Do you remember?
In 2007 our handball players celebrated the title. Heiner Brand’s team became handball world champions for the third time. But what actually became of the players? Account manager, influencer, “Let’s dance winner”: The CVs of the last German handball world champions were very different. A player from back then is already dead.
captain Markus Baur (51) ended his playing career in 2008. Was head of sports and nutrition at Bühler Health Care AG and, among other things, coach of the DHB junior national team before taking over the coaching position at the end of November 2022 at Bundesliga club Göppingen. At the World Cup he will be back as a co-commentator for ZDF.
Markus Baur is working for ZDF at the World Cup
Foto: picture alliance / foto2press
Rolf Herman (41) played at TBV Lemgo until 2017, is now sporting director at TuS N-Lübbecke in the 2nd league.
Sebastian Preiss (41) ended his career in the 3rd division in 2017, works as a project manager at Heyfleet.
Pascal Hens (42) is a handball expert for Sky and Eurosport after retiring in 2017, he won the 12th season of Let’s Dance in 2019 and is the author of a children’s book (“Ein Ball für Piet”).
Pascal Hens bei Let’s Dance
Photo: Malte Krudewig
Christian Schwarzer (53) ended his career in 2009, now works as a youth coordinator at the Saar Handball Association.
Co-Trainer Martin Heuberger (58), head coach until 2014. Administrator in the district office of Ortenau, since December 2018 back at the DHB as coach of the junior national team. In the summer he wants to win the title with the U21s at the home World Cup.
Heiner Brand (70) was national coach from 1997 to 2011. Before the 2007 World Cup title, he had already led the team to the 2004 European Championship title. In 2011 he handed over his position to Heuberger. Brand now works as an expert for the pay TV broadcaster Sky.
Known for his mustache: Heiner Brand
Foto: picture alliance / foto2press
Christian Zeitz (42) ended his career in Minden in the summer of 2022 and wants to continue working as a coach.
Michael Haass (39) is active as a trainer after retiring in 2020. Since the summer of 2022 he has been the coach of the second division club TuS N-Lübbecke.
Henning Fritz (48) ended his career in 2012. Short comeback in Flensburg 2021, is account manager at Neuronavi.
Holger Glandorf (39) has been the sole managing director of SG Flensburg-Handewitt since the summer of 2022 after retiring in Flensburg in 2020.
Holger Glandorf
Foto: picture alliance / SVEN SIMON
Johannes Bitter (40) is still active and is in goal for Bundesliga club HSV Hamburg.
Oliver Roggisch (44) ended his career in 2014. He is currently the team manager of the national team and sports coordinator of the Bundesliga club Rhein-Neckar Löwen.
Carsten Lichtlein (42) ended his career in 2022 and is now a goalkeeping coach at Bundesliga club MT Melsungen.
Andrei Klimovets (48) stopped in 2013 and became a coach. He has been coaching TV Willstätt in the 3rd division since November 2022.
Michael Hegeman (45) did not play at the World Cup, after retiring from his career in 2017 he first became an assistant coach and then in 2022 head coach at TuSEM Essen in the 2nd Bundesliga.
Oleg Velyky played his last games in the Bundesliga for HSV Handball, died on the night of January 23, 2010 of skin cancer. He was only 32 years old.
Oleg Velyky (✝︎32) im DHB-Trikot
Foto: picture-alliance/ dpa
Stefan Schroeder (41) ended his career in 2018, coach and youth board member at HSV Hamburg.
Berthold Hallmaier (74) was a doctor at the DHB for 29 years until 2013. Is now retired and still maintains contact with advisors and players. Had his practice in Rottenburg (near Tübingen).
Peter Gräschus (59) continues to work as a physiotherapist for the national team, but is now absent from the World Cup.
Florian Kehrman (45) has been coaching TBV Lemgo since 2014, for which he played from 1999 to 2014.
Torsten Jansen (46), who played handball for HSV from 2003 to 2005, ended his career at THW Kiel in 2016. Now he is the coach of the Bundesliga team at HSV Hamburg.
Michael Kraus (39) stopped in 2020, runs a fitness studio near Göppingen, handball influencer (around 235,000 followers). Kraus, Bravo Boy 2000, is one of the 14 candidates of the 16th season of “Let’s Dance”, which is scheduled to start in February.
Dominik Klein (39) ended his career in Nantes in 2018, is Marketing Director at the Bavarian Handball Association, as an ARD expert at the World Cup, makes the referee’s certificate.
Reinhold Roth (67) has been a physiotherapist for the national team for over 30 years, including now at the World Cup.
Peter Boltersdorf (58), mental coach. Today partner of Reiss Profile Germany GmbH.
Tom Schneider (47) changed after his time as team coordinator to the public transport company in Wiesbaden. He now works at TR Germany GmbH, organizing trips to international sporting events, among other things.
