Semi-finals of the European Handball Championships
Why are some seats empty at the DHB game?
Updated on January 30, 2026 – 6:26 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
The DHB team is hoping for a place in the semi-final against Croatia and for plenty of support. However, there are a few places available in the hall in Herning – for a strange reason.
The German Handball Association (DHB) is dreaming of its first title since the 2016 European Championships. Back then, the so-called “Bad Boys” won the final in Poland against Spain (24:17). In order for coach Alfred Gíslason’s team to be able to fight for the cup in the final on Sunday (6 p.m. in the live ticker on t-online), they have to win the semi-final against Croatia.
While several million viewers tuned in on TV, a look at the hall in Herning, Denmark, is a bit sobering. It is clearly visible on the television images that some seats in the front rows remained empty.
But why is that so? Day tickets are usually sold for handball. The buyer therefore purchases tickets for all games of the day. However, since the semi-final between Germany and Croatia started at 5.45 p.m. and the Danish national team does not play the second semi-final against Iceland until 8.30 p.m. (live ticker at t-online), that could be the explanation.
Many of the Danish or Icelandic fans who have day tickets are simply not in the hall yet. They probably only come to the game of their own national team.
However, the images on the TV are distorted. There are some seats available in the front rows. However, the entire hall, which cannot be seen on television, is already well filled. It is estimated that only a few hundred seats remained free for the German game.
