Handball European Championship: Why Julian Köster is a man for crunch time

Punch throws, jump throws or breakthroughs in one-on-one situations – Julian Köster draws on a versatile handball repertoire. The 23-year-old scored eight goals against Hungary and scored 24 goals in six games throughout the tournament. While the achievements of Andi Wolff and Juri Knorr have mostly been the focus so far, Julian Köster is increasingly moving into the spotlight.

This is mainly because the captain of VfL Gummersbach despite his young agebrings courage to the record. Right at the start of the tournament, he repeatedly took shots and didn’t let failed attempts deter him. The two-meter man thus provides penetration in the German attacking game. His hardest throw at this European Handball Championship hit the opponent’s goal at 126.32 kilometers per houra.

That Julian Köster privatelyYou can hardly tell that the 23-year-old is a rather quiet guy on the handball field. When other players get down to business, Köster still sparkles with energy. For example, when he fueled himself in the last minute of the main round game against Iceland and threw the ball into the net. The crunch time mentality of the Bielefeld native could be decisive at this European Handball Championship.

Alfred Gislason about Julian Köster: “There is no one like him in his generation in the world”

The then 21-year-old made his international debut in November 2021 in the friendly against Portugal in Luxembourg. He immediately drew attention to himself at his first European Handball Championships in January 2022 in Hungary and Slovakia. While Köster initially shone mainly with his goals, coach Alfred Gislason is now also building on the giants in defense. Together with Johannes Golla, Julian Köster provides the inner block, where he says he feels particularly comfortable. “That’s the central defensive position, where you help control the defense. Of course you have a lot to do, but I think it’s also a lot of fun,” said Köster in the DHB interview.

The defensive gameThe Bielefeld native is not limited to the inner block. If coach Gislason has an offensive defensive formation played, such as the so-called 3-2-1, Julian Köster can also play at the top. Despite his size, the left back has amazing flexibility. His quick footwork in combination with his long arms enables him to put the opposing backcourt players in trouble, to speculate on cross passes and to intercept as many of them as possible.

Alfred Gislason is convinced of Köster, not least because of these abilities. “There is no one in his generation in the world who has the same characteristics as him. He is already world class at a young age. What makes him extremely valuable: He is very good at reading his opponent. He almost never gets paid for his fouls two minutes,” the national coach praised the 23-year-old in the ZDF interview at the start of the European Championships. Gislason then confirmed that he would call Köster his secret most valuable player. The Icelander rarely gives such praise.

Loyal to VfL Gummersbach despite numerous offers

Due to his talent, some top clubs have had Köster on their list for a long time. In the past he has repeatedly been linked to record champions THW Kiel. But Köster decided against a move to the Fjord and instead extended his contract early with VfL Gummersbach in the summer of 2023 – without an exit clause and until 2026. With the OberbergersThe 23-year-old could become one of the most influential players in the next few years. It remains to be seen whether VfL can retain Julian Köster. Because after this European Handball Championship he will probably be on even more lists.

However, there are currently exciting prospects at VfL Gummersbach. Since being promoted again for the 2021/22 season, the traditional club has been able to establish itself again in the Handball Bundesliga, which is considered the “strongest league in the world” – and is currently in seventh place in the table. “Being part of the VfL family makes me very happy and I hope to be able to contribute to the development of the club,” said Julian Köster after his contract extension. According to consistent media reports, VfL is also in contact with France international Kentin Mahé. An axis from Mahé and Köster would certainly be an enrichment for the German upper house.

The Germans already got their semi-final ticket before the game against Croatia (8.30 p.m., ARD), as Austria made a mistake against Iceland in the afternoon. Nevertheless, Julian Köster and his teammates want to say goodbye to the main round with a win. “The Croatians are an incredibly strong team – you’ve seen that. They beat Spain right at the start. It’ll be just as much of a fight as in the other games. So we have to leave everything on the record again for 60 minutes,” emphasized the 23-year-old on ZDF. In the semi-finals the Germans will meet the reigning world champions from Denmark. For Julian Köster, this is another chance to compete with the best in his sport and to prove his international class.