National team
Gislason steps on the gas: handball players start preparing for the World Cup
Handball national coach Alfred Gislason prepares his team for the World Cup. photo
© Sascha Klahn/dpa
Three months before the World Cup, German handball players start preparing for the tournament this week. The upcoming duels with Sweden and Spain will be the first location determination.
Alfred Gislason really pushed the pace at the start of the German handball team’s preparation for the World Cup. Immediately after breakfast, the national coach gathered his protégés in Frankfurt am Main on Monday for the first training session.
“We don’t have that much time to prepare for the World Cup. The goal is for the core of the team to grow closer together. This week is an important step,” said Gislason.
The last international matches of the year against European champions Sweden on Thursday in Mannheim and against Spain runners-up in the European Championships on Saturday in Jaen should provide initial information about the performance level of the DHB selection three months before the World Cup. “I’m looking forward to two world-class teams that we want to do well against to gain confidence for the World Cup,” said Gislason.
“Want to stabilize the squad”
Before the finals from January 11th to 29th, 2023 in Poland and Sweden, there is only one short course at the end of December, before the final preparation for the World Cup begins on January 2nd with two more home international matches. “The importance of the games against Sweden and Spain is therefore very high. It is important to achieve good results and to advance the preparation for the World Cup,” emphasized DHB sports director Axel Kromer. “We want to take the next steps and stabilize the squad.”
When it came to the composition of the team, which includes right winger Patrick Groetzki for the first time since January 2021, Gislason followed the international trend. “The development is towards complete players who can play as much attack and defense as possible to avoid constant changes,” said Gislason. Most of his protégés now meet this requirement.
After the long summer break – the national team last met in April in the World Cup playoffs against the Faroe Islands – Gislason is looking forward to working with the team. “We will use the course intensively to familiarize ourselves and to further refine things from the past,” said the 63-year-old Icelander.
Gislason no longer wants surprises
Circle runner Jannik Kohlbacher cannot be there. The 27-year-old from Bundesliga leaders Rhein-Neckar Löwen had to withdraw at short notice due to illness. Gislason, who is also missing the long-term injured Timo Kastening, Sebastian Heymann and Julius Kühn, decided not to be nominated.
Kromer hopes that the team will be spared further failures on the way to the World Cup. “We’ve had a lot of events lately that couldn’t be prepared and implemented anywhere near as we had planned. That’s why we’re working to make it different this time. We hope that no supernatural forces are affecting us take that,” said the sports director.
Gislason also wants the first normal tournament in his tenure, which has so far been heavily influenced by the corona pandemic. “I hope that we don’t experience any new surprises. It’s quite adventurous what has happened in recent years,” said the national coach. “Hopefully we can focus on handball this time.”