Wolff vs Austria: Handball Duel Heated by Goalkeeper’s Taunts

Germany’s handball national goalkeeper Andreas Wolff further fueled the mood before the European Championship opener against Austria with his merciless criticism. One day before the clash this Thursday (8.30 p.m./ARD/Dyn) in Herning, the professionals from the neighboring country reacted with incomprehension to the German keeper’s statements.

“I hope he knows himself that the choice of words wasn’t the right one. If the last player needed motivation, he should watch the video again, then the last percentage points are there to give 100 percent,” countered ÖHB keeper Constantin Möstl at Sport1.

Even Germany playmaker Juri Knorr found Wolff’s statements to be “pretty offensive”. Miro Schluroff also explained: “I wouldn’t completely contradict him, but I would have said it differently.” Explosive: Both teams share a hotel and run into each other before kick-off.

Wolff had described the Austrians’ playing style as “unattractive” and “anti-handball” and spoke of an “ugliness” in the attacking game. The ÖHB team often plays seven-on-six – where one team replaces its goalkeeper with a seventh field player. “No one actually wants to see that. It’s very unattractive,” said Wolff, who, like Rune Dahmke and Jannik Kohlbacher, was already there for the 2016 European Championship title.

The Austrian media also reacted irritably. The “Kurier” wrote that Wolff “has recently become anything but a popular figure.” “Heute.at” ran the headline, based on the German footballers’ defeat against Austria at the 1978 World Cup, which went down in the history books as Cordoba’s disgrace: “German goalkeeper rumbles in front of handball Cordoba”.

The already tense neighborhood duel becomes even more explosive. In order not to jeopardize the difficult European Championship mission at an early stage, a mistake against Austria is prohibited. “Our goal is ambitious, that means the semi-finals. But this is the best German national team that I have coached,” said national coach Alfred Gislason.

Nils Lichtlein is out due to a foot injury. However, the all-clear is given for Renars Uscins, who was slightly injured in the test against Croatia. He is not yet at 100 percent, but is operational, reported DHB manager Benjamin Chatton.

Despite the increased confidence after two test victories against the runner-up world champions, the German team is trying to dampen expectations. Wolff called the draw a “nightmare.” Playmaker Knorr described the tournament as the toughest of his career. And captain Johannes Golla warned that the semi-finals cannot be taken for granted.

Even if the preliminary round with Austria, Serbia and Spain has its pitfalls, it is considered a mandatory task for Germany. The real test would be the main round, when duels with Olympic champions Denmark, France and fourth place in the World Cup Portugal and Norway threaten. “You may be able to cope with one defeat, but not a second one,” explained Gislason.

Since the Danish high-flyers are considered virtually invincible, a mistake against Austria would ruin the dream of a medal early on. And coach Iker Romero’s ÖHB team, peppered with Bundesliga players, knows how to annoy Germany. Two of the last three duels ended in a draw.

While the self-confidence of the DHB team could hardly be greater, there is sadness in Austria after three defeats in the preparation for the European Championship. “It’s been a long time since we won a game,” said pivot Lukas Herburger from Füchse Berlin. But in handball it’s like in football: you’re particularly motivated against your big neighbor. “We finally want to manage not just to play a good game or draw, but also to beat Germany,” emphasized ÖHB professional Mykola Bilyk.

Germany is the clear favorite. The euphoria in the team is not comparable to the hangover mood at the World Cup a year ago. “The conditions are different. Kohlbacher was injured, Golla was fit, but always had to play. Julian Köster arrived sick and couldn’t train. Renars was completely exhausted after the Olympics,” recalled Gislason, who is happy about a broad squad this time.

Thanks to newcomers like Schluroff, Tom Kiesler and Matthes Langhoff, the load can be distributed better. “If Golla, Köster or Knorr can come from the bank, the bank can become our life insurance. If we bring that in, we could develop a competitive advantage over other teams,” said DHB manager Chatton.