The DHB selection had to admit defeat in the European Championship final, but the tournament was an enormous step forward. The future of German handball is bright.
In the end, the champion triumphed again. The German national handball team had to admit defeat to hosts Denmark 27:34 in the final of the European Championship. The DHB selection was able to defend itself for a long time and keep the game close, but in the end the title triple for the Danes, who can now call themselves European champions alongside world champions and Olympic champions, could not be prevented.
Despite the relatively clear defeat in the final, the German team has clearly proven with this strong tournament: After the recent upheaval, they have already risen to the top of the world with their many young players. A title is within reach.
After national coach Alfred Gíslason took office in 2020, the Icelander rejuvenated the team little by little. In the current European Championship squad, there were only three players, Andreas Wolff (34), Rune Dahmke (32) and Jannik Kohlbacher (30), who had already celebrated their 30th birthday. At 28, captain Johannes Golla is already a veteran, as is playmaker Juri Knorr at just 25 years old. A total of six U21 world champions from 2023 were on the pitch for the senior national team at this European Championship.
With such a line-up, the DHB selection managed to play its way through a tournament tree that was considered a true horror draw. With Spain, Portugal, Norway, Croatia and, above all, European Championship defending champion France, the German team defeated a handful of teams, all of which belong to the world elite: Last year, Portugal eliminated Germany in the quarter-finals of the World Cup. Croatia became runner-up and France was considered the only team in recent years that could hold a candle to the Danes and did so when they won the 2024 European Championship final.
Reaching the final of the European Championship despite such a tough draw is already a great success. Especially since the final was clearer than the course of the game actually suggested – and still significantly closer than the 26:39 scoreline in the 2024 Olympic final.
These successes were made possible above all by the fact that the numerous young players in the squad took a significant step forward. Cyclist Justus Fischer is an example of this. Since his tournament debut at the European Championships in January 2024, the only 22-year-old has found himself primarily in the role of supplementary player behind captain Golla. But at this European Championship he earned significantly more playing time through strong defensive and offensive performances. The highlight was the semi-final against Croatia, when he stabilized a shaky German defense with numerous blocks in the second half and became a decisive factor. His short-term absence from the final due to an infection hurt the team a lot.
