Disappointment against Sweden
“Very, very ungrateful”: DHB team misses European Championship medal
Updated on January 28, 2024 – 4:54 p.m. Reading time: 3 min.
Disappointed faces: These mistakes sealed the defeat (Source: ARD/ZDF)
Rousing performances, but no medal: The German handball players missed out on bronze at the home European Championships. The game against Sweden was largely a clear affair.
A lot of euphoria, but no precious metal: The German handball players finished the home European Championship in fourth place. In the “small final” against Sweden, national coach Alfred Gislason’s team was visibly inferior for long stretches and lost 34:31.
The spectators in the Cologne Arena loudly celebrated the team from the German Handball Federation (DHB), who were playing for the European Championship medal for the first time since the title in 2016.
“I don’t have an explanation yet. We looked for opportunities a bit quickly,” analyzed national coach Gislason on the ARD microphone after the game. His captain Johannes Golla added: “I think fourth place is very, very ungrateful.” The disappointment outweighs the disappointment, said the 26-year-old.
That’s how the game went
Before kick-off, the cheering mood prevailed in the stands when goalkeeper Andreas Wolff and playmaker Juri Knorr were honored for their selection into the tournament’s all-star team. Gislason had already been in the tunnel for a long time. “We have to learn the lessons from the Denmark game and offer two solid halves,” demanded the 64-year-old Icelander.
But the German team didn’t succeed. For Knorr in particular, the 26:29 loss in the semi-final against Denmark still seemed to be lingering in his mind. The 23-year-old from cup winners Rhein-Neckar Löwen was unable to give any impetus to the attacking game and made four missed throws in the first 15 minutes.
Midway through the first half, Gislason took the playmaker off the floor when the score was 4:8. Philipp Weber from Champions League winners SC Magdeburg came in for Knorr, and he made a good start with a goal.
Shortly afterwards, the fans fell silent as a medical emergency occurred in the stands. The game was stopped for several minutes while doctors from both teams treated the affected person.
As things continued, Gislason continued to make changes in the backcourt. Sebastian Heymann and Kai Häfner, who was missing against Denmark for personal reasons, also came into play. But there was still little going on in the attack. In addition, the German players repeatedly failed because of Sweden’s goalkeeper Andreas Palicka, who once played in the Bundesliga for THW Kiel and Rhein-Neckar Löwen for many years.
The 37-year-old parried 14 shots in the first half and played a decisive role in the DHB team giving up the game early at 7:14 after 22 minutes. Edelfan Steinmeier was still optimistic at halftime. “I hope that the German team turns the game around,” he said on ARD.
But his wish didn’t come true. The DHB team came out of the locker room with momentum, but was initially unable to reduce the deficit. The German team repeatedly slowed themselves down through their own mistakes, which drove Gislason to despair on the sidelines.
But then his protégés pulled themselves together again. At 21:24 (43rd) the turnaround seemed possible. Wolff became increasingly stronger in goal and Knorr finally sparked up front. The audience pushed the team even further. A good six minutes before the end, Germany was up 29:30. Despite a great fight, it was no longer enough to win.
