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Goalkeeper veteran Johannes Bitter
Photo:
RADOVAN STOKLASA / REUTERS
Vacationers don't become European champions:
For many years, the legend persisted that Denmark's footballers entered the tournament straight from vacation in 1992 and were still crowned European champions. We now know that it didn't quite work out that way after all. What does that have to do with the German handball players? Because of the many Corona failures, national coach Alfred Gíslason had to nominate players who had just been on vacation. Like Paul Drux from Foxes Berlin. "I had a corona infection in December," said Drux after the third EM main round game against vice world champion Sweden. "After that I played two or three games at the club and then I was on vacation. We couldn't train here either, so it's difficult.” The weak Drux managed three hits.
The result:
Under these circumstances, the German national handball team showed an appealing performance, but lost 21:25 (10:12) against the more experienced Swedes.
The DHB selection thus missed the entry into the EM semi-finals.
News from the Corona front:
What is important is on the record.
This somewhat modified football phrase actually also applies to handball, but this European Championship is not just decided on a sporting basis.
The DHB team was hit by an unprecedented corona wave, and twelve players are now affected after Sebastian Firnhaber and Christoph Steinert tested positive on Saturday.
With Luca Witzke and Lukas Mertens, the first two professionals have now returned to Germany.
Second division, EM, shortness of breath:
Hendrik Wagner is moving to HSG Wetzlar in the Bundesliga for the coming season, he is currently still playing in the lower division at Eulen Ludwigshafen. When the 24-year-old was nominated for Julius Kühn a week ago, the corona drama for the DHB selection took its course. The day after, Wagner also tested positive, his EM dream was over before the first assignment. Wagner, who had been tested free, returned to the squad against Sweden and scored his first goal in the 17th minute. But then he quickly sat back on the bench. "Wagner comes out of isolation and says after the third attack that he can't breathe anymore," Gíslason said after the game on ARD. That's why no other player will return from quarantine in the last group match against Russia on Tuesday. "That doesn't make sense," Gíslason said.
The defense is convincing:
It went like in the two games against Spain and Norway. Germany kept up well in the first half, made too many mistakes in attack, but didn't let their favorite opponent rush. Again they went into the break with a two-goal deficit, which was mainly due to the consistent work in defence.
Second division, EM, playmaker:
"Many have declared me crazy, but now all critics should be silent," Gíslason had said during the tournament about his surprising nomination by Julian Köster. With Köster, the Icelander had already brought a second division professional into his squad without any corona crisis. And at least since the 21-year-old was named player of the match against Poland, his outstanding talent is no longer a secret. Köster followed suit against Sweden, with four goals he was the best scorer and steered the attacking game over long stretches with a lot of overview. Köster plays in Gummersbach, there are many indications that he will be promoted to the Bundesliga with the traditional club under coach Gudjon Valur Sigurdsson. The only question is how long he will actually stay at VfL.
The crux with the slight ball losses:
Unlike against Spain and Norway, when the deficit increased immediately at the beginning of the second half, the DHB selection continued and equalized.
There could have been even more, also because the Swedes rested their leader Jim Gottfridsson for a long time.
But too many simple turnovers followed.
"That really annoyed me," said Gíslason on ARD.
“We threw away four balls in the first wave that we had just won on defence.
It's unbelievably bitter because we rob ourselves of our own work.« From a German perspective, what was intended as a game conclusion could also stand for the entire EM.
