In Düsseldorf, 53,586 fans visited a handball game, which was at the opening day of the 2024 European Championship on January 10th. Now at the World Cup, even in the quarter-finals on Wednesday (8:30 p.m., from 8:15 p.m., the first and again in the first and in the stream as well as at Sportschau.de in a live ticker) against Portugal, threatens half a ghost game in Oslo, because Norway already after the main round Tournament said goodbye – the sports show went on a search for traces.
This problem already existed in the preliminary round in Herning in Danish: on the days when the host did not give himself the honor, there was partially yawning emptiness in the ranks. The grandstand head pages in particular looked like ghost games in the Corona era. The World Association finally spontaneously stolen large contingents of the cards at ridicule prices, but thus raised the fans against themselves, who had already bought their tickets months ago at the regular high prices.
Only Germany fills the halls
DHB President Andreas Michelmann says: “There is still only one country in the world that is able to completely fill the halls, even if your team does not play.” You can find out: he said Germany. Michelmann: “We have proven it with 94 percent occupancy at the European Championship.”
These statements help little for the current situation in Denmark, Croatia and Norway, but they are correct. A large part of the guilt is homemade in the organizers.
No signs, no logos, no advertising
If you alone take the entrances to the halls in Herning or now in Oslo, you can understand well, why may not be drawn to the events: You just don’t get any of it. Absolutely nothing.
There are no hints, signs or other advertising measures in the cities or on the motorways or other access roads such as recently at the euro in Germany, where one was not only overwhelmed by UEFA logos and giant footballs in the host cities.
Beware of the translation
For one or the other handball fan who is now considering a spontaneous journey, there may also be a small technical problem. If you click on the ticket pages via the DHB or the World Association IHF and select the German translation in the settings, then suddenly the prices are shown in euros in categories 1 to 3 – although Norwegian crowns are meant.
A category 1 ticket then costs 1,290 euros, but in fact it is “only” 1,290 crowns-i.e. 109.62 euros. The family ticket in category 2 is the same problem: 677 euros are displayed, the actual price is 57.52 euros. Even the cheapest individual ticket does not cost the 550 euros displayed, but 46.73 euros.
Have ARD experts Suggested solutions
“So far there have been a maximum of 5,000 tickets. That means there is still room for German fans in the arena”says sports director Ingo Meckes. “We hope that one or the other will find their way here.”
The sports show experts have different ideas for solving the problem. Johannes Bitter: “The claim should be to fill the big halls, especially in KO-games. Sure, you have to do a lot more advertising, you can go to schools, you definitely have to inspire people here much more for the event. “
Klein: “Also in the smaller halls”
Dominik Klein has another approach: “Especially for the games of the preliminary round and main round, the giant arenas may not be the right thing. The IHF always demands arenas with these stark capacities in the applications. But why don’t you go into the handball strongholds such as Drammen or Elverum, instead Where the enthusiasm is completely different and the somewhat smaller halls are then filled? “
Small further: “Of course you can also do a lot more in advance. When I take a look at Germany, what we do with the kids to get them to handball: training camps, mini World Cup, event days, there are just a lot of people Full throttle. “
Kastening puts on Self -motivation
How many people will go full throttle on Wednesday evening remains to be seen – the 16 nominees in the DHB team will definitely rely on self -motivation. Timo Kastening at the half -empty ranks: “As a team, of course, you are all the more asked that you can get the tension up. That you are fully there from the emotions with the kick -off of the game. Of course, this is, of course, honestly, with a full and atmospheric hall, always a bit easier, to push up there. ”
The right wing and seven meter shooters also clarify: “It is a quarter -finals at a World Cup. If you are not completely focused from minute one or the days beforehand, then have chosen something wrong.”