“This hurts very, very much”
DHB team loses Groetzki before the start of the home European Championship
January 7, 2024, 9:14 a.m
The win against Portugal is a minor matter: an old foot injury recurs and Patrick Groetzki misses the home European Championship. The right winger from the Rhein-Neckar Löwen is shocked. There are still a few hours left for national coach Alfred Gíslason to nominate a replacement.
For national handball player Patrick Groetzki, his loss from the home European Championship due to injury is “really very bitter”. The right winger from the Rhein-Neckar Löwen, who sustained the injury to his right foot on Saturday during the dress rehearsal against Portugal (35:31), told “Mannheimer Morgen”. “Unfortunately, injuries are part of sport. And unfortunately this happened to me at the worst time ever,” said Groetzki, who at 34 years old and with 172 international matches was the most experienced player in the German squad.
In the 23rd minute, Groetzki was about to jump into the circle before he stopped his movement. An initial radiological examination revealed that an old foot injury from the previous year had reoccurred. The veteran was out for weeks last November due to an injury to the plantar fascia, a tendon plate on the sole of the foot, and made his comeback shortly before Christmas.
Groetzki should form the right wing team together with Timo Kastening at the upcoming home European Championships (January 10th to 28th). “That hurts very, very much,” said Kastening in the ZDF sports studio. Groetzki is “one of the best outside players in the world”, but also a great person, said the Melsunger: “I would have wished him this tournament with all my heart.”
No decision has yet been made about subsequent nominations
Left-hander Groetzki traveled with the German team to the DHB team hotel in Cologne that night. He will return to Mannheim later today. After Groetzki’s loss, the German squad consists of 17 players; national coach Alfred Gíslason has not yet decided on a possible replacement.
In Tim Hornke and Lukas Zerbe there are two more right wingers in the large 35-man squad for the European Championship. “We will now coordinate internally how we will react after this failure. We have until January 9th to approve the official squad at the EHF report,” said DHB sports director Axel Kromer.
Germany will meet Switzerland at the start of the European Championship on Wednesday (8.45 p.m./ZDF and Dyn) as part of the world record spectator game in Düsseldorf. Other opponents in preliminary group A are North Macedonia (January 14th/8.30 p.m./ZDF and Dyn) and record world champions France (January 16/8.30 p.m./ARD and Dyn). The top two finishers advance to the main round.