Does Gislason rely on Pekeler?
Curious lightning comeback possible for Olympic qualification
March 11, 2024, 3:07 p.m
For the German handball players it’s about the Olympic Games, for national coach Alfred Gislason it’s also about his job. As if that wasn’t hard enough, the team has to do without some European Championship players. This could lead to a comeback for someone who was only released in January.
Three failures, two ailing pivots – and an Olympic joker up his sleeve: right at the start of the Week of Truth for Germany’s handball players, Alfred Gislason was in full demand. Immediately before the Olympic qualification, which is also groundbreaking for him, the national coach has to solve a tricky personnel puzzle.
“I’m very sorry for the injured players, but the others have to pull it together,” said Gislason on MDR: “We know that it won’t be easy, but we will throw everything into it to get to the Olympics.”
As if the absences of the two injured backcourt players Kai Häfner and Martin Hanne as well as Justus Fischer (district) weren’t enough of a burden, there were also great concerns about his two remaining circle players Johannes Golla and Jannik Kohlbacher at the start of the course in Hanover. DHB captain Golla sprained in Flensburg’s league game against Göppingen on Sunday and Kohlbacher injured his shoulder.
Lightning comeback possible
“I currently believe that we will be able to cope with the current squad,” said DHB sports director Axel Kromer at a media event. But he also reported on a phone call Gislason had with 2016 European champion Hendrik Pekeler and recalled the possibility of making changes up to an hour before the games. “The way to Hanover is not far from anywhere,” says Kromer.
A comeback by Pekeler is a real option. Especially since Golla and Kohlbacher first have to “introduce themselves to the doctor” after their arrival. One of the two is out for the games against Algeria (Thursday, 5:45 p.m./Sport1 and Dyn)Croatia (Saturday, 2.30 p.m./ZDF and Dyn) as well as Austria (Sunday, 2:10 p.m./ARD and Dyn) Pekeler moves in at short notice. The star of the THW Kiel, who was actually dismissed from the DHB selection in January and is undisputedly still one of the world’s best defenders, is available on call alongside Tim Zechel as the only remaining alternative in the 35-man squad.
Gislason is playing for his own future
The injury problems worry him, said Gislason. It’s “a real shame for us that these people are out. But we still have to say: we have to get through this with the people we have there.” All the players who are there are “very happy to have a great week. But it will only be great if the result is right in the end.”
For Gislason in particular, it will be all or nothing in the coming days. The Icelander knows: Only the two best teams in the four-person tournament win the Olympic ticket. And of course he also knows: his contract, which was recently extended until 2027, only applies if he manages to qualify for Paris.
“Participating in the Olympic Games is a very, very big goal. It’s a big task,” said Kromer. The German team has “not an easy group” and with Croatia and Austria they have “two opponents against whom we couldn’t win at the European Championships in January”. The DHB selection drew against Austria (22:22) and lost against Croatia 24:30.
For this project, Gislason is relying primarily on the top performers at the home European Championships in January. Goalkeeper Andreas Wolff is there, as is playmaker Juri Knorr and youngster Julian Köster. The two Leipzig backcourt players Franz Semper and Luca Witzke replaced the injured Häfner and Hanne. Gislason decided not to re-nominate Fischer. So far.