He stood there and didn’t really know what was happening to him. He was “a bit overwhelmed,” said Till Klimpke, “I didn’t think it would be such a good game.” The 23-year-old handball goalkeeper didn’t bring out much more at that moment, as praise rained down on him from all sides. After a rather mediocre start in the opening game against Belarus, Klimpke showed all his skills in the 34:29 win over Austria with 14 saves, some of which were well worth seeing.
But the joy of the victory was thoroughly gone on Monday evening. Because the team, which was housed under supposedly safe corona conditions in Slovakia compared to neighboring Hungary, received devastating news: in addition to Julius Kühn and Hendrik Wagner, a quintet led by Klimpke’s goalkeeper colleague Andreas Wolff has now also tested positive for the virus. And that immediately before the last preliminary round game against Poland on Tuesday (6 p.m. / ZDF), in which the group win and two important points are at stake, which the winner takes into the main round.
“The five players went into isolation in their single rooms. All other members of the delegation also withdrew to their rooms in the team hotel in Bratislava after the results became known,” wrote the German Handball Federation (DHB) in a hastily written press release about the three German corona cases until seven.
The prevailing impression in the team from now on: “It can get anyone”
The game against Poland will now take place without the seven affected, the preliminary round is already booked even in the event of a defeat. In addition to goalkeeper Wolff, backcourt player Kai Häfner, right winger Timo Kastening, left winger Lukas Mertens and playmaker Luca Witzke are affected. With regard to subsequent nominations, the DHB immediately contacted the European handball association EHF and “with players and clubs in the Bundesliga”.
With success: Goalkeeper Johannes Bitter (HSV Hamburg), left winger Rune Dahmke (THW Kiel), pivot Sebastian Firnhaber (HC Erlangen) and backcourt players Paul Drux and Fabian Wiede (Füchse Berlin) will arrive in Bratislava on Tuesday to present the German selection strengthen against Poland. The quintet was nominated late Monday evening to compensate for the failures of the seven professionals due to their positive findings.
Bitter, Dahmke and Firnhaber are part of the 35 squad that had to be nominated by the German association at the beginning of December. Thanks to an exemption from the EHF, the Berliners Drux and Wiede, who are not part of this group, can also move up. All five players who traveled later must have presented a negative PCR test before kick-off in Bratislava. In addition, the entire German delegation will undergo another PCR test on Tuesday.
Of course, the uncertainty in the squad could not be greater, because the positive results caught the German delegation completely by surprise. “We felt safe beforehand because we strictly adhered to all the guidelines,” said playmaker Luca Witzke, but this feeling of security is now gone: “In the evening you take the topic to bed with you, it can get anyone , all of us know that.”
Gislason’s “blatant upheaval” could now be an advantage
The fact that Gislason tried out a few things in the win against Austria with his many debutants, as he did against Belarus, could now benefit the team in view of current developments. In any case, the wonderful mood was terribly dampened on Monday evening, Gislason will now be forced to improvise more than ever. After all, he can count on the services of Klimpke, who was so strong recently, against the Poles.
Like a wall: goalkeeper Till Klimpke hardly flies past in the game against Austria.
(Foto: Tilo Wiedensohler via www.imago-images.de/imago images/camera4+)
Over the past few years, he has been able to calmly mature into a top goalkeeper in the Bundesliga at HSG Wetzlar. The goalkeeping school of Central Hesse has an excellent reputation, the players enjoy a certain calm and are not in the limelight as with the top clubs in the league. The man behind this remarkable development is Wetzlar’s goalkeeping coach Jasmin Camdzic, whose school Andreas Wolff once attended.
After Klimpke made his breakthrough in the league long ago, the performance against Austria on the international stage should give him a decisive boost. First-choice goalkeeper Wolff will only be able to watch for the time being, the veteran is, like his infected colleagues, in a quarantine hotel provided by the EHF. After all, a return to the main round of the European Championship does not seem unthinkable.
The atmosphere in the squad was great, as Christoph Steinert, also a debutant, who scored five goals against Austria and convinced again, cheerfully confirmed on Sunday evening. Now the man from Erlangen can at least look forward to the arrival of his club colleague Sebastian Firnhaber, who played his first major tournament at the World Cup in Egypt. Coaches and players alike had repeatedly emphasized how important each individual player would become in the course of the tournament. Of course, no one could have guessed how quickly these words would gain in importance. Especially since the main round of the German selection guarantees at least four more games. Of course nobody wants to think any further at the moment.
The fact that Gislason consistently focuses on the future and started a “blatant upheaval” in Bratislava could now be a small advantage. However, it seems questionable whether the looseness that the young selection has achieved so far will also be reflected in the other tasks.
Nevertheless, a positive test result does not necessarily mean the end of the EM: Julius Kühn, for example, could theoretically be back on the field on Thursday at the start of the main round after surviving quarantine with two negative tests. At the moment, no one at the DHB wants to speculate on how this can look with the other infected players.
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