The German handball players are preparing for the European Championships in Denmark, Sweden and Norway, with Miro Schluroff from Gummersbach taking part. What the backcourt player can do and why he could be important in his debut tournament.
“Miro Schluroff is currently playing like Mikkel Hansen.” If a handball player is compared with the three-time world handball player from Denmark, then he has done a lot of things right. Of course, Bietigheim’s left winger Till Herrmann’s statement in the half-time interview against Gummersbach was an exaggeration, but it still underlines the backcourt player’s explosion in performance over the past calendar year.
And not even Schluroff himself foresaw this explosion: “I’ll have achieved my goal if I were to play in the first division at some point and be a permanent part of the squad. But I don’t see myself getting close to that yet.” He said that in 2019, Hansen comparisons were far away. The then 19-year-old already had a European title under his belt at the time. In 2018, Schluroff became European champion with the U18 national team – but in beach handball.
Miro Schluroff made a strong development at VfL Gummersbach
Only two test matches left until the long-awaited European Championship debut
Even then he had a clear ranking: “But my focus is on the hall, I would like to become a professional there.” Schluroff has long since achieved this goal. When the first of two European Championship dress rehearsals against World Cup runners-up Croatia takes place on Thursday (from 8:25 p.m. in the live stream on sportschau.de), the focus will be on the fulfillment of the next dream: the first major international tournament with the DHB team.
But who is the Gummersbacher who has the hardest throw in the entire Bundesliga this season at 130.79 km/h? “Schluroff is someone who played two very good seasons in Gummersbach. He is a good shooter, but he can also cover both half positions and can provide relief for our left-handers.”said the sober analysis of national coach Alfred Gislason.
Schluroff extends long-term contract with VfL Gummersbach
Club coach Gudjon Valur Sigurdsson became a little more euphoric when the 25-year-old’s contract was renewed until 2029. “We always knew that Miro had great talent and the opportunity to become a really good player, but this season he has made huge leaps, matured into a real top performer and national team player and is consistently showing good performances.”the Icelander praised his backcourt player.
Strong duo: Julian Köster and Miro Schluroff stop Jon Lindenchrone Andersen in the game against the Rhein-Neckar Löwen
Erik Wudtke, assistant coach of the DHB team, goes one step further and names the Gummersbacher “an absolute gain for the team”: “He has incredible dynamism and a real arm in his arm. Coupled with his versatility in the backcourt, we can use him well at both ends of the pitch.” But the North German is also an asset to the team as a person. “He’s a small, maybe even a big entertainer”adds Wudtke.
Entertainer Schluroff shines with dynamism and “hands on his arm”
The right-hander is Oberbergische’s third-best goalscorer (79 goals) and assist provider (29) behind Julian Köster and Kay Smits. But getting there required a few stops. The son of ex-professional soccer player Lars Unger comes from Bremen and went through his entire youth career in northern Germany before joining the Füchse Berlin second team in 2019.
A step that presented Schluroff with challenges at the time: “I’m moving into my own apartment – that’s a huge change. I just have to clean up, do the laundry and cook myself.” This has probably leveled off by now, and the “budgetary checks” certainly did not stand in the way of his handball development.
Schluroff raves about it handball enthusiast Gummersbach
After working in Wilhelmshaven and Minden, the powerful backcourt player seems to have found his handball home in Gummersbach. The whole city lives only for handball, only for VfL, Schluroff enthused in an interview about the 51,000-inhabitant city. In addition, coach Sigurdsson’s tactical approach seems tailor-made for the strong defensive shooter, who is almost two meters tall: flexibility in defense and a good, fast-paced transition game.
The Gummersbacher quartet in the DHB team: Tom Kiesler, Julian Köster, Miro Schluroff and Mathis Häseler
The national player is also characterized by flexibility in attack. In the sixth place in the table, Schluroff often switches to the half-right position and, together with Julian Köster, occupies the two backcourt positions. An advantage for the national coach, because both have been training with each other every day for years and know each other’s running routes. The same applies to the defense, where Gislason relies on another Gummersbach debutant, Tom Kiesler, alongside Köster and Schluroff.
National coach Gislason appreciates Schluroffs Defensive qualities
And the Gummersbach trio is an axis of success. With 534 goals conceded, VfL has the third-best defense in the entire Bundesliga. And since the national coach has repeatedly emphasized how important defensive work is to him, Schluroff’s nomination is no longer a surprise.
The comparison with Hansen may still be bold. But if Schluroff shows off even a little bit as much in his finals debut as Hansen did in his first tournament, not only national coach Gislason would be happy. Denmark and Hansen, as a reminder, became European champions in 2012.