EM conclusion – German handball players are at the beginning of an exciting journey

The German handball players finished the European Championship tournament in their own country in fourth place. They showed a lot of positive things, but also revealed a number of deficits. What remains?

This final game for bronze against the Swedes was something of a time lapse of the entire tournament from the German handball team’s perspective. For an hour it made the character of this German game clear: many mistakes in attack, not the necessary consistency over a long period of time, but a great fighting heart and many moves worth seeing with goals that ecstatic the audience.

Philipp Weber, the backcourt player, summed it up well: “We can’t manage to play this top handball for 60 minutes, but only for 50 or 45 minutes. We have to work on getting that done.” Close, kept up for a long time, only to end up empty-handed – German handball in January 2024.

With the semi-final above target

Reaching the semi-finals was the DHB’s association requirement. It was achieved even if the team’s mode played into their hands. With less luck it could have been eye-catching. Among the top four in Europe – that reads well. However, the overall European Championship record of four wins, one draw and four defeats is not so good.

The last impression wasn’t so good either: Germany left the tournament with three defeats: lost in the last main round game against Croatia, also lost against Denmark and in the “small” final against Sweden.

Knorr: “To them top quality “We can’t get there yet”

When it came down to the final stretch of the tournament, the German team ran out of fuel and ideas, and the medal they longed for was a long way away, especially since they lacked class in crucial moments, especially in attacking play. So everyone agreed: We shortened the gap to the world leaders, but didn’t reach them.

“I do believe that we were able to take the next step compared to last year, but that we are still missing something at the top”said Juri Knorr, the German director, who had a lot of light in his play over the two and a half weeks, but also shadows. The top players from Denmark, Sweden and France were ahead of him, playing at their absolute limits in each of the nine games throughout the entire tournament. “That’s the top quality that we can’t reach yet. That’s what you have to achieve to get to the top”said Knorr.

Top defense and promising youngsters

But there was also a lot of light from Knorr’s teammates. The Germans, with their parade block of Julian Köster and Johannes Golla, had one of the best defenses of all the European Championship participants. And this last impression remains: the way a young man like Renars Uscins turned things up in the right back in the last tournament games was a real joy.

The German team probably doesn’t need to worry about the medium-term future anyway. The prospects for the 2027 home World Cup are good, also because the top performers are still young. Playmaker Knorr and backcourt giant Julian Köster are also only 23 years old. And even captain Johannes Golla, who gives the impression that he has been there forever, is only 26.

Gislason has to deliver

In addition to Uscins, middle man Nils Lichtlein, who was the same age, showed his enormous potential in his short European Championship appearances. Goalkeeper David Späth is shuffling his feet at the age of 21, and pivot Justus Fischer is only 20.

According to Knorr, the Germans still lack “a certain maturity, individual quality, which we certainly have because we are at the beginning of our careers and have not yet reached our peak performance. That’s why I’m confident, it’s a process of experience.”

Who will now lead the team on its exciting path to the home tournament in 2027? Everything indicates that it will be Alfred Gislason. With fourth place at the European Championships, he achieved his best result as a German national coach. There were also bitter disappointments beforehand: 12th place at the 2021 World Cup, and also the quarter-final exit at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo.

Pressure on Olympic qualification

“We will enter into discussions with Alfred one hundred percent after the European Championships”said DHB board member Axel Kromer. The decision about further collaboration with the national coach may be made at the association’s executive board meeting in February, where Gislason will give his analysis of the European Championship. The Icelander has already said that he has a “huge desire” to continue.

He will have to continue to deliver and soon: the Olympic qualification is on the agenda in March. The tournament with Croatia, Austria and Algeria will not be easy. The pressure on the young team will be even greater. Participation in the Olympics is of inestimable value for handball in Germany. It remains exciting.