WM | “No top team beaten”: But coach icon Brand sees potential

For the German national handball team, the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Poland and Sweden are over. Coach icon Heiner Brand still sees great potential for the upcoming European Championships in his own country.

Yes, says Heiner Brandt in an interview with “Express”, the German national handball team “didn’t beat any top team” at the World Cup. The main round duel against title favorite Norway was ultimately lost, as was the knockout game against France. Instead of contesting the semi-finals, the DHB selection now has to play two placement games in order to take home fifth place at best.

France, according to the 70-year-old, was “one size too big because of their individual strength”. The harsh 28:33 bankruptcy was in the end a deserved one.

Nevertheless, the selection of coach Alfred Gislason “can leave the tournament with our heads held high” and the performance is “one hundred percent fine”. Because: Germany “appeared as a team” and “sold very positively”. Last but not least, as evidenced by the high TV ratings, handball euphoria was again aroused.

Brand analyzes weaknesses in the DHB selection

The world champion coach from 2007 also knows that it could ultimately be worth its weight in gold for the DHB selection at the EM 2024 in your own country. In addition: “We have some young players like Juri Knorr, Julian Köster, Captain Johannes Golla or Lukas Mertens , who definitely give hope for the future. There is still a lot of potential, games like the one against Norway showed that, we could have beaten them,” said Heiner Brand.

However, the team still lacks the finishing touches. The Gislason selection must more often provide “relief” in the game, and new solutions must also be found in the “right backcourt”. “But if you look at the junior teams, there is a lot of potential there, so we have to manage the transition well.”

In order to be able to “beat the big players” in the coming year, Gislason should also make the attacking game “even more flexible”.

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