Questions and answers about the European Championship final
The German handball players are playing for this record bonus
Updated on 02/01/2026 – 09:08 amReading time: 3 minutes
The DHB selection would like to win the European championship title against Denmark. If they are successful, the handball players will receive a record bonus.
A final step separates Germany’s European Championship handball players from the gold medal. But this step leads straight into the “hell of Herning” – where the ultimate final opponent awaits in Denmark. Keeper Andreas Wolff speaks of an “super team”, Rune Dahmke of the “best team in the world” and Nils Lichtlein of the “actually invincibles”. Chancellor Friedrich Merz also mingled with the 15,000 fans.
The most important questions and answers about the new edition of the Olympic final in 2024:
Fans can follow the final in two ways: From 5:50 p.m. Florian Zschiedrich will report live on ZDF, with expert and co-commentator Sören Christophersen and commentator Martin Schneider at his side. Alternatively, the paid sports channel Dyn will broadcast the final with the team of experts around handball icons Stefan Kretzschmar and Pascal Hens.
The game for third place between Croatia and Iceland (3:15 p.m.) is on the ZDF stream and on Dyn.
The pressure is clearly on the Danes, who are used to success. The Olympic champion and world champion has been waiting for a European title since 2012, and almost all of the 15,000 fans in the Jyske Bank Boxen are expecting the end of the curse. “Denmark has everything to lose and we have nothing to lose,” said Juri Knorr, positioning Germany as a clear outsider.
The lost Olympic final was a lesson: despite securing a silver medal, there is no satisfaction this time. “We switched off a bit back then. This time we are more ready,” said Knorr. In the European Championship final, Germany’s handball players need Juri Knorr to be at his best.
The fact that Denmark is vulnerable was not only made clear by the defeat in the preliminary round against Portugal. The top favorite also had a hard time in the semi-final against Iceland. The Scandinavians also have major personnel problems at the pivot position. Germany, on the other hand, is still threatened with the loss of defender Tom Kiesler, who is ill.
The Scandinavian star ensemble is top-class in almost every position. Success factors in recent years include goalkeeper Emil Nielsen, backcourt player Simon Pytlik and, above all, the two-time world handball player Mathias Gidsel from Füchse Berlin. No triumph will satisfy the hunger for the title – coach Nicolaj Jacobsen ensures that by constantly pushing forward. “Our greatest strength is our tirelessness,” said Gidsel. The long-time player has already been on the field for more than seven hours – longer than any other European Championship participant.
The 15,000 fans are the eighth man: from the first minute, the red wall will whip their team forward and boo Germany mercilessly.
From a German perspective, devastating. The DHB team celebrated their last competitive win against Denmark at the 2016 European Championships. Since then, they have had one defeat after another – the 26:39 humiliation in the Olympic final was particularly painful. “I was so angry because I thought the boys had just given the game away after 15 minutes,” Gíslason recalled. Even at 30:40 at the 2025 World Cup, Germany had no chance; they only held out for a long time at the most recent 26:31.
The possible bonus for Alfred Gíslason’s team is higher than ever before. By reaching the final, the team around captain Johannes Golla has already secured a total bonus of 430,000 euros. If Germany becomes European champion for the third time, it will increase to 575,000 euros.
