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Hamm (AP) - The duty is done - but what's next?

At a joint dinner, the German handball players toasted their successful World Cup qualification in their team hotel, but they quickly looked ahead.

At the tournament in Spain next December, the team of national coach Henk Groener is aiming for a sense of achievement after some disappointing appearances in the past. "It is to be expected that we will have a team with a lot of energy, power and enthusiasm," said the Dutchman after the 34:23 success in the playoff second leg against outsider Portugal. "We also know that we are not yet at the level we might need to be at the forefront at a World Cup." So there is still a lot of work waiting for the 60-year-old and his newly formed team before the finals from December 2nd to 19th.

As with the 32:27 win in the first leg, the Portuguese were no benchmark in the second game in Hamm.

Nevertheless, they presented the DHB selection again and again with well-known problems, especially in the first half: sometimes serious gaps in the defensive network and hectic in the build-up game.

It was only after the break that the German team moved away thanks to Marlene Zapf (seven goals), who was once again accurate.

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“Everyone saw that there was still room for improvement. We have a lot of new players in the squad, ”said the right wing from Bundesliga club TuS Metzingen. "Fortunately, there is still time until December." Due to the corona, national coach Groener had to do without six top performers from the top clubs Borussia Dortmund and SG BBM Bietigheim against the Portuguese. Instead, six players were used who had not played an international match before the first leg in Portugal.

"That was of course anything but a well-rehearsed team," said Groener. At the beginning of June he wants to gather his players for another course. There will then be worked on the tactical basis for the World Cup. Groener practically rules out the fact that ex-captain Kim Naidzinavicius, who resigned from the national team a few weeks ago, will be back. A return of Julia Behnke, who has also resigned, is unlikely. Both no longer want to play for Germany under Groener.

"I would say not at first," replied Groener when asked about a possible comeback of the two former regulars.

«The farewell is here.

We work with the team that is there now and look ahead. "

So in the direction of the World Cup, where things should go better again after missing the Olympic qualification and the most recently disappointing European Championship.

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© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210421-99-289795 / 2

DHB squad

Game schedule of the German handball players