Four tournament debutants, three European champions from 2016 – but no Kai Häfner: Germany’s handball players are starting their hunt for medals at the European Championships with a breath of fresh air. On Wednesday, national coach Alfred Gislason nominated 18 players with whom he will tackle the first European Championship medal in ten years in Denmark in January.
“I’m extremely excited about next January. We have a grown, but still very young team,” said Gislason on Wednesday in Dortmund and added with a view to the difficult preliminary group of the Olympic silver medalists with Austria, Serbia and Spain: “For this European Championship we have to get to our top level quickly, because the mode doesn’t forgive any mistakes with these opponents.”
In addition to Olympic champion and world champion Denmark, defending champion France, fourth-placed World Cup Portugal and co-host Norway are expected as opponents in the main round. Gislason spoke in advance of the “toughest tournament I have ever played”.
The German squad for the tournament in Denmark, Sweden and Norway (January 15 to February 1, 2026) is led by captain Johannes Golla. Playmaker Juri Knorr is one of the mainstays, as are Julian Köster and Andreas Wolff. With 185 caps and 34 years, goalkeeper Wolff is both the most experienced and oldest player in Gislason’s selection. Like left winger Rune Dahmke and pivot Jannik Kohlbacher, Wolff was already there for the legendary title win, the 2016 European Championship triumph.
The three Gummersbachers Tom Kiesler, Miro Schluroff and Mathis Häsler as well as the Berliner Matthes Langhoff are facing their first major tournament. Schluroff, who can be used flexibly in the backcourt, played for the German national team for the first time in March. Right winger Häseler and backfield leftist Langhoff, two of six U21 world champions from 2023 in the European Championship squad, made their debut in the A team in May, while defense specialist Kiesler only followed suit in October.
Häfner, Kastening, Freihöfer and Groetzki not in the squad
The currently injured pivot Justus Fischer (torn muscle fiber in his left thigh) was nominated by Gislason. Backcourt player Häfner as well as right wingers Timo Kastening and Patrick Groetzki and left winger Tim Freihöfer are not in the 18-man squad. On the right wing, Gislason preferred the youngster Häseler to the veterans, while on the left the Icelander relies on the experienced Rune Dahmke from Kiel.
Häfner, who ended his DHB career after the Olympic Games, remains like the other players in the extended 35-man squad, which Gislason can fall back on if necessary. Häfner has signaled his willingness to step in in an emergency.
The German team’s preparations for the European Championship begin on January 4th in Hanover. The test matches against World Cup runners-up Croatia will take place on January 8th in Zagreb and on January 11th in Hanover. On January 13th, the national team will move north and set up camp in Silkeborg before the opening game against Austria on January 15th.
The German team for the EM 2026:
Goal: David Späth (Rhein-Neckar Löwen), Andreas Wolff (THW Kiel)
Left winger: Rune Dahmke (THW Kiel), Lukas Mertens (SC Magdeburg)
Backcourt left: Marko Grgic (SG Flensburg-Handewitt), Tom Kiesler (VfL Gummersbach), Matthes Langhoff (Füchse Berlin), Miro Schluroff (VfL Gummersbach)
Back center: Juri Knorr (Aalborg Handbold/Denmark), Julian Köster (VfL Gummersbach), Nils Lichtlein (Füchse Berlin)
Backcourt right: Franz Semper (SC DHfK Leipzig), Renars Uscins (TSV Hannover-Burgdorf)
Right winger: Mathis Häseler (VfL Gummersbach), Lukas Zerbe (THW Kiel)
Circle: Justus Fischer (TSV Hannover-Burgdorf), Johannes Golla (SG Flensburg-Handewitt), Jannik Kohlbacher (Rhein-Neckar Löwen)