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Handball EM: Will Germany be postponed against Spain? decision made

2022-01-20T12:19:47.626Z


Handball EM: Will Germany be postponed against Spain? decision made Created: 2022-01-20 13:11 By: Patrick Mayer The DHB team defies the corona virus vortex at the European Handball Championship. Most recently, the game against Spain was in the room - now there is clarity. Update from January 20, 12:44 p.m .: The first main round game of the German handball players at the European Championship


Handball EM: Will Germany be postponed against Spain?

decision made

Created: 2022-01-20 13:11

By: Patrick Mayer

The DHB team defies the corona virus vortex at the European Handball Championship.

Most recently, the game against Spain was in the room - now there is clarity.

Update from January 20, 12:44 p.m .:

The first main round game of the German handball players at the European Championship against Spain will take place as planned on Thursday evening (6 p.m. / ARD).

Because of the corona outbreak in the national team, the German Handball Federation (DHB) had applied to Europe’s EHF association to relocate the game.

The EHF rejected this on Thursday afternoon.

Several factors were taken into account when making the decision, the EHF said.

These included, among other things, the sporting situation with German opponents Spain, the existing TV contracts and the general media situation, the arena equipment including the availability of key personnel.

So far, twelve German national players have tested positive for the corona virus at the European Championships in Slovakia and Hungary.

In order to be able to compete at all, national coach Alfred Gislason has so far nominated eleven Bundesliga professionals. 

Handball EM: withdrawal from Germany?

Decision made after crisis meeting

Update from January 19, 11:07 p.m.:

The day before the handball classic against Spain, Omikron struck again mercilessly and questioned the entire German EM mission. During voluntary training in Bratislava, national coach Alfred Gislason only had one remaining squad available, and a little later it leaked out: Three other players have been infected with Corona - the personnel situation in the DHB team takes on dramatic traits before the start of the main round.

Despite twelve corona-related failures, the German team wants to continue to compete in the main round.

The association applied to move the game against defending champion Spain on Thursday evening (6 p.m. / ARD) to another day.

However, there will be no withdrawal from the tournament for the time being.

This is the result of a crisis meeting of the German Handball Association (DHB) with representatives of the Bundesliga.


"We had intensive discussions with the players, delegation members, HBL and EHF representatives. We came to the conclusion that we can take responsibility for staying in the tournament. We have the greatest respect for all delegation members," said DHB CEO Mark Schober in a virtual media session late in the evening.


After the new corona cases on Wednesday, the backcourt players Lukas Stutzke and David Schmidt as well as right winger Tobias Reichmann will join the team.

The situation is challenging: "We are fighting on all fronts. We all have to deal with things that have nothing to do with sport," said DHB team manager Oliver Roggisch in an online association talk: "It's brutal."


DHB sports director Axel Kromer spoke of a “very complex” decision by the crisis conference.

Stutzke arrived at the German team headquarters in Bratislava on Wednesday evening.

Schmidt and Reichmann are expected in the Slovakian capital on Thursday morning - if the PCR test is negative, the trio can be deployed immediately.


After Corona madness at the EM: Another two players are to travel - one was European champion in 2016

Update from January 19, 7:20 p.m .:

After all the Corona cases, two players should be nominated again.

According to the picture, this time it is Tobias Reichmann (MT Melsungen), who handball fans should know.

The 33-year-old became European champion in 2016.

Lukas Stutzke from Bergisches HC should also follow.

Tobias Reichman (far left) is to travel to the national team.

© picture alliance/dpa |

Sasha Klahn

Update from January 19, 3:48 p.m .:

The German handball players have more corona cases to complain about at the European Championship.

This was announced by the German Handball Federation on Wednesday.

How many and which players tested positive initially remained open.

First report from January 19, 2:30 p.m.:

Munich/Bratislava – what a setback.

What morals.

What a mess.

Germany drew attention to themselves at the European Handball Championship with a strong performance and a 33:23 (15:12) against Poland.

And that after a big corona vortex with nine players in the DHB team of national coach Alfred Gislason* who tested positive.

Germany at the European Handball Championship: Corona confusion around the DHB team

The solidarity in the German handball family and the spontaneous support from the Bundesliga (HBL) are huge in this mixed situation.

Five players moved up, including European champions Paul Drux (26) and Fabian Wiede (27) from Füchsen Berlin.

The backcourt players weren't even part of the preliminary squad of 35 before the tournament.

Both had canceled for the European Handball Championship 2022 in Hungary and Slovakia*, Drux, because he wanted to give his strained body a break after knee problems.

Wiede, according to his own statements, for family reasons.

It's not clear yet if we're going to risk training.

National coach Alfred Gislason

An exemption from the European Handball Federation has now made it possible for them to move up.

In addition, left wing Rune Dahmke (28 / THW Kiel), goalkeeper Johannes "Jogi" Bitter (39 / HSV Hamburg) and pivot Sebastian Firnhaber (27 / HC Erlangen) joined the German national team.

Curious: If Bitter had also tested positive at short notice or had been injured in the game, field player Drux would have had to go in goal.

The playmaker joked afterwards: "I even warmed up at half-time.

I don't know why Alfred didn't switch then."

Despite the huge morale against the Poles, the corona mess is taking on new proportions.

You could say: The DHB team drives with a view to the corona virus*, the situation could change by the hour.

In the video: From the plane to the goal - "Jogi" Bitter with an express assignment at the handball championship

It was still unclear on Wednesday morning whether national coach Gislason would be able to train with the DHB team before Germany's first intermediate round match against the defending European Championship champion Spain (Thursday, 6 p.m., ARD and here in the live ticker).

"It's not yet clear whether we're going to risk training," said the 62-year-old Icelander at the team hotel in Slovakia's capital, Bratislava: "We'll do a quick test before training.

The organizers then plan to do a PCR test after the training session.”

Germany at the European Handball Championship: Nine positive corona tests in the DHB team

Positive corona tests in the DHB team:

Age / Club:

Julius Kuehn

28 years, MT Melsungen

Henrik Wagner

24 years, Eulen Ludwigshafen

Kai Häfner

32 years, MT Melsungen

Timo Kastening

26 years, MT Melsungen

Luke Mertens

25 years, SC Magdeburg

Luca Witzke

22 years, SC DHfK Leipzig

Andrew Wolff

30 years, KS Kielce (Poland)

Til Klimpke

23 years, HSG Wetzlar

Marcel Schiller

30 years, fresh in Göppingen

Despite the Corona chaos with the chance of the semi-finals: national coach Alfred Gislason (Wednesday) and the DHB team at the European Handball Championship.

© IMAGO / Laci Perenyi

However, it is also unclear how the replacements will continue if players from the original squad test their freedom.

A first candidate for this scenario is backcourt shooter Julius Kühn (MT Melsungen).

The 28-year-old is boosted and symptom-free.

With negative PCR tests* on Wednesday and Thursday morning, the 2016 European champion could be on the plate against handball heavyweight Spain on Thursday evening.

Germany at the European Handball Championship: Corona vortex - DHB team has the chance to reach the semifinals

So do the followers have to make room again?

Are they sometimes not even used in the main round?

Do they even have to leave again?

The German Handball Federation (DHB) was unable to answer

all of this on Wednesday morning when asked by

Ippen Media .

One is "highly flexible" and first of all "grateful for the support from the Bundesliga," said a spokesman.

Handball European Championship

Intermediate round group II

Thursday, January 20, 6 p.m

Germany - Spain

Friday, January 21, 8:30 p.m

Germany - Norway

Sunday, January 23, 6 p.m

Germany - Sweden

Tuesday, January 25, 6 p.m

Germany - Russia

Everything else has to be seen from day to day, it said.

On Wednesday morning, seven and eight goalkeepers Daniel Rebmann (Frisch Auf Göppingen) and right winger Patrick Zieker (TVB Stuttgart) arrived at the team hotel in Bratislava, where the DHB team had booked several floors as a bubble for the handball championship*.

There the players stay separate from all other guests.

The German handball players even brought their own chef with them.

That did not prevent the corona outbreak during the European Championship*.

So the Covid mess remains big while the underdog suddenly has a real shot at the semis.

(pm)

*

tz.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA

Source: merkur

All sports articles on 2022-01-20

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