After three victories, the German handball players say goodbye to Stuttgart. We’re heading to Dortmund for the main round of the World Cup – the stage will be a lot bigger for the DHB team.
The German handball players say: goodbye Stuttgart, hello Dortmund. “Stuttgart presented well, it was a lot of fun”said playmaker Alina Grijseels after the preliminary round. For the main round, the German team moves to Dortmund; almost twice as many people can fit into the Westfalenhalle as in Stuttgart. “I’m looking forward to the feeling of having even more people behind me”says Grijseels.
Quite a few of these people come because of her. “A lot of people I know are coming. Not just family and friends, but also from the club. That’s why it means a lot to me to play there.”said the playmaker, who, like her national team colleagues Sarah Wachter and Lisa Antl, is under contract with Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund. For them, the home World Cup will now be even more at home.
Handball brain made in Dortmund
At the age of 18, Grijseels moved to Dortmund and from then on things went uphill for the now 29-year-old. In their first season, Grijseels was promoted to the first league with BVB, a year later BVB made it to the DHB Cup final, and the German championship followed in 2021 with BVB. In Dortmund, Grijseels matured into a national player and played her first international match at the age of 21. Since then, she has been an integral part of the national team.
“Alina has a handball brain. She knows exactly what to play and does it. She gets involved and also has her own ideas”she praised national coach Markus Gaugisch, “I’m glad that after two years abroad she can experience something like this at home.” In 2023, Grijseels moved to the French top club Metz for one season, followed by a year at CSM Bucharest. She has been back in the Ruhr area since this summer. “Dortmund is my home. It was for nine years and it is now again. It absolutely feels like home.”
Full Westfalenhalle?
Grijseels knows how enthusiastic her homeland is when it comes to women’s handball. In February 2023, 11,112 people watched BVB win against Siófok KC in the Westfalenhalle in the European League. Never before has a women’s handball game at club level had more spectators.
“I have so many good memories. Goosebumps when I walk in”remembers Grijseels and is already imagining what it will be like at this World Cup. “I think the anthem will also be special. I think when 11,000 sing along, it does something to you.” It is not yet clear whether there will be that many at the start of the main round. Tickets for some games are still available.
This is how the main round works
On Tuesday (December 2nd, 8:30 p.m.) Germany will face the team from the Faroe Islands. Two days later (Thursday, December 4th, 6 p.m.) the game against Montenegro takes place. At the end of the main round on Saturday (December 6th, 6 p.m.) the group winner of the preliminary round group D Spain awaits.