Next corona shock for DHB team: Already seven players with positive tests - EM dream already over?

Created: 01/17/2022, 20:34

By: Patrick Mayer

Clear announcements: national coach Alfred Gislason (Mid.) and the DHB team.

© IMAGO / Kolektiff

Germany moves into the second round of the European Handball Championship.

But: The DHB team already has seven players with a positive corona test.

The dream of the title already seems over.

Update from January 17, 8:15 p.m .:

Corona outbreak in the DHB team: The German handball players have five other corona cases to complain about at the European Championships in Slovakia and Hungary.

Goalkeeper Andreas Wolff, backcourt player Kai Häfner, right winger Timo Kastening, left winger Lukas Mertens and playmaker Luca Witzke tested positive for the virus on Monday.

The German Handball Federation (DHB) announced this in the evening.

The quintet went into isolation and will not be able to play in the last group game against Poland on Tuesday (6 p.m. / ZDF).

For the German team, it is Corona cases three to seven.

Julius Kühn and Hendrik Wagner had previously tested positive.

All other delegation members withdrew to their rooms in the team hotel in Bratislava immediately after the results became known.

The DHB is in contact with players and clubs in the Handball Bundesliga and the European association EHF regarding possible subsequent nominations. These are also possible outside of the squad of 35 reported at the beginning of December. According to SID information, goalkeeper Silvio Heinevetter (MT Melsungen), Berlin backcourt players Fabian Wiede and Paul Drux and Kiel left winger Rune Dahmke have been requested as substitutes.

Update from January 17, 3:20 p.m .:

Next Corona case in the DHB team: Successor Hendrik Wagner (Eulen Ludwigshafen) tested positive for the virus on Monday.

The German Handball Federation (DHB) announced this in the afternoon.

Curious: The 24-year-old second division player had been nominated for the backcourt shooter Julius Kühn (MT Melsungen), who also tested positive, and only arrived at the German national team's hotel on Sunday.

Next Corona case in the DHB team: After Julius Kühn, Hendrik Wagner tested positive

"I don't understand the world anymore," Wagner explained: "I'm physically fine at the moment, but the last few hours have been an emotional roller coaster ride." Kühn can join the DHB team again as the tournament progresses.

According to the rules, Wagner must now be in quarantine for at least five days before he can test himself free.

He would be ready for action in the third game of the intermediate round at the earliest.

After Kühn tested positive, several contacts of the 28-year-old stood together on the plate.

Although Kühn and Wagner are isolated from the rest of the team, further corona cases cannot be ruled out.

The corona problem also has the European Handball Championship firmly under control.

Back room shooter of the Ludwigshafen owls: Hendrik Wagner (Mid.).

© IMAGO / Eibner

First report from January 16:

Munich / Bratislava – national coach Alfred Gislason is known as a man of clear words.

The 62-year-old Icelander once worked for THW Kiel, and he also does it with the DHB team.

After Germany's 34:29 (15:16) against Austria at the European Handball Championship*, Gislason had a few things to say about his team's game.

On the ARD TV microphone, he went mercilessly into the analysis.

Handball EM: Germany wins against Austria - national coach Gislason still criticizes

“We knew that it was the last chance for Austria.

Unfortunately, like in all four games this year, we didn't start well at the beginning.

I found our defense extremely weak in the first half.

Things were going reasonably well up front, not particularly well.

That's why we're behind again at half-time," said the former Bundesliga coach in an interview.

No wonder: at the break, the 2016 European champions were surprisingly behind against the clear outsider.

Already at the start against Belarus (33:29) Germany didn't start the game well and was even 2:7 behind at times.

17:18 was the break.

That was different.

National coach Gislason on the DHB defense

Austria, on the other hand, was able to pull away 3-0 in the early minutes and visibly gained self-confidence from this lead in the match against their favorite neighbors.

"It was different in defence.

(Nikola) Bilyk and (Janko) Bozovic are both good shooters, Bozovic in particular doesn't like going hand-to-hand.

We didn't release the locks on the inner block after many circle passes," Gislason explained on ARD about the defensive game against the two backcourt players from THW Kiel and VfL Gummersbach.

Both the 6:0 and the 3:2:1 defense have so far had problems at the European Handball Championship 2022.

In the video: Because of Corona - national coach Alfred Gislason criticizes EM host Hungary

"We were pretty far apart.

Of course that wasn't the plan.

That's why I wasn't happy with the defence, of course," the national coach continued in his analysis: "It got better in the second half.

But we don't really get into these games."

Handball EM: National coach Alfred Gislason has something to say about the DHB team

Despite all the good findings, there is concern “that we are never really there from the start.

This has to get better.

We're trailing behind in every game.

Of course, that is also a great quality to make it after all," he said and said with a view to the final preliminary round game at the European Handball Championship on Tuesday (6 p.m. / at

in the live ticker): "It would be nice if it was different.

If we could get in very well against Poland.”