Tess Lieder has been left out of the Dutch handball selection by national coach Per Johansson for the European Championship qualifiers with the Czech Republic. The absence of the 30-year-old Heerhugowaardse is remarkable. For years, the 144-time international was one of the strongholds of the Dutch handball players.
Lieder’s absence has nothing to do with an injury. During the World Cup in Norway in December, the goalkeeper was one of the three selected goalkeepers. National coach Johansson has now chosen to include only two goalkeepers in his sixteen-man selection, with his choice being Yara ten Holt and Rinka Duijndam from Amsterdam.
Lieder made his debut in 2012 and competed in four World Cups and two Olympic Games. In 2019 she became world champion. Amsterdam’s Yara ten Holt is now the Dutch team’s first goal defender.
Six North Hollanders
In addition to Ten Holt, five more North Hollanders have been included in the Dutch selection. Fellow regional players Tamara Haggerty, Nikita van der Vliet, Nathalie Hendrikse, Zoë Sprengers and Bo van Wetering have been selected for the diptych against the Czechs.
The Netherlands will play the first match in and against the Czech Republic on Wednesday, February 28. The match is scheduled again four days later, to be played in Den Bosch.
The European Handball Championship starts in November this year.