Franz Semper only celebrated his World Cup debut against Italy. Now it is clear: he will no longer be available to the DHB team for the rest of the tournament.
The German national handball team has to cope with a bitter setback in the fight for the World Cup title. Franz Semper will not be available to the DHB selection due to an injury to the rest of the tournament. The association confirmed this on Friday.
The back area on the right of Bundesliga club SC DHfK Leipzig had only given its World Cup debut in the second main round game against Italy on Wednesday evening. He had missed the three preliminary rounds and the main round of round against Denmark due to muscular problems.
Semper was in the squad for the first time and was substituted in the second half. With five goals, the 27-year-old had a significant share in the victory of the German team and also received a lot of praise from national coach Alfred Gislason.
However, as the DHB announced, Semper suffered a new injury that had not been more detailed during the game and has already started their journey home. “This failure is bitter for Franz and our team,” national team manager Benjamin Chatton is quoted in a message from the association. “We advise on possible nominations with a view to the overall situation and have no immediate time pressure,” continued Chatton.
Chatton also refers to the overall increasingly tense personnel position with the German team. Playmaker Juri Knorr and left wing Rune Dahmke missed the game against Italy due to a disease. In the last main round game against Tunisia, the two will also not be able to appear.
National coach Gislason had therefore already nominated Marian Michalczik from TSV Hannover-Burgdorf. “The last main round game is certainly a sportily valuable stage, but has no tabular influence,” said Chatton. The DHB selection had qualified prematurely for the quarter-finals with the victory against Italy. “We will also organize this decision in Oslo with a view to the quarter -finals next Wednesday,” said Chatton.
This temporal framework also gives the opportunity to observe the further recovery process of Knorr and Dahmke, the statement says. In the case of Knorr in particular, his participation in the quarter -finals will also be in danger next Wednesday. According to information from the editorial network Germany, the 24-year-old even made his way to Flensburg from the team quarters in Silkeborg in Danish in order to be examined there by a specialist. Knorr had already struggled with bronchitis last year. He is currently supposed to complain about breathing problems and chest pain.