Bratislava (dpa) – The corona shock overtook the German handball players not even 24 hours before the European Championship group final against Poland. Five other players tested positive for the corona virus on Monday and had to immediately go into isolation at the team hotel in Bratislava.
National coach Alfred Gislason initially only has a core squad of eleven healthy players available for the game on January 18 (6 p.m. / ZDF). Goalkeeper Andreas Wolff, backcourt players Kai Häfner and Luca Witzke and outsiders Timo Kastening and Lukas Mertens are affected. After Julius Kühn and his substitute Hendrik Wagner had previously contracted the corona virus, a total of seven German players were absent from the finals in Hungary and Slovakia.
Gislason nominated goalkeeper Johannes Bitter from HSV Hamburg and field players Fabian Wiede, Paul Drux (both Füchse Berlin), Rune Dahmke (THW Kiel) and Sebastian Firnhaber (HC Erlangen) as replacements late on Monday evening. However, the quintet can only play against Poland if they present a negative PCR test beforehand.
Shocking that the virus is still getting in
“If you’re positive, then you’re positive. You can’t change that,” said Kastening after the 34:29 win against Austria. “You can only hope for a mild course, I wish that to everyone. But it doesn’t stay out of the question – especially if you decide to take part in a major tournament. You can’t shut down the contacts to zero.”
Former DHB captain Uwe Gensheimer spoke of a worst-case scenario. “I’m incredibly sorry for the team, the staff, for everyone around it, because I know that an incredible amount of effort was put into it. It’s definitely a shock for everyone that this is happening now,” said the left winger from den Rhein – Neckar Lowen.
The German Handball Federation had taken all possible precautions to rule out this horror scenario. Two floors were blocked off in the hotel for the players and single rooms were booked. “We have adhered to all safety requirements,” said captain Johannes Golla, adding: “It’s shocking that the virus is still getting in. But we were prepared for it to hit us too.”
The time for possible substitutes is short
The association was in crisis mode and was working flat out on the subsequent nominations, which Gislason was also allowed to make outside of a pool of 35 players reported in early December. But time is short – and the German team is of course not well-rehearsed due to the special circumstances.
A few hours before the bad news, Wagner’s corona case had already become known, which had only arrived in Bratislava the day before and was actually supposed to replace Kühn, who was already in quarantine. The second division professional from Eulen Ludwigshafen had no contact with his teammates or the rest of the German delegation, the DHB said. “I no longer understand the world,” said Wagner. “I’m physically fine at the moment, but the last few hours have been an emotional rollercoaster ride.”
All players who tested positive and complained of little to no symptoms must now remain in quarantine for at least five days according to the tournament rules. Only then could they freely test themselves with two negative PCR tests on two consecutive days.
Significant athletic debilitation
For the German team, the massive loss of personnel naturally means a considerable sporting weakening. In the duel with the also undefeated Poles, who had also recorded several corona cases in their team in the run-up to the finals in Hungary and Slovakia, important points for the main round are at stake. A Herculean task for the DHB selection, which started the tournament promisingly with two wins against Belarus and Austria. “The points that will be awarded tomorrow are also decisive for the ranking in the main round,” said DHB sports director Axel Kromer on Monday morning.
Goalkeeper Till Klimpke, who drew attention to himself with his gala performance against Austria in front of an audience of millions on television, could now play an important role. “Yesterday evening I made many, many phone calls home. There were a lot of congratulations,” reported the professional from Bundesliga club HSG Wetzlar.
And many viewers ask themselves: Who is this Klimpke? “He’s open, honest and helpful,” said veteran Patrick Wiencek, characterizing the EM newcomer, adding: “Till is very special – like goalkeepers are.” Klimpke describes himself as follows: “Off the field I’m very calm. But in the dressing room I’m someone who tries to push the team and I’m also a little crazy.” This is particularly important now.
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