Revanche successful, EM-Ticket solved: Germany’s handball players qualified prematurely for the 2026 European Championship.
National coach Alfred Gislason clapped each of his players individually with a beaming smile, then Germany’s handball player went to the round of honor with the cheers of over 10,000 fans: Thanks to a confident performance against Austria, the German team secured the ticket for the EM 2026 prematurely. After 31:26 (16:14) success in Hanover, the DHB selection for the final round in Denmark, Sweden and Norway (January 15 to February 1, 2026) can plan.
“I am very satisfied with our game, we covered very well and also attacked very well,” said Gislason, “it was a very solid performance of the whole team overall.”
Two days after the tedious 26:26 of the two teams in Vienna, Germany in Hanover achieved the third victory in the fourth qualification game. Marko Grgic became the best German goal scorer with seven goals in the Lower Saxony state capital, where the Olympic qualification against Austria (34:31) was successful almost exactly a year ago. In the second half, the goalkeeper David Späth, who had substituted for the break, tore the 10,369 spectators in the sold -out arena from the seats.
Table guide expanded
Due to the sovereign success, Germany expanded its lead in group 7 with 7: 1 points. Austria (4: 4) is in second place in front of Switzerland (3: 3) and the pointless Turks.
The two best teams in the eight groups will certainly qualify for the euros, and the four best third of the eight groups of four secure their participation in EM. In the first two games, Gislason’s team celebrated clear successes against Switzerland (35:26) and Turkey (36:29) last November, the last qualifying double takes place in May.
The German team, which had to make do without playmakers Juri Knorr and goal scorer Renars Uscins again, needed a certain warm phase. In the offensive cover, gaps occurred again and again, in the front there was a lack of punch and determination in the early minutes. When goalkeeper Andreas Wolff parried a litter with his head at 5: 5 (13th), a jerk seemed to go through the DHB team. In direct return, Nils Lichtlein scored the first German leadership, Julian Köster increased to 7: 5 after a quarter of an hour with his third goal.
German handball players in the second round wide awake
Driven by the loud setting, Germany now showed its best phase in round one. A few ball gains arrive at the back, in the attack the game tore the game with five goals in the first section. The fact that the hosts only led two goals at the break was due to their own carelessness against the Austrian 7: 6 overpayment game. Instead of moving away after 16:12, Wolff collected the 14:16 a few seconds before the half -time whistle.
In the second section, however, the DHB selection presented itself wide awake from the start – and got a noticeable energy boost through Späth. The keeper celebrated his parades with a wide -torn mouth and wildly cheering. In the 33rd minute, he even met under the joy of the fans across the entire field into the orphaned guest goal for 18:14. When Grgic increased to 23:16 a little later (42nd), the resistance of the Austrians was broken – and the game was de facto.