After a gala appearance at the Handball World Cup: Concerns about German goalkeeper Wolff - the national coach announces the first diagnosis

Created: 01/13/2023, 21:25

By: Patrick Mayer

Struck: The German goalkeeper Andreas Wolff (centre) at the 2023 Handball World Cup in Poland and Sweden.

© Marco Wolf/Imago

Andreas Wolff shines for Germany against Qatar at the Handball World Championship.

But the goalkeeper has to be injured by the plate.

There is an initial diagnosis.

Munich/Katowice – It was a hard-fought victory for Germany against Asian champions Qatar (31:27) at the 2023 Handball World Championships in Sweden and Poland.

One bought with a price?

Handball World Cup: German goalkeeper Andreas Wolff is injured after a gala performance against Qatar

In addition to the imaginative and strong DHB playmaker Juri Knorr, the German keeper Andreas Wolff (KS Kielce) was the best man on the plate.

The 31-year-old veteran, who became European champion with the German national team in 2016, made 15 saves.

In the meantime, the former Kiel goalkeeper had a catch rate of 44 percent.

Again and again he showed off his trademark: the high leg to deflect a throw while standing firmly with the standing leg.

But: On his 15th parade, he apparently lifted his left leg so quickly that he injured himself in this scene a minute before the end of the season.

In the video: Germany's handball players make a successful start to the World Cup - victory against Qatar

Wolff initially stopped with a pained face and was then substituted for fellow goalkeeper Joel Birlehm (Rhein-Neckar Löwen).

Wolff was treated by physios on the substitutes' bench and his left calf was bandaged.

The 1.98-meter giant left the Spodek Arena in Katowice, where (only) 3,500 spectators were there, limping.

Andreas Wolff: Goalkeeper of the DHB team injured himself at the Handball World Cup against Qatar

"It's bitter for the German team," said ZDF commentator Christoph Hamm when the images of the ailing Wolff were imported.

Expert and Bundesliga coach Markus Baur (Frisch Auf Göppingen) said: "It didn't look good!" Wolff of all people, the strong support?

With the win against Qatar, Germany is almost certainly in the main round.

If the DHB team also wins the second group game against Serbia on Sunday (6 p.m., ARD and here in the live ticker), the German national team would take four points into the intermediate round – and the chance of reaching the quarter-finals would not be small.

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He said his calf was tight.

That's why we took him out immediately to avoid him getting a strain.

National coach Alfred Gislason on ZDF about Andreas Wolff

National coach Alfred Gislason gave the all-clear - at least partially.

"He said his calf was tightening.

That's why we took him out immediately to avoid him getting a strain.

We took it down as a precaution so that it didn't harden," explained the Icelander in an interview with ZDF: "I hope that the masseurs can do it."

Andreas Wolff injured: German keeper has calf problems at the Handball World Cup

Wolff's DHB colleague Patrick Groetzki also told ZDF: "I think he felt something on his calf.

He is a world-class goalkeeper who shows his performances in Kielce and in the Champions League every week.

That's why we need him here.

But we hope it's nothing serious."