The recent past and the 21:26 against Spain were hardly any more on Wednesday morning.
Eliminated in the quarterfinals of the World Cup.
And now?
"I stand by my statement that Henk Groener is the right coach," said Andreas Michelmann, President of the German Handball Federation (DHB).
Groener had also missed it in his fourth tournament as head coach to lead the German women into the medal round.
His contract ends on April 30, 2022.
After a detailed analysis of the games in Valencia and Barcelona, Groener's working papers are to be extended - that's what DHB sports director Axel Kromer and President Michelmann want. He has made women's handball a top priority and followed the games on the spot. But the full presidium will not decide until the next meeting in February.
On the morning of the painful defeat against the host's selection, Michelmann spoke out on the maneuver criticism in a factual, detailed and correct manner: “Our problem is not the coach. Our problem is that we have the quality of players that we have - and that means we didn't make it to the semi-finals again. ”This gives Michelmann a clear mandate; “We are working on the quality of the players in the short term and on the structures that other countries have long had in the long term. This is our problem. We talk a lot, but we haven't changed anything structurally. It's time for the league to get out of hand. And the same applies to the regional associations. None of this will work without money. "
The level of the Bundesliga, the training of the talents, the follow-up funding for the young players: for Michelmann, it's all improving too slowly. He won't have to wait long for criticism from the league. The fact that Michelmann and Kromer stood in front of Groener, as they did in December 2020 after the significantly weaker European Championship in Denmark, was understandable after their recent appearances. For one thing, they want their coaching post to be quiet after trying something new every few years. On the other hand, the DHB team had great moments even in the lost quarter-finals - led 5: 1 and 7: 3, came up to 17:19 in the 44th minute. No player gave up.
The mistakes that led to the elimination were the weaknesses of the past: The team lacks strength, determination, and leadership. Throwing and tackling toughness are not enough for the top of the world. And the performance of the goalkeepers did not meet the highest standards. It's also a question of professionalism: do you go back to lifting weights on your own after team training? “We didn't have anyone who led the team in every game,” said Axel Kromer.
The little playmaker Alina Grijseels tried it, but was repeatedly tied up in the decisive game by the stronger Spaniards. Emily Bölk alone carried the burden of throwing out of the back room. Their game also lacks finesse. There was no danger from the other attacking side from a distance - Alicia Stolles throws were caught by goalkeepers in the course of the tournament. So the litter yield became the neuralgic point of the DHB selection. In rows, the regular forces left opportunities on the outside. The women also failed from the seven-meter point when it got tight on Tuesday evening.
"We are in the top eight in the world, but the last two games have shown that we cannot make it into the top four," said Michelmann. The embarrassing 16:32 against Denmark is also part of the truth. When the defense quit their service in this last main round match, the DHB-Sieben caught the highest defeat in their World Cup history. But with the exemplary fighting circle runner Maike Schmelzer at the top, the team bit their way back into the tournament and played against Spain largely on an equal footing despite the defeat. The women had previously won twice when victories against Hungary and South Korea were required. There were convincing mandatory victories in the other three games. That's not a bad record.
As usual, soberly, Henk Groener said: “Regular courses help us. I've seen a clear improvement over the last year. The gap between top and bottom performance is getting smaller. The consistency in the game will also follow with us through experience at the top level. We are on the right track - but not where Denmark, Norway, Sweden and France are. ”Especially when it comes to the mentality factor, these nations are ahead of the Germans. So again a semi-final in women's handball will be held without German participation.
The last World Cup medal dates from 2007. The lull should end by 2025 at the latest, when the champion is crowned in Germany and the Netherlands.
"Then we want to have a really competitive team," says Andreas Michelmann.
If he has his way, Henk Groener should definitely direct the fate of the DHB, women department, until then.