Bratislava (dpa) – Mark Schober is taking a short break from the European Championships at home.
On Thursday, the chairman of the board of the German Handball Federation will fly to Budapest. There, on the final weekend, the 49-year-old will present, among other things, the association’s plans for the 2024 home European Championship.
In an interview with the German Press Agency, Schober talks about the current and upcoming tournament and the challenges that the DHB has to overcome in Corona times.
Ask:The DHB had hoped that the EM would advertise handball. In the end, almost only Corona was talked about every day. Are you frustrated with how the tournament went from a German perspective?
Reply:There was quite a lot of feedback from Germany saying that our team fought remarkably – without whining or complaining. And that the players and the coaching team are role models for children and young people. So we made the best of the situation.
Ask:So the EM conclusion is even positive from the point of view of the association?
Reply:Of course we would have preferred a different course. But the team showed what it’s made of. You could see the breadth of talent we have in Germany. It was good for the players to be able to show themselves.
Ask:Are there things that the DHB could or should have done differently?
Reply:That’s an exciting question. Last December we experienced the Women’s World Cup in Spain with a similar hygiene concept and approach from everyone involved. How it went at the EM – that was not to be expected. This not only affects us, but also many other nations. I don’t see anything we could have done more than what we have done.
Ask:How expensive did the Corona EM cost the DHB?
Reply:The expenses are well above plan. That included single rooms in the team hotel as well as arrival and departure with a charter plane. But it wasn’t planned that we had a much larger squad, had to test a lot more and drove many of our players home individually. We still have to work this out in detail afterwards, but I estimate that the additional costs will be in the six-figure range.
Ask:The DHB has lost many members due to the corona pandemic. In 2020 alone there were around 25,000. Now the virus is still there. Is it even possible to stop this downward trend in the medium term under these circumstances?
Reply:On average, 4.6 million people watched our team’s European Championship games on television. The market share was between 17 and 21 percent – with very good figures for younger people too. We wanted to show handball and we were able to show handball. That helps us a lot, as does hosting the EM 2024 in Germany. If we are still successful in sport and give everything, it will be possible. It is also not yet clear how the pandemic will ultimately affect us. I’ve noticed in the clubs in particular that there’s a great deal of interest in shared sporting experiences. Perhaps the pandemic will even help people want to come together again afterwards. In that respect, I’m rather optimistic.
Ask:The EM 2024 takes place in Germany. Are there things that you take away from this tournament as inspiration for the organization?
Reply:Yes. We will certainly have to plan in several scenarios, although you can never think of everything. I’m glad we still have two years left. We will certainly have to be a little more careful at one point or another than we have planned so far.
Ask:The DHB is focusing on major events in two years. The opening game is to take place in the Düsseldorf football arena in front of 50,000 fans, the halls in the five other venues each offer space for well over 10,000 spectators. Are you worried that the pandemic will destroy those EM plans?
Reply:It is a challenge for all of us that we ultimately have to solve. We want to develop this great event in such a way that as many people as possible have access to our sport. There we attract new members, new fans and people who are interested in our sport. We would like to present the EM 2024 in such a way that we can also achieve these goals. We need to prepare differently than we used to. But we’re sticking to the plan.
Ask:Let’s take a brief look into the near future. What are the most urgent tasks for the DHB this year?
Reply:First of all, that the game operation will continue to be possible. Especially in children’s, youth and mass sports, we wish that we would not be confronted with blanket regulations, but that opportunities would be created responsibly, depending on the situation and region, so that handball could continue to be played. Another core task is the preparation of the next major international events. In addition to the EM 2024, we also have a junior world championship next year. In terms of sport, the men’s World Cup play-offs and the women’s European Championship qualification are pending.
TO PERSON:Mark Schober (49) has been working for the German Handball Association since 2014. First as Secretary General, for a good four years as Chairman of the Board. Previously, he worked for the Handball Bundesliga (HBL) for nine years. Schober is married and has two children.