly criticizes his own performance. At other times he appears thoughtful, almost desperate, when he steps in front of the microphones. After the brilliant performance and the 42:31 win against Iceland, Germany’s great European Championship hope slipped into a role on Thursday evening that many fans had missed: Knorr, the lucky one.
“This whole week is a lot of fun. I just enjoy it with the boys. I enjoy understanding every conversation and just being part of it all,” said the crowd favorite after his 80th game in the national jersey – the best in a long time. The 25-year-old was all smiles while dozens of fans shouted his name in the background and eagerly waited for autographs.
“An almost perfect game”
The landslide win against Iceland had many winners. In addition to world-class keeper Andi Wolff from THW Kiel, who excelled with 19 saves, and DHB newcomer Tom Kiesler from VfL Gummersbach, the start of the European Championship preparations was Juri Knorr’s evening. Although he only came off the bench, he was still the top scorer.
Nine attempts, nine goals – a hit rate of 100 percent. “An almost perfect game,” even the humble Flensburg native had to admit, who turned his back on the Bundesliga in the summer and now plays for Aalborg in Denmark. Now he returned to Germany with an outstanding performance.
The playmaker watched most of both halves from the sidelines. “I’m not so naive and think: I’m Juri Knorr, I’m always playing. If you want to be at the top, then you need a strong team. That’s the only way it works and I’m no exception,” the long-time Rhein-Neckar Löwen professional made clear.
Knorr’s international experience should help
A successful European Championship mission (January 15 to February 1, 2026) is only possible with the team. But they just need their leading player. “We need Juri in top form. He was bursting with enthusiasm,” said national coach Alfred Gislason, not wanting to let one thing go unnoticed with a laugh: “He started today with a technical error.”
The medal mission at the European Championships in Denmark, Sweden and Norway seems harder than it has been for a long time. Austria, Serbia and Spain are waiting in the preliminary round. Possible opponents in the main round are the Danish high-flyers and France.
After disappointing performances at the World Cup and the European Championship qualification, Knorr’s new experiences abroad should now take the DHB team to a new level. “The experience he brings can help us because we always have to adapt to new situations and Juri experiences that extremely in this form, even with the new language. This also helps us when it comes to reintegrating young people into our group – in a very, very short time,” said team manager Benjamin Chatton.
The process of getting used to Denmark is still ongoing
Knorr’s statements made it clear that the process of getting used to the neighboring country is not easy. And it’s not over yet either. “It’s a very formative time and not an easy one either. It’s a process and a completely new situation for me that I have to get used to but that I’m also learning from,” reported the North German, also with a view to the tournament in around ten weeks in his new adopted home. In Denmark – Germany is contesting the entire tournament in Herning – he should and wants to lead the way.
Wolff only wanted to see the game against Iceland as the first of many development steps on the way to the European Championship medal. “We said that the foundation must be laid today and we have done that to some extent. Don’t rest on today’s performance, but say: This is the start and we have to develop further,” appealed the national goalkeeper.
It’s not just Knorr’s appearance that makes the 34-year-old optimistic. But also that of newcomer Kiesler. “He’s an absolute monster with his playing system, with a very good understanding of goalkeeping. If we use the potential, we have the potential to beat any team,” said the veteran, already thinking about the European Championship stalwarts Denmark and France. First, Iceland awaits again on Sunday (5:15 p.m., live on ZDF) in Munich.