In the end there were still 13. National coach Alfred Gislason was only able to field 13 players at the last European Championship appearance of the German team in Bratislava. That’s not exactly lavish, as there were a total of 28 players in the constantly expanding German squad over the two weeks of this European Championship. But only these 13 were still fit, all the others: infected with the corona virus and brought home by ambulance long ago.
Even the President got it. Andreas Michelmann, President of the German Handball Federation (DHB), tested positive. Not with the team in Bratislava, which he had previously visited, but after his return to Germany. He’s fine, said Michelmann. Just a cough, a little sniffle, nothing dramatic. But: another infected person. Number how much actually?
15 players, an assistant coach and several members of the delegation got infected during this Omikron European Championship – only in the German team. It is absolutely clear that reaching the semi-finals would never have been possible in this mixed situation. So the concluding main round game against Russia only offered the opportunity to say goodbye to this European Championship with a positive impression. What also succeeded: In the seventh game in just eleven days, the German team narrowly won 30:29 (16:12) against Russia, a victory after previously losing three games in the main round. “We hope that we will all come home healthy now,” said captain Johannes Golla.
Three throws, two goals: The Russians initially had problems with Julian Köster
Despite all the staff shortages, Gislason put on a team that could look a little into the future. Jogi Bitter, 39, did not start in goal, but Daniel Rebmann, eleven years his junior, who could still play a role in the DHB team. Golla, the only 24-year-old captain, acted in the circle, in the backcourt it was Philipp Weber, Fabian Wiede and the discovery of this European Championship: Julian Köster, 21. He has shown that higher tasks await him soon than at home with second division club VfL Gummersbach. The Russians initially had their problems with him: Three throws, two goals within the first 15 minutes for Köster, Germany led 10:6.
Germany’s discovery at this European Championship: Julian Köster.
(Photo: Radovan Stoklasa/Reuters)
The young Russian team also missed out on the semi-finals early on, but didn’t let themselves be shaken off. A run of 4:0 goals equalized (10:10), by the halftime the Germans had regained the lead. It was a tight game in the second half with neither team able to pull away. Twelve seconds before the end, the DHB team again showed a daring action: a Kempa trick, played by right winger Lukas Zerbe on the approaching left winger Patrick Zieker. You have to dare, but the ball landed in the goal and the Russians couldn’t equalize. “This game says everything about the character of the team,” praised national coach Gislason.
The European Championship continues on Friday with the semi-finals, without the German team, for which a very last appointment is waiting: return flight on Wednesday morning, 9 a.m., by charter flight from Bratislava to Frankfurt am Main. Many will say: finally.