You could make a fine first seven out of the players who are not there: Johannes Bitter in goal, Hendrik Pekeler in the circle. The outside are Uwe Gensheimer and Patrick Groetzki. Paul Drux and Fabian Wiede throw from the back room. Juri Knorr directs the game. That sounds good. The only problem is that these seven handball professionals will not be there for different reasons when the German national team is now entering the hot phase of preparation for the European Championships in Hungary and Slovakia. On this Friday (4 p.m. on ARD) and on Sunday (7:05 p.m. at Sport 1) the final tests against Switzerland in Mannheim and against France in Wetzlar are to take place - after the original opponent Serbia had to cancel due to corona.
In contrast to previous tournaments, nobody at the German Handball Federation (DHB) wants to focus on the complaint about who is missing everything. The reference to the exertions of a strenuous first half of the Bundesliga should also be omitted. The association wants to convey anticipation instead of stress. "Everyone was really happy to be able to play in January," says Axel Kromer, Sports Director of the DHB, "We want to show some enthusiastic handball at the EM." Kromer is living the new attitude at the DHB: It shouldn't be about that anymore to mourn those absent. It's about greeting those who are there with all their might and dedication.
With fresh strength for the EM - this has the advantage for national coach Alfred Gislason that handball can be practiced in the two training units a day. Most recently, when preparing for the Olympic Games, that was not possible because the leading players were stuck in the bones of the long season. Now there are many young, unspent players in it. In general, the DHB has significantly enlarged the group of national players in order to compensate for possible failures. Even a player from the second division is in the 19-man squad; Julian Köster from VfL Gummersbach.
Only five professionals from 2016 are still there when the DHB became European champion. Nine players are about to play for the first time in a major tournament. Gislason says: “It's the best possible squad under the circumstances. These are players who will play for us for a long time. ”The national coach has just extended his contract until mid-2024. Then the EM will take place in Germany.
The great upheaval was on the horizon. Careers often end after the Olympics; Steffen Weinhold and long-time captain Uwe Gensheimer stopped after Tokyo. Hendrik Pekeler and Johannes Bitter take an indefinite break. The Berlin professionals Wiede, Drux and the "lion" Groetzki were eliminated from the group of seeded EM drivers - Wiede and Groetzki want to take care of their families, Drux wants to cure an injury. Gislason struck hard that Juri Knorr was absent because he was not vaccinated against the corona virus. He was intended to be the second playmaker behind Philipp Weber. So the game controls could become the neuralgic point.
Gislason says: “Luca Witzke will get his chance. Julian Köster, Simon Ernst and Kai Häfner can do that too. ”In the courses in November and December, Gislason brought together the new national team. You could tell he enjoyed working with these willing, inquisitive players. But as always, Gislason is also a realist: “We're anything but favorites, not even in the group. But I don't see this EM as a transition tournament on the way to the home EM. This team has shown that they want. We have to make up for the lack of experience with unity and enthusiasm. "
The opponents in Bratislava on January 14th are initially not overwhelming: Belarus, Austria and Poland.
Captain Johannes Golla says: “We have to try to get into the main round without losing points.
We will definitely not give up there without a fight. ”Golla and Patrick Wiencek in defense, Philipp Weber and the experienced Julius Kühn and Kai Häfner in attack, plus goalkeeper Andreas Wolff: Quality and experience are already there.
Mixed with fresh freshness, this new national team wants to inspire.