DHB women euphoric
“Now we are in the final, we want to win”
Updated 12/13/2025 – 9:10 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
With a sensational win against defending champions France, the DHB women moved into the World Cup final. The players’ enthusiasm was correspondingly great.
It is a historic success: For the first time since 1993, the German women’s national handball team is in the final of a world championship. On Friday evening, national coach Markus Gaugisch’s DHB selection won 29:23 against defending champions Friday in Rotterdam and will play for the title next Sunday against Olympic champions Norway or co-hosts Netherlands.
Once again it was the stable German defense in front of a strong goalkeeper Katharina Filter that paved the way for Germany. Captain Antja Döll shone offensively with nine goals and was voted player of the game.
After the game, she was overwhelmed by her team’s performance: “We knew we could put up a strong defense,” said Döll. “We also knew that we could really get on the French’s nerves. We mastered that with flying colors today, and we also stayed cool in the second half,” the 37-year-old continued. “We closed everything down at the back and scored at the front when we needed to. Phenomenal. I’m full of emotions and so happy.”
The captain was particularly impressed by her team’s attitude: “It was all about doing more for the others.” The motto? “We’re dying here today for 60 minutes and that’s how we started the game. It was just a great, great game from minute one to the sixtieth.”
A medal can no longer be taken away from the German team. Döll and Co. can at least be happy about silver. But national coach Gaugisch wants more: “Now we are in the final, then we want to win,” he announced on ARD and promised: “We will do everything again.”