Three goals within 112 seconds, five goals in just seven and a half minutes: Franz Semper celebrated a fantastic debut at the World Handball World Cup – but the tournament ended with a drama for him: he left injured, the World Cup has ended for him.
She had started difficult. Four times, Semper had only been number 17 against Italy before 34:27. Alfred Gislason had taken 17 players to Denmark, but only 16 are allowed on the game report. Before the opening game against Poland (35:28), according to the German handball federation, Litt “Muscular Problems”, at the latest for the third group game against the Czech Republic (29:22), the Leipzig back space shooter was ready for use – but the national coach did not change his top -16.
Knorr and Dahmke clear the way
It was only when Juri Knorr and Rune Dahmke, with flu infections, did not get past Semper before the signpost against Italy (34:27) Juri Knorr and Rune Dahmke. He didn’t have to regret that. The national coach who (only) helped the back area right after 36 minutes to his World Cup debut: “Franz did it really well and helped us a lot in the second half.”
The 27 -year -old, who prefers to drink cherry spritzer, eat lasagna, hear hip -hop and reports in Croatia – although he was not yet 100 percent again. “I say so, for a World Cup you make a lot – I am fit so far that I can play”said Semper on Thursday evening. “I’m just happy to be able to contribute to success.”
Finally arrived – and left
He was now allowed to do that once. For the coming Saturday against Tunisia (8.30 p.m., audio stream and live ticker at Sportschau.de), he had already made a lot of bigger after his 7:30 minutes gala. He said to the sports show: “That is good and also gives you a different feeling within the team. So it is welcome to go on.” He had finally arrived – he left less than 24 hours later.
In the evening he took part in the team meal in the Silkeborger “Evalds” before he had himself examined on Friday morning. The DHB did not share the precisely diagnosis, only the fact: the tournament is over for him. For Semper this is a drama – especially since he knows this feeling. Again and again injuries stopped his participation in big tournaments.
Olympics because of Shoulder injury missed
In December 2020, he suffered a tear of the front cruciate ligament and a meniscus damage, was then out of half a year and was not a candidate for the 2021 World Cup. He also missed the Olympic Games last summer and thus the silver medal because of a shoulder injury.
But even though it has not been so liquid for Semper in the Bundesliga this season (12th place with Leipzig, in the goal scorer list with 70 goals in 25th place), Gislason recalled the extraordinary feeling of throwing the career early start: at the 2019 World Cup 2019 If he was the youngest German player, he previously won bronze at the Junior World Cup in 2015 and in 2016 silver at the Junior World Cup).
To get there, the Borna native had previously ended his rather unsuccessful Flensburg adventure and had returned to Leipzig. He wanted again “Find back to the old form and play internationally“, he had justified this step. Internationally – he had actually reached this goal in Denmark, he was back on the very big stage. But only for seven and a half minutes.