display

Frankfurt / Main (dpa) - The handball world championship begins in Egypt on January 13th.

National coach Alfred Gislason speaks in an interview with the German Press Agency about the most important tasks in advance, the corona worries and his feelings before his first World Cup tournament.

Preparations for the World Cup begin this Sunday in Neuss.

What will you be focusing on?

Alfred Gislason: A well-functioning defense system is the first thing we have to do.

We have to test different people in the inner block.

After that we will use the remaining days until the World Cup for a few tactical attacks.

But it will be a long way to go before we get to where I want the team to be.

display

Is there enough time for it or do you have to cut corners?

Gislason: Like every national coach, I just have to make cuts these days.

I would actually need at least two weeks for the preparation, now I only have three or four training units.

Everyone who trains a Bundesliga team knows how long it takes to get a team that works well.

I can of course build on many things.

But what I want to bring in can only be done step by step.

How important are the two European Championship qualifiers against Austria on January 6th and 10th in this context?

display

Gislason: These are very welcome games that we have to use to get used to.

If we didn't have them, it would be difficult to assess where we are.

So I'm looking forward to it.

During the international match week in November, the DHB selection had unpleasant experiences with the corona virus.

After that there were four positive cases.

Are you a little afraid that something like this will happen again and that, after eight cancellations so far, other players will be canceled for the World Cup?

Gislason: Of course you are very worried because you can't rule that out at the moment.

No team can do that.

display

Have the recent Corona cases at Silvio Heinevetter and Timo Kastening once again sharpened their senses for the dangers this pandemic brings?

Gislason: I think so.

Both were very baffled that they were positive.

At the World Cup finals, the teams move in a bubble.

How do you feel when you travel to Egypt?

Gislason: If the strict hygiene concept is adhered to, one is safer in the bladder than in everyday life.

I also think everyone has learned how to protect yourself.

So I'm going there with a good feeling.

In a tournament the players have to go mentally down and distract themselves.

Is that possible with the strict regulations?

You can't just go into town and have a coffee.

Gislason: It's a subject that we've thought about a lot.

We are in the process of finding solutions that will keep players from feeling trapped.

We will do everything to ensure that there is a good atmosphere and that there is no warehouse fever.

In terms of sport, the preliminary round against Hungary, Cape Verde and Uruguay seems feasible.

How do you rate the opponents?

display

Gislason: I got videos of all of these teams' games this year and analyzed everything.

Hungary has a very strong team.

After a radical change two or three years ago, they are now reaping the fruits of their very good work with young people.

You are a contender for the semifinals.

The second strongest opponent is Cape Verde.

I was very surprised by their skill level.

They all play in the Portuguese league or in Spain.

You have to take the team very seriously.

Uruguay are trying extremely long attacks.

You have to be very focused so that you don't forget your own game out of frustration.

Where do you see the German team in the entire tournament?

Gislason: It's hard to say.

We have a mix of young, inexperienced talents and seasoned players who have a lot of international experience.

Of course we are missing some players, but we still have a high quality in attack.

The largest construction site is the defense, where the entire heart - the inner block - has been omitted.

I'm curious to see how we solve this.

Precious metal is hardly to be expected under these conditions, right?

Gislason: Let's train and play first.

A medal cannot currently be given as a goal.

Other top nations such as defending champions Denmark, European champions Spain, Croatia and Norway have much better cards than we do.

But we are Germany!

We'll go there with whatever we have and I hope we can develop this in a way that the guys can have fun.

For you it is the first major tournament as national coach.

Does the joy that the World Cup is taking place predominate, or is there also frustration about the adverse side effects of the Corona crisis?

Gislason: The Icelander predominates in me.

I've learned to react quickly to other circumstances and to focus on what I have.

In spite of everything, I'm really looking forward to this tournament and to working with the team after all the waiting time.

I would have liked other conditions, but it is what it is.

We'll make the best of it.

ABOUT THE PERSON: Alfred Gislason (61) completed 190 international matches for Iceland and played in the Bundesliga from 1983 to 1988 for TUSEM Essen.

In 1991 he began his coaching career, which took him back to Germany in 1997.

After working in Hameln, Magdeburg and Gummersbach, he looked after the THW Kiel for eleven years with great success.

The married family man, who lives with his wife near Magdeburg, has been a national coach since the beginning of February 2020.

display

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 201231-99-862110 / 2

Squad of German handball players

Game schedule of the German handball players

Presidium of the German Handball Federation

Board of the German Handball Federation