The German national handball team will meet Iceland at the home European Championships on Thursday. For national coach Alfred Gíslason, the game will be a family duel.
Half of his family will be there – but Alfred Gíslason shows no quarter before the European Championship duel against his native Iceland. “I will do everything I can to do my part to win this game. I can guarantee that,” promised the national coach of the German handball players before the start of the main round on Thursday (8.30 p.m. in the live ticker on t-online) in Cologne – and opened his heart: “I may be Icelandic, but I work with this team. And I love this team.”
And victory is also a must. Not only Iceland, but also Austria, Hungary and Croatia have to be defeated. Otherwise, the medal mission before the European Championship semi-finals risks failing. Only the best two teams in each group of six qualify for the semi-finals. “Now we have four finals,” said Gíslason, describing the delicate starting position.
Gíslason family in the German or Icelandic jersey?
The next game against Iceland, Gíslason emphasized, was “a very personal and special game for me” that he would not like to lose. “I’m very selfish. But it’s the same with friends and family that you always want to win.” Gíslason assured that he would sing both national anthems. “My father, my brothers and my uncles will all be sitting in the stands. I’m very excited to see whether it’s in the German jersey or the Icelandic jersey. I’ll take it very personally this time,” he said with a wink.
Gislason is a family man. He maintains a close relationship with his extended family of 52 (!) members, his parents, his siblings, his children and his grandchildren. It’s no coincidence that loved ones in their Icelandic homeland are watching on TV watching son, father and grandfather Alfred compete in major tournaments with Germany.
There is no doubt in the German team that Gíslason will approach the decisive game with the right focus. “Alfred is interested in one thing above all else,” said goalkeeper Andras Wolff, “and that is winning. He doesn’t care whether it’s the Icelanders or the Austrians or whoever.”
The unusual Icelander
Gislason now spends almost half his life in Germany. He was 24 years old when he first moved to Germany as a player to TUSEM Essen in 1983. He then became a legend in this country as a coach at SC Magdeburg and at THW Kiel. “I’ve become quite German in many ways,” said Gíslason on the ARD microphone before the tournament: “That’s what my friends say.” For an Icelander, he is, above all, “unusually punctual.”
In terms of sport, there is a lot at stake for the German team after their first tournament defeat at the end of the preliminary round against France (30:33). The mood in the DHB team was initially dampened after the bankruptcy – even if only briefly. Playmaker Juri Knorr said: “The defeat hurts and leaves a scratch.” And further: “But we’re not out yet and we continue to believe in ourselves. Everything is still possible. We’ll push ourselves and want to enjoy the tournament until the end.”
The self-sacrificing fight against the title candidate was a source of encouragement, all the players reiterated like a prayer wheel. Goalkeeper Andreas Wolff explained: “If we continue to show our courage in the coming games, we have every chance of making it to the semi-finals.”
The DHB selection boarded the train to Cologne on Wednesday morning with a good feeling. The test of strength against the star ensemble from France also made clear what still distinguishes Germany from a top team. “In crunch time we have to play a little more fluidly in attack,” demanded right winger Timo Kastening. Captain Johannes Golla recognized “no huge mistakes” in the German game, but “timing issues and slight technical imperfections” that were crucial to the game.