Et is difficult to say what the future of the team will look like, national coach Alfred Gislason said in Tokyo. Now, however, the decisive players have spoken out, Johannes Bitter has also reported – and the result is nothing less than a turning point: Captain Uwe Gensheimer and backcourt player Steffen Weinhold immediately end their careers in the national team, defense chief Hendrik Pekeler wants to take a longer break and goalkeeper Johannes Bitter are only available on call.
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Since nobody would be surprised if Pekeler’s colleague from Kiel, Patrick Wiencek, would also stop his career in the jersey of the German Handball Federation (DHB), Gislason will have to rebuild five months before the European Championship. On January 14, 2022, the European Championship in Hungary and Slovakia begins for the Germans with the game against Belarus.
Weinhold, 35 years old, and Gensheimer, one year younger, justified their departure with age and family situation. The 30-year-old Pekeler and Bitter, the oldest at 38, did a similar thing – Gislason and DHB sports director Axel Kromer had the usual words of thanks and respect, all four represent the successes achieved in recent years, Bitter even still for the triumph at the 2007 World Cup. He is now the last player to retire from back then.
According to reports, the resignations are not related to the impression of the mediocre performance at the Olympic Games. The next real highlight with the home EM 2024 is apparently too far away to be motivated to continue in the DHB jersey. Three years later, the DHB will even host the world championship.
Results are disappointing
But somehow the prominent resignations fit into the unpleasant sporting handball times of the DHB. While those responsible around President Andreas Michelmann are doing everything to fill the “decade of handball” with as many home tournaments as possible, the results since the European Championship title in 2016 and fourth place at the German World Cup three years later are disappointing. On Wednesday it became known that Michelmann is aiming for the position of Vice President in the International Handball Federation (IHF). That would certainly strengthen the role of the DHB in the concert of the member associations – which is also necessary when you think of important discussions, for example about the purification of the overcrowded appointment calendar.
But who should take care of the exciting games and strong results on the floor that are urgently needed at events in front of their own fans? Who should carry the handball hype of 2016 and ensure high ratings on public television? A new core team that has reached a high international level is hardly recognizable at the moment. Perfect framework data, but little content: This is the DHB’s flagship product these days. In any case, a lot of experience and color will be missing, because Vice President Bob Hanning will also be resigning his honorary office in a few months and, as a contentious public relations worker, will leave a gap when it comes to keeping handball talking.
Leading player on the field: Uwe Gensheimer, here at the Olympic Games in Tokyo
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Image: AFP
The Olympics are always a milestone after which one must expect resignations, said Axel Kromer. Alfred Gislason said: “All four of the national team will be missing, but that’s the way things are – we will see new players with different qualities in their positions.” He will especially miss Pekeler as head of defense and Weinhold as courageous attacking player. Gensheimer was only a substitute recently, in goal there are good young keepers behind Andreas Wolff.
But in the short period of preparation, which Gislason rightly criticizes, he will now be more in demand than ever as a development coach – but the incorporation of talent was never Gislason’s strength as a club coach. In Magdeburg and Kiel he could rely on world class players. It is an exciting question whether Gislason is the right coach for the new task, which no longer means making seasoned professionals better, but rather establishing and installing successors in relevant positions. The change of coach from Christian Prokop to Alfred Gislason eighteen months ago is taking on a new dimension due to the personal situation in the national team. Prokop was noticed as a developer at SC DHfK Leipzig.
Gislason and Kromer provided two starting points as to why it had not worked out in the quarter-finals at the World Cup in Egypt or at the Olympic Games. The coach complained that there was not enough power in the back. Sports director Kromer had seen better performances in the club than in the national team – and thus claused the criticism of the mentality of the team. Kai Häfner and Julius Kühn from Melsung weren’t very helpful in Tokyo. Playmaker Philipp Weber did what he could, but was inferior to the competition. The plan failed to make up for individual inferiority with fighting strength and team performance.
Gislason rightly brought up a third, overarching point: the immensely high load, the long season. More instead of fewer games, less preparation time. That is also true – but applies to the Scandinavian competition to a similar extent. The prospect of a few days of training complicates his task.
It is clear, however, who has more responsibility: Johannes Golla, Philipp Weber, Fabian Wiede and Paul Drux will have to fill the gaps. Also in the external presentation. Just as Timo Kastening did, which was encouragingly open recently.
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