Germany’s handball players are in the semi-finals of the home European Championships and have secured the bronze medal game. Because Austria lost against Iceland in Cologne on Wednesday afternoon and Hungary then lost to the already qualified French, the DHB selection secured the ticket for the semi-finals before their final group game on Wednesday evening (8.30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the European Handball Championship, in the ARD and on Dyn) against Croatia.
Surprise team Austria had to admit defeat to the Northmen 24:26 after a strong start to the European Championship. Hungary lost to the Olympic champions 32:35 in the Cologne Arena. The Hungarians are fighting for fifth place against Slovenia on Friday (3 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the European Handball Championship and on Dyn).
In the fight for the final, the German team of national coach Alfred Gislason will meet Denmark on Friday (8.30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the European Handball Championship, on ZDF and on Dyn). The Scandinavian star ensemble, peppered with Bundesliga professionals, is the top favorite for the European Championship title. The second semi-final was contested by record world champion France against defending champion Sweden on Friday (5.45 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the European Handball Championship and on Dyn).
“That makes us incredibly proud”
“It’s obviously incredibly great for the team. That makes us incredibly proud,” said DHB sports director Axel Kromer to the Sport Information Service in Cologne. Even during the Austria game (22:22), “no one believed that we could do anything here and now we have already made it to the semi-finals before our last appearance.”
After the 2007 world championship title in their own country and the gold triumphs at the European Championships in 2004 in Slovenia and 2016 in Poland, the DHB team can continue to hope for the next winter fairy tale. In goalkeeper Andreas Wolff, left winger Rune Dahmke, veteran Kai Häfner and pivot Jannik Kohlbacher, four professionals from the current squad were also there when they won the title eight years ago.
The Cologne handball temple should be a lucky charm for the DHB team. Germany has never lost an international match in the “Mecca of handball,” as right winger Timo Kastening put it. It would be the fifth German medal ever at the continental competitions. Before the tournament started, Gislason and the players had declared the semi-finals as their goal.
A comment from Christian Kamp Published/Updated: Recommendations: 12 Frank Heike, Cologne Published/Updated: Recommendations: 4 Frank Heike, Cologne Published/Updated: Recommendations: 5 Published/Updated:
In addition to a European Championship medal, Germany could also secure a direct ticket to the Olympic Games in Paris. To do this, the DHB selection has to end up ahead of Sweden.
