Sunday, January 31, 2016

Handball European Championship – Germany gets the title – Frankfurter Rundschau

31 January 2016

Germany leaves Spain no chance at all and is at the end of the deserved winners. Photo: AFP

The German handball team put in a heady European Championship final against Spain humiliated the European crown on. This success is, of course, inextricably linked with the name Dagur Sigurdsson.

As the golden tinsel down trickled on the heads of the European champions, the Krakow-Arena became a madhouse , As small children in the ball pit raged German handball players around on the podium. This was undoubtedly the emotional highlight for a memorable final, the unexpectedly clear the Germans last night with 24:17 (10: 6) ruled against Spain for themselves. The coach Dagur Sigurdsson from federal titled when he took office a half years ago when the new “Bad Boys” club (“at that time had some of whom do not even beard,” said team manager Oliver Roggisch) made its name. The cover with the “bad guys” Finn Lemke and Hendrik Pekeler in midblock stood like a wall, behind gave keeper Andreas Wolff, a world-class performance from. “That was the perfect match,” Pekeler said, “but just for today,” Sigurdsson should still add later with a wink.

Henning Fitz to victory

If the superiority is too large, an unequal struggle to come to an end, the boxer know how to help. Then, it is customary to throw a white towel into the ring to stop the fight. In handball, there’s not. Otherwise a white sheet from the Spanish corner would last night in a so unprecedented European Championship final undoubtedly flown onto the pitch. Instead heard the Iberians in the final minutes of playing. On the clock ticked down the halls-seconds, the German players were already rejoicing in the arms. To clearly was the balance of power, too well the German team. “We had no chance at all,” admitted the Spanish coach Manuel Cadenas.

The greatest surprise has become a reality. Younger Germans have placed the European Handball crown on whimsical manner and the great Spaniards left a painful lesson. From 29: 34 to defeat preliminaries opener Sigurdsson had learned the right lessons and his team set very well. “We wanted to take the Circle runner and the outside out of the game and let the Spaniards throw from the backcourt,” said Pekeler. The plan worked. The Spaniards desperate. Even and especially in the “evil Wolff”. The keeper held half of all shots and managed as best keeper of the tournament to jump into the All Star Team. Was appointed Also included in this Europe Choice Right Wing Tobias Reichmann from the Polish champion Kielce. Born in Berlin shone in this tournament especially as a safe seven-meter shot. Until the final countdown, he met with 27 attempts 26 times. Ironically in the final denied him from the bar the nerves; he missed two of two. But that did not change the overall impression.

This young, battered by so much bad luck with injuries German team, defied in the last 15 days persistently all prophecies of doom, which have caused a premature failure. Since the defeat against Spain, “we only had finals,” Sigurdsson said. You have won them all. In the preliminary round against Sweden (27:26) and Slovenia (25:21), in the main round against Hungary (29:19), Russia (30:29) and Denmark (25:23). The whether their aspirations derided worked last Friday also through the semifinals, shoving Norway (34:33) out of the race, and have then again taken to the chest finally, the “old” Spaniards.

The Iberians are nearly five years older than the German players who come as the youngest team of the European Championship just on an average of 24.6 years with an average age of 29.2 years.

“We have a new golden generation,” said Uwe Schwenker, the President of the Handball Bundesliga (HBL). Handball “Made in Germany” is a quality product again. For years to come it will now be as it were claim and obligation, at world and European championships to play along for the medals

. Direct qualification for Rio

This success is of course inseparable from the name Dagur Sigurdsson. A man, the understanding of the young European champion and they trust blindly. The Icelanders made it great talents from a team of high international caliber form. This triumph is the success of a collective. There are no stars. The star is the team. That may sound for a phrase, but it describes the current state of the German handball very precisely.

A pleasant side effect of the first European triumph of a German national handball team since winning the title in 2004 is the direct qualification for the Olympic Games in Rio. Participation in the World Cup 2017 in France had the choice of the German Handball Federation (DHB) already secured the semi-finals with the draw. “That means to me personally very, very much,” Sigurdsson said, just wanted to celebrate. “I have now only once to take me something unhealthy,” Lemke said, and said goodbye to the party night of Krakow, the restaurant La Grande at Mama Pasta Pitta and took on the medieval market square (Rynek Glowny) began. Thereafter, prophesied Christian Dissinger, “we lay an infusion.”

[The development of Frankfurt for future reference - in five booklets. Our special series FR-history. ]

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