Strong performance in the opening win of the European Championship
After the blasphemy attack: Wolff has to take a hit and takes a stand
01/16/2026 – 01:35 a.mReading time: 3 minutes
In the opening European Championship victory for the German handball players, Andreas Wolff showed a strong performance after his blasphemy attack against Austria. He himself had to take it – and was forgiving.
Nils Kögler reports from Silkeborg
With a slight haggle, Andreas Wolff walked through the interview area of the Jyske Bank Boxen in Herning, Denmark. After the German national handball goalkeeper dished out his “anti-handball” statements against the European Championship opening opponent from Austria during the week, the 34-year-old had to take a beating during the clash on Thursday evening.
In the 41st minute of the 30:27 win, Wolff received the ball with full force in his open left eye during a defensive attempt. The German goalkeeper received treatment for seven minutes, but then returned to the game and continued his strong performance.
Wolff’s little game could also have been representative of the performance of the German team, which in the end was safe but lackluster and sometimes erratic performance and was dependent on a strong defense and a strong Wolff in order to win in the end. If the German goalkeeper hadn’t saved an important seven-meter penalty in the final phase, the Austrians would have come within one goal again – and the team would have been on the verge of giving themselves a black eye. But Wolff was there – and had a good laugh afterward given the fuss surrounding his provocative statements.
“Of course the Austrians play absolutely anti-handball. Nobody actually wants to see that. It’s very unattractive,” Wolff said before the encounter, especially in relation to the Austrians’ seven-on-six. “With Lukas Hutecek and Mykola Bilyk, you have two absolute alpha animals who will lead the attacking game in all its ugliness and ensure that it is not a treat,” Wolff continued.
The statements caused some anger in the Austrian media and partly among the players. As he entered the hall, Wolff was booed by the Austrian fans. The goalkeeper took it calmly after the game: “The whistles were to be expected and didn’t bother me. That’s everyone’s right.”
According to Wolff, there was also hostility before the game. “There were of course one or two Instagram messages that made me very happy, in which I didn’t wish exactly what happened today. That’s just how it is. If you choose words like that, you have to stand by them,” said Wolff. “When you see what a fuss there was, it’s nice that you can do your part,” he said about his performance in the opening win.