Bratislava (dpa) – Alfred Gislason did not want to tick off the European Championship before the last appearance of the German handball team, despite the bursting of the dream of the semifinals.
“I hope we can play another full 60 minutes against Russia. We definitely want to win the tournament, that would be very important,” said the national coach after the early knockout of the European Championship by beating Sweden 21:25.
the initial situation
With 2:6 points, the German team in the main round group II no longer has a chance of reaching the semi-finals. The game for fifth place is also passé. A win in the meaningless duel with the Russians on Tuesday (6 p.m. / ZDF) would bring at least fourth place in the group and a good feeling before heading home on Wednesday.
The balance
The tournament is not over yet, but those responsible have already drawn a first conclusion about the Corona madness in Bratislava. “We could certainly have built more for the future if we had had the opportunity. What we have experienced here is incomparable,” said DHB sports director Axel Kromer. “It doesn’t go unnoticed by everyone, so the loss of substance was logical.” 13 players tested positive during the EM days, a total of 28 players were present at the finals in Hungary and Slovakia – the largest DHB contingent in history.
The outlook
Even if the sporting goals could not be achieved under these circumstances, the EM can advance the DHB selection, which is in transition. “Many players have gained valuable experience, so for us it was a valuable tournament in the long term, in which we learned a lot. I’m incredibly proud of the boys, how they reacted and performed as a team,” said Gislason. Captain Johannes Golla hopes the team will be a step further and win more games at the 2023 World Cup. “But the big long-term goal is of course the home EM 2024.”