Preparatory course - Handball players get in the mood for the European Championship
Germany's handball players got in the mood for the home European Championships in January with a convivial evening of cooking just before New Year's Eve.
"We made a nice goulash, fish, Swabian spaetzle and soups. It was openly accepted by everyone," reported DHB sports director Axel Kromer at the end of the first European Championship preparation course in Frankfurt am Main.
Kromer described the three-day event, during which the team spirit in particular was strengthened, as "profitable, both in terms of sport and interpersonal skills", and not just because of the culinary delights.
National coach Alfred Gislason was also impressed by the atmosphere in the team. "I am very satisfied with the past few days. They were very valuable for us. It was an important and good measure and nice to see how the players interact with each other on completely different topics," said the 64-year-old Icelander, adding with a grin: "It turned out that one or the other is also a good cook. I didn't help, but I ate everything."
Michalczik is out injured
But there was also a drop of bitterness. Right back Marian Michalczik suffered a muscle injury in his leg and will miss the final round from January 10 to 28. There are no plans for the 26-year-old from Bundesliga club TSV Hannover-Burgdorf to be called up for the time being. "The injury is more serious than we initially thought. His absence is very bitter," said Gislason. "He was an important alternative in the center block. We will try to solve this internally."
After a certainly not extravagant New Year's Eve party, Gislason will gather 18 players on New Year's Day for the final preparation course in tranquil Brunsbüttel. Away from the hustle and bustle that awaits the DHB team at the finals, the national coach wants to fine-tune the team in the small town in Schleswig-Holstein at the mouth of the Kiel Canal into the Elbe.
"We deliberately chose something quieter before the noisy days of the European Championships. We didn't want to go to a city center where there is always action, but somewhere rural. We can concentrate on preparing for the tournament there," said Kromer, explaining the choice of training base.
Test matches before the European Championship
In addition, the distances to the venues of the last two international test matches against Portugal on January 4 in Flensburg and January 6 in Kiel are short. The team should then get up to European Championship operating temperature. "Portugal are a very good and strong team who will really challenge us," said Gislason. He doesn't want to try out much then: "It's not about giving all players the same amount of playing time. Of course we want to win these games."
On January 10, things will get serious for the German team in the opening game of the European Championship against Switzerland in front of a world-record crowd of over 50,000 fans in Düsseldorf. As only the top two in each group reach the main round, this is already a key duel. "We know how important the first game against a difficult opponent is," Gislason emphasized.
After all, in addition to outsiders North Macedonia, record world champions France, against whom the DHB team clearly lost in the quarter-finals at the World Championships at the start of the year, await in Group A. "We have to get off to a good start in the tournament and then improve from game to game," said Gislason. Afterwards, the national coach will also be looking to his future: After the European Championship, he wants to talk to the DHB about extending his contract, which expires in the summer of 2024 at the latest, until the 2027 home World Cup.
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Source: www.stern.de
