German handball players before the European Championship final
You want to overcome a dark memory
02/01/2026 – 07:48 amReading time: 4 minutes
Germany will once again face Denmark in the final of the European Handball Championship. They want to make up for a harsh slap.
Nils Kögler reports from Herning
When the German national team meets Denmark in the final of the European Handball Championship on Sunday (from 6 p.m. in the live ticker on t-online), both nations will have to end a dry spell. The DHB selection around national coach Alfred Gíslason finally wants to win their first title since the European Championships exactly ten years ago and at the same time end the equally long wait for a victory against the superiority from Denmark.
The Danes, on the other hand, want to finally win their first European title in 14 years in front of their home crowd in the Jyske Bank Boxen in Herning. At the same time, they would also complete a rare title triple, as the Northern Europeans already hold the World Cup and Olympic gold. The gold medal at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 is also a thorn in the side of the German team. In the final, the Danes played the DHB selection badly. The game was basically decided after a few minutes. Germany wants to drive away these dark clouds when they meet again in the final on Sunday.
With 26:39, Germany clearly lost the Olympic final in Lille. After just a few minutes, Denmark had pulled away. The dream of gold was buried early. “The game in Lille was extremely bitter for me,” admitted national coach Gíslason after the handball players reached the final again. “I was so angry because the boys gave up after a quarter of an hour and said: Silver isn’t bad either,” continued Gíslason. While the team went to Paris to celebrate after the final, “I ran away straight to Germany because I was so disappointed with how we played,” Gíslason recalled.
The 66-year-old Icelander does not believe in a similar scenario in the European Championship final on Sunday. They know that they are not the favorites in the final, but: “This tournament gave the team a lot of self-confidence.” The team has taken a few steps forward. “These fluctuations, which were too much for us, have become less.” The many young players also “show that they are ripped off players and that makes me really happy,” Gíslason continued. “I’m quite sure the hunger to present oneself well is there.”
Playmaker Juri Knorr also doesn’t believe in a repeat of the Olympic final. “It’s a different feeling than in Paris,” he said. “In Paris we simply fell into each other’s arms after the semi-finals and shouted: We have a medal. We perhaps switched off a bit and just relied on the momentum,” continued Knorr. Things are completely different at the European Championships. “That’s why I think we’re more ready for this game on Sunday.”
