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Christoph Steinert is also one of those who tested positive
Photo: Marijan Murat / dpa
The number of active corona cases in the German national handball team rose from nine to twelve one day before the first European Championship main round game against defending champion Spain (6 p.m., TV: ARD).
As a spokesman for the German Handball Federation (DHB) announced on the day before the first main round game at the European Championship against defending champion Spain, "unfortunately, further cases arose" during the PCR test series on Wednesday.
The infected are backcourt player Christoph Steinert, the most successful German thrower in the tournament so far with 17 goals, as well as Djibril M'Bengue and Sebastian Heymann.
There was also a positive finding for a member of the functional team.
The trio around Steinert was absent from a "voluntary training" in Bratislava in the afternoon, as was Rune Dahmke from Kiel, who was only nominated on Monday evening.
Of the 17 players originally nominated, national coach Alfred Gislason now only has six available: Patrick Wienceck, Lukas Zerbe, Philipp Weber, Julian Köster, Johannes Golla and Simon Ernst.
All other players in the original squad and the nominated Hendrik Wagner are in quarantine.
The DHB selection will have to fall back against the Spaniards, who have so far been spared from corona cases, to a large extent to substitutes such as goalkeeper veteran Johannes Bitter, 13 players are still ready for action.
The SPIEGEL learned that a withdrawal of the team is currently not being considered.
In the evening, representatives of German handball want to discuss the situation further.
cev/sid
