Gislason’s EM mission: Bundesliga should heat up the competition

The Handball Supercup was the starting signal for the Handball Bundesliga, which starts today. And at the same time for the hot phase of the EM preparation.

Because national coach Alfred Gislason sees everything. And what he’s doing Supercup saw it, he must have liked it. A draw after regular time, the season-opening duel between the German champions THW Kiel and the cup winners Rhein-Neckar-Löwen had to be decided in a seven-meter throw.

In the end, Kiel got their first title of the season with a narrow victory. A season can hardly start more exciting. “I’m happy that important games are finally coming up again, in which something is at stake”Gislason said before kick-off.

Gislason travels through handball Germany

During the summer break, Alfred Gislason attended countless preparatory games to find out where his (potential) national players were. In the coming weeks and months he will also be traveling through handball Germany to watch games.

The games that he cannot follow in the hall are analyzed afterwards. “I download the games after every match day and evaluate everything.” Gislason is known for his meticulousness.

Four months until the home EM

That is necessary. Even if the Bundesliga season isn’t even one matchday old, there’s not much time left. In four and a half months the opening game of the home European Championship will be kicked off.

“At some point we have to determine which players are finally eligible”said the Icelander. “And this one week of preparation that we have at the beginning of November is as good as the finishing touches.” The national coach only has two international matches against Egypt with the national team before he starts the hot phase in January.

The next few weeks and months of this Bundesliga season are all the more important. “I speak to the players from time to time, but I can’t get involved in the work of the Bundesliga coaches. But because we evaluate everything the players are doing, we also know about their weaknesses and strengths and how we use them or reduce it.”

Bundesliga starts, European Handball Championship in mind

It is also clear to the players that the national coach follows every step of his protégés. With good performances, they want to recommend themselves for the European Championship squad, including the newly crowned Kiel Supercup winner Rune Dahmke: “When I’m here I already know what shirt I’m wearing and then I just focus on that. But of course somewhere in the back of your mind it’s that you work on playing as best you can and then hopefully be there.”

Thanks to the success at the start, Dahmke can take momentum into the season and the EM lead-up. “It’s always better to start the season with a title than to lose a Supercup. That gives you a bit more self-confidence.”

glimmer of hope for U21 world champions?

The U21 national team, who won the world championship title in July, should also start the season with confidence. Goalkeeper David Späth also showed a sovereign performance in the Supercup duel in the goal of the Rhein-Neckar-Löwen.

Can players like him hope for a nomination? “There are two or three players who could be considered for the 18 squad. But even if the U21s did very well, the step into the senior national team is very big.”said Gislason.

Big changes are not expected in the team. “In the last two years we’ve rejuvenated. Now we’ve settled in so I can’t change everything now.” Gislason would like to see consistency – in the national team and until then in the Bundesliga, which is so important for this.