Handball shooting star Julian Köster: His first coach is the mother of Germany's football future

Created: 01/13/2023 11:04 am

By: Hannes Niemeyer

At the Handball World Championship, some eyes are on Julian Köster.

The 22-year-old is considered the Florian Wirtz of handball - and has some surprising connections to the soccer star.

Katowice – Last year he became one of the great discoveries in world handball: Julian Köster.

At that time still fresh 21 years young, he played surprisingly well at the Corona Chaos European Championship 2022.

Hardly anyone had him on the list because he was under contract with VfL Gummersbach, who were even active in the second Bundesliga at the time.

In the meantime, Köster has led his VfL back into the first division, he is the undisputed star of the squad.

And DHB trainer Alfred Gislason will certainly trust the exceptional talent in the three German group games at the upcoming World Cup.

Julian Köster at the Handball World Cup: Shooting star has a curious connection to Germany's football hopes

Backcourt player Köster has the full potential, similar to his playmaker colleague Juri Knorr, to become one of the shooting stars of the tournament at the 2023 Handball World Championship after his grandiose debut at the last European Championship.

The advantages: He is not only dangerous in attack.

He can also take up the important position in the middle block in defence, and is also ideally suited as a tip in a 5:1 cover.

Young, incredibly talented, one of the great hopes in his sport: Köster has sometimes been referred to as the Florian Wirtz of handball.

And not without reason, because Köster has a certain connection to the Bundesliga professional from Bayer Leverkusen, who is considered a hope for the future in German football.

And that is not only in the respective talent for the sport, as reported by tz.de.

Beacon of hope at the Handball World Championship – and an old friend of Florian Wirtz: Julian Köster.

© IMAGO/Marco Wolf

Julian Köster and soccer star Florian Wirtz: "His mother was my first coach"

The cornerstone for Köster's rapid career advancement was laid at TuS SW Brauweiler.

Florian Wirtz, who started his football career there with the local club SV Grün-Weiss Brauweiler, also comes from the village a little east of Cologne.

"We went to school together," Köster once said of his connection to Wirtz.

But it goes even further.

While Wirtz Junior went to soccer, mother Karin was more inclined towards handball, was active as a trainer in the club - and actually accompanied Julian Köster's first steps with the ball in his hand.

"The funny thing: his mother was actually my first handball coach," reported Köster last year.

"That's why I'm following Leverkusen and especially Florian Wirtz."

On the other hand, the Wirtz family will certainly follow how Köster tries to play for the title with the German national handball team at the World Cup in Sweden and Poland.

The youngster can also rely on the experience of two "old hands" in the DHB jersey: Rune Dahmke, who is with a three-time world handball player and Jannik Kohlbacher, who, in addition to handball, attracts two-meter fish as a hobby.