There is definitely something in the group of German elite handball players that Alfred Gislason presented on Friday afternoon - not least the national coach himself expects more than at previous major events: "We can come a long way with team performance and the mood."

18 out of 35, that's the name of the exercise for the Icelander and Axel Kromer, the sports director of the German Handball Federation (DHB).

And those 18 players, who the two chose based on performance, not on past merits or tactical considerations, fire the imagination for a successful World Cup in January 2023 in Poland and Sweden.

It should be better than 2021, when the Germans struggled with cancellations by prominent players and ended up leaving Egypt as an unfortunate twelfth place.

Gislason said: "I see the Danes, Swedes, French and Spanish as the measure of all things.

But we're not far behind.

We want to show that we are closing the gap.”

Guarantors Golla, Wolff and Knorr

In addition to the well-known factors of unity and team spirit, the national coach relies on the individual class of three players who should lead the way.

These are captain Johannes Golla from SG Flensburg-Handewitt am Kreis, experienced goalkeeper Andreas Wolff from Lomza Kielce in Poland and playmaker Juri Knorr from Rhein-Neckar Löwen.

There is no lack of experience: “As players with more than 100 international matches, Paul Drux, Kai Häfner, Patrick Groetzki and Andi Wolff are an anchor that we need,” said Kromer.

For reasons of injury, Gislason will not be playing for the established pros Julius Kühn and Marcel Schiller – both were regular players at the DHB, but from the point of view of the national coach they were not able to play in World Cup form in time.

Referring to Kühn, he said: "You can see that he is not yet fit." Instead of Kühn, the Berlin Drux should be the first choice in the left backcourt, instead of Schiller Gislason sees Lukas Mertens from SC Magdeburg as the first left winger.

Gislason was spoiled for choice in the goalkeeper position;

here he decided against Till Klimpke from HSG Wetzlar and for Joel Birlehm from Rhein-Neckar Löwen.

Birlehm played very stable and with an increasing form curve, judged the national coach.

Gislason pushed another tiresome topic aside.

He noted with disapproval that the Berlin left-hander Fabian Wiede had canceled.

He wants to have his wisdom teeth pulled in January.

Gislason has branded the fact that German professionals in their prime so often do without starts in the DHB team in various places.

Wiede may be the difference player he was betting on.

On the day before Christmas Eve, Gislason spoke mildly: "Of course it's disappointing when someone cancels - but that's over.

We focus on what we have.

It's nice to see that so many others want it.

This team will do everything for Germany.”

In the preliminary round games in Katowice against Qatar, Serbia and Algeria, the DHB selection wants to win three times in order to organize the following main round in such a way that they reach the quarter-finals as runners-up in the group.

That will mean losing only one game in the six games leading up to the knockout stage.

"We don't have to hide from any team," said Gislason, who relies on a promising duo to control the game - Juri Knorr, 22 years old, completed a strong first half of the season in Mannheim and brings a lot with him to be a German director in the long term.

“Juri is the undisputed number one for the lions.

We're hoping for a lot from him," said Gislason.

Luca Witzke is a solid ball distributor who can also play in defense.

Kromer included 22-year-old Gummersbacher Julian Köster and said:

“We are young and creative in game design positions.

We were always told that.

We have developed quality in the center back.”

Before the DHB flies to Katowice on January 12, there are tests in Bremen and Hanover against Iceland (January 7/8).

Both halls will be sold out.

Kromer said: "The fans show that they are hungry for handball.

We have hope for a normal handball winter. ”Without corona headlines, please.

Because there was really enough of that a year ago at the European Championships in Bratislava.