The first personnel decisions have been made on the way to the home European Championships. The national coach has named a 35-man squad from which he can choose for the tournament.
Germany’s handball players will definitely have to do without the injured backcourt players Paul Drux and Fabian Wiede at the 2024 European Championship at home.
The duo from Bundesliga runners-up Füchse Berlin is not in the expanded 35-member European Championship squad that the German Handball Association reported to the European association EHF on Thursday.
National coach Alfred Gislason is only allowed to use players from this pool in the finals from January 10th to 28th next year. Also not there are circle runner Hendrik Pekeler, who recently rejected a comeback to the national team for health reasons, and former European champion Julius Kühn.
On the other hand, the currently injured backcourt players Philipp Weber and Luca Witzke can still have hopes of taking part in the European Championship. They are also in the extended squad, as are five U21 world champions: David Späth, Justus Fischer, Renars Uscins, Nils Lichtlein and Max Beneke.
“This 35-man squad has potential”
“This squad of 35 has potential. Anyone who has made it into this circle can dream of being part of a great handball story in January. We will see a very ambitious national team,” said DHB sports director Axel Kromer.
Shortly before Christmas, Gislason will name the squad that will compete for medals at the European Championships. The DHB selection meets Switzerland, North Macedonia and record world champion France in the preliminary round. In preparation for the tournament, the German team is completing a short course from December 27th to 29th in Frankfurt am Main as well as two international test matches against Portugal on January 4th in Flensburg and January 6th in Kiel.
The expanded 35-man squad for the 2024 European Handball Championship:
Goal: Joel Birlehm (Rhein-Neckar Löwen), Silvio Heinevetter (TVB Stuttgart), Daniel Rebmann (VfL Gummersbach), David Späth (Rhein-Neckar Löwen), Andreas Wolff (Industria Kielce)
Left winger: Rune Dahmke (THW Kiel), Lukas Mertens (SC Magdeburg), Matthias Musche (SC Magdeburg), Tim Nothdurft (Bergischer HC)
Backcourt left: Martin Hanne (TSV Hannover-Burgdorf), Sebastian Heymann (Frisch Auf Göppingen), Julian Köster (VfL Gummersbach), Lukas Stutzke (Bergischer HC)
Backcourt left/center: Tim Suton (TBV Lemgo Lippe), Philipp Weber (SC Magdeburg)
Back center: Simon Ernst (SC DHfK Leipzig), Juri Knorr (Rhein-Neckar Löwen), Nils Lichtlein (Füchse Berlin), Marian Michalczik (TSV Hannover-Burgdorf), Luca Witzke (SC DHfK Leipzig)
Back area right: Max Beneke (VfL Potsdam/Füchse Berlin), Kai Häfner (TVB Stuttgart), David Schmidt (Frisch Auf Göppingen), Franz Semper (SC DHfK Leipzig), Renars Uscins (TSV Hannover-Burgdorf)
Backcourt right/right wing: Christoph Steinert (HC Erlangen)
Right wing: Patrick Groetzki (Rhein-Neckar Löwen), Tim Hornke (SC Magdeburg), Timo Kastening (MT Melsungen), Lukas Zerbe (TBV Lemgo)
Circle: Sebastian Firnhaber (HC Erlangen), Justus Fischer (TSV Hannover-Burgdorf), Johannes Golla (SG Flensburg-Handewitt), Jannik Kohlbacher (Rhein-Neckar Löwen), Tim Zechel (HC Erlangen)
Source: Stern
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