Duel for the semi-finals
Gíslason cancels DHB duo before crucial game
01/28/2026 – 5:37 p.mReading time: 1 min.
On Wednesday evening it’s all about the semi-finals for Germany’s handball players. Alfred Gíslason surprisingly cuts out a duo.
When the German handball players meet France at the European Championships on Wednesday evening from 6.30 p.m. (live in the ticker on t-online), the team will have to make do without Tom Kiesler and Rune Dahmke. Alfred Gíslason left the duo out of the 16-man squad.
As the DHB announced, defense specialist Kiesler is “not fit to play”. The association did not provide any further information about the 24-year-old, who had been in the squad for every game at this European Championship so far.
Meanwhile, Dahmke falls victim to the rotation. Gíslason relied on changing personnel throughout the tournament. Against France, the national coach brought the two outside players Lukas Mertens and Lukas Zerbe back into the 16-man squad. Both were surprisingly missing from the squad in the 26:31 defeat against Denmark. The German team traveled to the tournament with 18 players, but national coach Gíslason is only allowed to rely on a matchday squad of 16 professionals.
The task for the DHB team against France is clear: a draw is enough to stay ahead of the French and thus reach the semi-finals. “We are playing a quarter-final that does not have that name,” said France national coach Guillaume Gille, looking at the starting position before the last main round duel.
“The starting position could be worse, but for us it’s easy to define: We win the game. We’re not betting on a draw,” announced David Späth. “We’re going to win,” said Julian Köster.
