Großwallstadt (dpa) – Shortly after the turn of the year, Alfred Gislason gathered his 19 chosen ones for the European handball championship for a course in Großwallstadt. In the dpa interview, the national coach speaks about the preparation, the EM goals and general problems in German handball.
Mr. Gislason, how did you spend Christmas?
AlfredGislason:Together with my children and grandchildren in Iceland.
Were you able to switch off a little from handball or was that not possible in view of the upcoming European Championship?
Gislason:I used part of the day to further prepare for the European Championship and then spent time with my family. That worked out pretty well.
You have received a number of rejections for the finals, and the Corona crisis once again does not allow an informal handball festival. Do you still feel a bit of anticipation?
Gislason:I’m looking forward to the tournament. I’m excited to see what we can do with this young team. I’m just looking forward to working with the team.
What will you focus on in preparation for the EM?
Gislason:We have to train and rehearse everything, we cannot leave anything out. Defense, attack, speed game, position game.
There are only a few veterans left in the squad. Are they particularly in demand as leaders at a tournament?
Gislason:Of course, the older and more experienced players are expected to take on a leadership role. That will also be important because overall we have a young and inexperienced team. But we have to distribute the tasks on everyone’s shoulders.
There are nine tournament newbies in the 19-man squad. What distinguishes the next generation?
Gislason:Many of these players have already been very successful in the juniors. It took some time to get used to the Bundesliga, but there is no doubt that there are great talents.
Medal “far away”
In view of the upheaval in personnel, it is almost impossible to pass a medal as a goal. Or do you secretly dream of a surprise?
Gislason:We are not a candidate for a medal, so we don’t talk about it. That is far away at the moment. We’ll focus on the preliminary group first, which is very even. Of course we want to reach the main round, but it won’t be easy.
You will meet Belarus, Austria and Poland. Which opponent do you rate as the strongest?
Gislason:Anyone in this group can beat anyone. But the Belarusians and Poles certainly have by far the most players who regularly play in the Champions League.
What is the German team missing at the moment – apart from experience – at the top of the world?
Gislason:A lot actually, especially in the back area. We certainly don’t have the superstars right now. Other nations are ahead of us. We have to try to compensate for this through team unity.
You took over the post of national coach almost two years ago. Shortly afterwards, Corona came with many restrictions, then a World Cup with many problems and a poor performance and finally things did not go as hoped at the Olympics either. Do you sometimes think: Oh God, what did I do to myself?
Gislason:No, but of course I would have wished for a lot to be different. I am continuing the job with great vigor and I am convinced that we are on the right track.
Do you trust the younger generation to be among the top nations again in the foreseeable future?
Gislason:It’s still too early for that. First you have to see how the team develops. There is talent in it, but a lot also has to fit. Above all, you have to create the conditions so that the players want to play for Germany permanently and for as long as possible and that we can always choose from the best.
Rejections “consider differentiated”
This has often not been the case recently and has also been publicly criticized. Are you a little disappointed that not all players seem to have an unconditional will to play for the national team?
Gislason:You have to look at that in a differentiated manner. The high load affects the players from the top clubs in the Bundesliga in particular. This is not the case in other countries. The many games are not the problem for the players, but that they have no time for anything else. Hardly any vacation, hardly any regeneration. It is not for nothing that the Norwegian national coach is happy about each of his selection players who leave the Bundesliga. The past Corona season in particular was extreme. So it’s not just about the mentality and values of the players. You also have to create the conditions for the players to deal with.
About the person: Alfred Gislason (62) completed 190 international matches for Iceland and played in the Bundesliga from 1983 to 1988 for TUSEM Essen. In 1991 he began his coaching career, which took him back to Germany in 1997. After working in Hameln, Magdeburg and Gummersbach, he looked after the THW Kiel for eleven years with great success. He has been national coach since the beginning of February 2020.
.
ttn-10