Germany’s handball players are drawing a lot of confidence from fourth place at the European Championships. The analysis of the home tournament is also about the future of the national coach.
At the end of the European Championship festival weeks, Johannes Golla was only looking forward to his family and his two children.
“But I’m still very, very grateful for what we experienced here during that time,” said the captain of the German handball players when he stood in front of the microphones for the last time, completely exhausted.
Nine European Championship games in two and a half weeks plus strenuous preparation had left their mark, but also a lot of optimism, on the entire team of national coach Alfred Gislason.
“The path we are taking together with Alfred is heading in the right direction,” said Golla. Despite the disappointing conclusion with missing out on the bronze medal and thus wasting the direct Olympic ticket, he and his teammates gained “confidence because we can do it.”
Playmaker Juri Knorr also analyzed that the German team was still missing “a bit of maturity” and “a bit of quality”.
Continue with Alfred Gislason? Clear announcement from Johannes Golla
At the end of the home tournament, Gislason was “very proud. This tournament gave the team a lot of progress in terms of experience.”
The DHB coach admitted that he would have “gladly avoided” the detour to the Olympic Games, for which Germany now has to qualify in a four-team tournament from March 14th to 17th with Croatia, Austria and Algeria. “Without a chance,” he added with a smile, his team was by no means “chanceless.”
While the players continued their everyday club life in the cup quarter-finals at the weekend, the DHB coach threw himself into working on the tournament. And in many conversations: the Icelander’s contract expires after the Olympic Games.
Gislason would like to continue working with the team. “I have signaled that I would like to do it, but in the end it is not my decision,” said Gislason. He is “very, very relaxed” on this issue and feels the support of the team.
“It would be right if we continued on this path together. I fully support Alfred,” confirmed Golla.
Axel Kromer: “An expectation of the media”
After the lost bronze game against Sweden (31:34) on Sunday in Cologne, DHB sports director Axel Kromer referred to an agreement with Gislason to get together after the European Championships.
“We certainly won’t use tomorrow, but we will definitely use the next few days,” said Kromer. He wants to “analyze the European Championships with the coaching team. And then there will be discussions.”
A presidium meeting is scheduled for February 9th. The fact that a big decision will be made on this date is “an expectation of the media,” commented Kromer, adding: “We will have discussions, that is completely clear.”
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Alfred Gislason: “Moved significantly closer to the top of the world”
The fact is: fourth place in a major tournament is the best result so far during Gislason’s tenure, who has been in charge of the team since the beginning of 2020. But even under the former Kiel and Magdeburg coach, it wasn’t enough for the first medal since the successful year of 2016 with European Championship gold and Olympic bronze.
“I believe that we have moved much closer to the top of the world than last year. I am very optimistic for my team,” said Gislason.
Despite the balanced tournament record of four wins, four defeats and one draw, Golla also saw “a step in the right direction” and even a “giant step forward” in defense work.