The game of games for Austria’s handball players: “I’ll fly my family in for that”

There were some tired faces that Patrick Fölser looked into the morning after Austria’s splendid 30:29 over Hungary at the start of the main round of the European Championship in Germany. “But it’ll be okay,” was the answer the ÖHB sports director heard from the players who had been looking for a massage or straight to bed after the fourth undefeated European Championship game.

Austria’s selection has long been running on reserve – but that doesn’t matter, as the comparison with hosts Germany in Cologne is on the agenda on Saturday. A duel that is motivation enough, especially since the starting position is extraordinary.

“A defeat against Austria and the dream of the semi-finals would be over,” said German national coach Alfred Gislason.

On the one hand, a DHB selection that has its back against the wall after the preliminary round defeat against France, and on the other hand, Austria – a team that can only win. “They are writing handball history for Austria every minute they spend on the field here, they have nothing to lose,” said Gislason.

Magnificent stage

With 20,000 spectators, Cologne’s Lanxess Arena will be packed to capacity – an incomparable backdrop for Austrian handball standards. “This is a game in which you don’t know whether you will experience it again. I had my family flown in so that my son (Lio, 10; note) can experience it,” said Robert Weber, one of them has already seen a lot in handball.

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The 38-year-old is Austria’s record field player with 220 international matches, only goalkeeper legend Ewald Humenberger (246) has more. The right winger, who scored nine goals in the last ÖHB victory over Germany nine years ago (29:28 at the four-nation tournament in Dortmund), knows exactly what awaits Austria today: “It’s no secret that their greatest strength is Andreas Wolff is in goal.”

The 32-year-old is playing an outstanding European Championship and saved Germany’s 26:24 victory over Iceland on Thursday with two parried seven-meter throws in the final minutes. In addition, according to Weber, there is aggressive coverage and the extremely dangerous interaction of playmaker Juri Knorr with the circle.

The Olympic opportunity is alive

Since Hungary’s victory, it has even become realistic for Austria to take part in a qualifying tournament for the Summer Olympics in Paris. The world association’s complicated system determines which twelve teams will play in three groups of four for two Paris tickets between March 14th and 17th. Only after the European Championships can we say more precisely.

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“From a fourth place in the group, the chances are good,” says Fölser, noting in the same breath that they don’t want to waste any energy thinking about the Olympics at the moment. “We shouldn’t talk about things that are so far away now.”

The full concentration is on the Germany game. “Our physiotherapists work around the clock,” said team boss Ales Pajovic, who can console himself with the fact that at least no new problem children were added. While Janko Bozovic still has a fever, Moritz Mittendorfer, who is also ill, is on the mend. Lukas Hutecek and Boris Zivkovic’s knee injuries mean they can play.

“The players are ‘on fire’, we have this incredible self-confidence. We believe that it’s possible,” Pajovic reported, despite the wear and tear in the eyes of all his players. That’s the secret of success, says captain Mykola Bilyk: “If we believe in the miracle against Germany for 60 minutes, we will be there with a smile at the end.”