Swiss star Andy Schmid provided the best entertainment at the European Handball Championships with a curious interview. The playmaker largely interviewed himself after the Swiss’ surprising point win against record world champions France (26:26).
“If I had maybe been 35 and had a little more power in my arms, then I might have thrown it in,” said the 40-year-old Schmid about the last action of the game and then took complete command of the obligatory question-and-answer. Answer game in the mixed zone.
“Now the question of satisfaction would probably have come up,” said the long-time Bundesliga player, alluding to the 14:27 in the opening game against Germany: “It’s more than satisfaction because we’ve rarely been as pissed off as we have been in the last few Days. Of all the Swiss who somehow only have a bit of an affinity for handball.”
“That’s why we’ve suffered for the last three days”
And Schmid followed up: “There were three and a half thousand Swiss people in Düsseldorf on Wednesday evening, watching us and paying a lot of money. We had an audience rating like never before on Swiss television. Then we were pushed around like on the playground by the Germans. And We knew we were better. And that’s why we suffered the last three days, I have to be honest. And that’s why it’s more than satisfaction.”
“Probably,” said Schmid, “the question would have come up as to what it means to me. It means a lot to me. Because if there’s something I can’t stand, it’s when people say I’m too old. Me I know that I’m too old. But I know that I still have certain things inside me. And playing handball is a bit like riding a bike. And I hope that I can still ride a bike when I’m old.”
Schmid is hoping for German help on the last match day, because only then does Switzerland still have a chance of reaching the main round. “If they can beat us with 13, they can also beat the French with 13,” said Schmid, grinning and moving away.