A year ago, the DHB team initially played the World Championship in Herning and had to move to Oslo for the less successful quarter-final. At this year's EHF EURO, the German team can stay in Herning throughout. Will this be good for their medal dreams? Johannes Golla and Marko Grgić, the two German national team players of SG Flensburg-Handewitt, hope so.
The fact that the DHB team can stay in Silkeborg for the entire tournament - no matter what happens - and that the matches will always take place in Herning is certainly an advantage. An organizational constellation that was already tested twelve months ago at the World Championship in the preliminary and main rounds. "It won't be a home game," smiles DHB captain Johannes Golla. "But we can look forward to a great handball atmosphere in a beautiful hall." In sporting terms, it should be tough straight away. In the preliminary round, the teams will face Austria (Thursday, 8.30 p.m., ARD), Serbia (Friday, 8.30 p.m., ARD) and Spain (Monday, 8.30 p.m., ARD). Only the top two finishers will progress. "It's almost a familiar situation at a European Championship that you only face strong opponents due to the format," says Johannes Golla. "We will be challenged right from the start, because there are no easy opponents." The captain is considered a bench player in the DHB team, as is SG club colleague Marko Grgić. Luca Witzke, the third German international to wear the SG jersey, was already absent from the November training course and is not in the German 35-man squad at all due to a serious shoulder injury. From this, national coach Alfred Gislason has put together an 18-man squad to start the preparation.
Preparation and further program
The best German handball players met in Hanover shortly after the New Year and won twice against the World Championship runners-up Croatia (32:29, 33:27). "We need the absolute top level from the very first game at the European Championship," says Alfred Gislason. "Croatia was the perfect match to get us in the mood." The move to Denmark takes place today, Wednesday. After the tough preliminary round, the tournament will continue on January 22 with an even tougher main round. Denmark, France, Norway and Portugal are expected to be waiting there. The Portuguese were the last stop twelve months ago in the World Cup quarter-finals. "We weren't at our best back then," says Johannes Golla and hopes for a better tournament: "Many of our players have been in good form recently and we've now been playing together for a year longer."