The DHB team starts the handball EM on Friday. For Johannes Golla it is the first tournament as captain. In the interview, the man from Flensburg talks about his surprising promotion.
Last year was a bitter disappointment for the always ambitious German men’s handball team. At the World Cup in Egypt, the main round was over, at the Olympic Games in Tokyo it was World Cup hosts Egypt, of all places, who showed the team of national coach Alfred Gislason the limits in the quarter-finals.
The upheaval, which had been announced for a long time, had become sorely needed. With the resignation of long-time captain Uwe Gensheimer, it was officially initiated. And Gislason carried it out with an exclamation mark: The only 24-year-old Johannes Golla, runner of the SG Flensburg-Handewitt, was appointed the new captain of the DHB team.
Before his first big tournament in a new, responsible role, Golla speaks in a t-online interview about his surprising promotion, the chances of his team at the continental championship in Slovakia and Hungary, and what consequences the corona pandemic could have for German handball.
t-online: Mr. Golla, congratulations on becoming captain of the German national handball team. National coach Alfred Gislason, you said yourself, presented you with a fait accompli. Can you relive the moment of appointment for us?n let?
Johannes Golla (24): When the first meeting with the newly formed team took place at the beginning of November, we knew that changes were pending. Experienced players who shaped the national team for years had ended their international career – including the previous captain Uwe Gensheimer. It was therefore clear that this position also had to be filled. Gislason then told us all straightforwardly that his choice had fallen on me.
As have Your teammates, both in the DHB team and in Flensburg, reacted to your promotion?
I received a lot of congratulations – not only from my teammates from the DHB team and from Flensburg, but also from former teammates and companions. This recognition was incredibly beneficial.
Johannes Golla in the Flensburg jersey: With the North Germans, the circle runner was German champion in 2019. (Source: Lobeca / imago images)
You said about your appointment as DHB captain that age is basically not a factor, either you are a leading player or you are not. What makes you such a leader?
First of all, my performance and experience that I have gained over the past three and a half years at SG Flensburg-Handewitt. The Champions League appearances in particular brought me a lot further as a player. Another important aspect for me is a strong empathy. I like to communicate with other people, I appreciate being with my teammates and am very happy when the support offered is accepted.
Has the DHB made any offers to help you develop your new role in the best possible way – for example, participation in a management seminar?
No, I was thrown into the deep end. I see this new role as captain as a process anyway. It is clear that after a few weeks in office I still lack experience. But I am convinced that I will acquire them in the course of the next courses, international matches – and especially during the European Championship tournament.
Have you spoken to your predecessor Uwe Gensheimer since your appointment?
Uwe called me and congratulated me as soon as the news was officially announced. He was also a guest on Handball Day in Düsseldorf and reassured me that I can get in touch with him at any time if I have any questions. That’s an offer I’ll definitely come back to.
One position moved up: Johannes Gola (2nd from left) takes over the captaincy from Uwe Gensheimer (1st from left). (Source: wolf-sportfoto / imago images)
Your appointment as captain should also be a sign of change. Apart from personnel decisions, how do you recognize that the DHB team under national coach Gislason is opening a new chapter?
The upheaval in the DHB team is necessary as many experienced players have stepped back or stepped down. The circle of potential national players must therefore be expanded in order to develop more and new opportunities. I see it as one of the national coach’s great strengths that he seeks contact with young players early on, trusts them and carefully integrates them into the national team. This creates a basis for ourselves as the entire DHB team so that we don’t start from scratch in future tournaments.
Could the EM come too early for the newly formed team?
This tournament will certainly come too early for the goal of the European Championship. Every player, but also every fan, should be aware of this. Basically, I do not agree with the thesis that the EM comes too early for our young team. Such a tournament is a unique pressure situation in which you have to constantly prove yourself. I see enormous development potential in this. So I would even rather say that the EM comes at the absolutely right time for us as a team. We have to use the tournament to involve all newcomers and let them show their strengths. This is the only way we can take the next step at the upcoming major event.
In 2021, the DHB team fell short of its own expectations. At the World Cup in Egypt the main round was over, at the Olympic Games the World Cup hosts stopped you in the quarter-finals. How did you deal with these disappointments and what conclusions did you as a team draw from them?
These two tournaments were a disappointment. We have talked a lot about them and learned our lessons from them. The national coach processed every single game in the video analysis and showed us very clearly what the problems were, what he no longer wants to see, but also what he liked.
With defending champions Spain, world champions Denmark and Olympic champions France, the EM has three natural favorites. Is that also the three teams that you see in the front at the end?
I would definitely count Norway among the wider circle of favorites: a team that has been in the top for years and is keen on their first title. In addition, you should have the vice world champion Sweden on the slip, who played great handball in 2021.
Sander Sagosen: The superstar wants to finally lead the Norwegian national team to their first title. (Source: Bildbyran / imago images)
Is the DHB team good for a surprise? The young, newly formed team should be unpredictable for many opponents …
We have good players in our ranks who perform in the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga week after week, but who still lack international experience and recognition. For many opponents, we arrive as a kind of surprise bag. This factor should not be underestimated. If you regularly meet German professionals in the Champions League, you can adjust to your opponents much better at the EM. If these empirical values cease to exist, we have to use precisely this information gap for ourselves.
One topic that is still omnipresent is the corona pandemic. You yourself got infected a good year ago at the World Cup in Egypt. Still struggling with the aftermath?
Today I don’t feel any more of my corona infection. This feeling has also been underlined by all medical examinations since then. I had a mild course anyway. Before I got the positive test result, I assumed it was a mild cold. The only symptoms that persisted a little more were loss of smell and taste.
The World Cup in Egypt was sharply criticized, also because the bubble turned out to be full of holes. Are you worried about leaving for the European Championships in Bratislava?
All players in the squad have been vaccinated or have recovered and are regularly PCR tested. We play it safe. I also expect this care from the EM organizers. But I’m in good spirits. The tournament will be held under 2G-plus requirements. Despite this high level of security, there is always a certain risk – especially in times like these when the number of infections is so high. We must all continue to be mindful and respectful of the situation.
The successes of handball players always cause a wave of euphoria in Germany. The number of spectators in the halls is increasing, and registrations in the clubs are increasing. Wouldn’t it be the worst possible time for the surprise coup European title at the moment? After all, the emerging euphoria could not be reversed as in previous years due to spectator restrictions and possible contact restrictions during junior training.
German handball has been suffering enormous damage from the pandemic for two years. Children in particular couldn’t play handball for a year and a half. That is an enormously long time. It is a shame that some of them have alienated themselves from sport or have said goodbye completely as a result, but also understandable. It is precisely there that the German national team’s task is to create awareness for handball through appearances and good performances at major tournaments. I just want to emphasize: Even before the pandemic, a successful national team was an important bargaining chip for the attractiveness of handball in Germany – and it will be in the future. That’s why we take every opportunity with us to win games and get people excited about handball.
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