A handshake in the dressing room, a relaxed conversation on the sidelines. National handball coach Alfred Gislason was in his element at the Supercup in Düsseldorf. Gislason is in constant contact with the clubs and his candidates for the DHB selection to check the current level of performance.
Games like the Supercup in Düsseldorf and the 36:33 win for cup winners THW Kiel against champions Magdeburg are welcome opportunities for exchange, especially since Gislason, with his extensive experience as a player and coach, is an absolute insider of the scene. Kiel is also the most serious candidate for the championship for the national coach. With one caveat: “Kiel enters the league with a big handicap”, according to Gislason. The long-term injured top performers Sander Sagosen and Hendrik Pekeler will definitely be missing. This increased the chances for other teams like Berlin, Magdeburg and Flensburg, and Melsungen have also strengthened well.
Magdeburg “one of the big favourites”
Champion Magdeburg also competes in the Champions League this season. Despite the new burden, Gislason sees good chances of defending the title and certifies that the management is doing a good job: “One of the big favorites for me.” The squad hasn’t changed much apart from the departure of goalkeeper Jannick Green for Paris.
In an international comparison, the Icelander sees the Bundesliga well positioned. In Spain, the drop in quality behind FC Barcelona is great, but France, Denmark and Norway are on an interesting path. These are increasingly attractive change options for international stars. But the national coach makes it clear: “The Bundesliga has the best and most balanced players.” It is still a problem for the German Handball Federation that in Germany not only the first seven of the clubs are filled with international players, but that young German players are often not even the first option for a change.
Clubs should give DHB talents a chance
For Gislason, a positive example of the ability of local talent to develop is Gummersbach’s Julian Köster, who won through with the promoted team and should become a permanent fixture in the national team. The next task for his selection is the world championship. In January there will be matches in Poland and Sweden. German preliminary round opponents are Qatar, Serbia and Algeria.
In the course of the tournament, Norway could become a big test in the main round, in the quarter-finals the world-class teams from Spain or France are possible opponents. The goal is not yet reached “We are not yet at eye level” so Gislason. In the next two years, after numerous farewells, there should be more continuity in the squad.
Home EM 2024: “That will stay in your head for a lifetime”
In fact, the World Cup for the DHB is an important intermediate step to the next major event, the European Championship in Germany at the beginning of 2024. It is important to Gislason that the World Cup does not become an experimental field for the European Championship, but also a success in itself. Nevertheless, the home tournament offers new opportunities. The opening game will take place in 2024 in the Düsseldorf football stadium. 50,000 spectators should then be there. The national coach has just made a tour and seemed fascinated. Even though the event is almost 500 days away, his assessment is: “It will stay in your mind for the rest of your life.”