Imagine if that had happened a stone’s throw away. Right next to the Nuremberg Arena, where the Bundesliga handball players from HC Erlangen hold their home games, is the Nuremberg Stadium, the home of the club footballers. Not so long ago they had to go through a trough; the performances were often good, but the results were not. And the coach was immediately counted out. In addition to the impressive game, the club can now also show the right results; Miroslav Klose has never been more comfortable in his coaching chair.
The Erlangen handball players are currently going through a trough, the performances aren’t even bad, the team is fighting, but the results aren’t coming. HC Erlangen is third from last, with two measly plus points to its credit, level with the first relegation spot. The home game against HSG Wetzlar was just lost 22:25, against a potential competitor in the fight to stay in the first league. And the coach? Martin Schwalb couldn’t sit tighter in his saddle.
Because while the slightest crisis in results at the club immediately causes rumblings in the surrounding area, HC Erlangen receives support from all sides. Once again there were more than 6,000 people in the hall, the number of spectators was higher than ever, and once again there was encouraging applause instead of whistles. There is also confidence in the upper levels of the club, which primarily applies to the chairman of the supervisory board, Carsten Bissel. The lawyer is the strong man in the background; ultimately it is he who lowers or raises his thumb. Now Bissel says: “Despite everything, the atmosphere is great, the coach will manage it.”
The defeat against Wetzlar is easy to explain: “We blew everything,” says coach Schwalb
In fact, the HCE is far from actionistic, especially since what a club could change at this early point in the season has already been done. After a weak start, Johannes Sellin was replaced by Schwalb at the beginning of October, a transfer coup that left some people rubbing their eyes. Schwalb is one of the best-known and most successful coaches in this country, has won all relevant club titles including the Champions League, and his previous employers have only been top clubs. The 61-year-old even managed to convince talented trainer Sellin to stay as his assistant coach. In Marko Bezjak, a Champions League winner was recently brought in from Croatia; the team has a few national players in its ranks such as Poland’s Maciej Gebala, silver medalist Christoph Steinert and the goalkeeper duo Klemen Ferlin (Slovenia) and Khalifa Ghedbane (Algeria).
But why, despite everything, are there still no results like the recent one against Wetzlar? “Well, it has never been so clear to answer before,” says Schwalb, “we simply blew everything.” One of nine attempts from the right wing found the target, from the very position in which whiz kid Tim Gömmel was so convincing recently. Gömmel, who is only 19 years old, has even earned his nomination for the provisional squad for the World Cup in January with his recent performances. And Hampus Olsson, part of the extended Swedish national squad, didn’t make things any better.
On Sunday, former national goalkeeper Till Klimpke kept everything in the HSG goal – including three seven-meter penalties. No matter whether it was veteran Bezjak, newcomer Gömmel or the Swedish backfield sniper Jonathan Svensson – Klimpke was there. “He won the game for us,” said HSG coach Frank Carstens, who he had to thank.
Only Marek Nissen (7 goals) and Antonio Metzner (5) had acceptable odds, not enough for a game in such a strong league. The coach saw “13 free throws” either in the arms of Klimpke or whizzing past the goal, in a game “that we have to win”. Of course, this defeat still resonates, but no one needs to worry about it, says Schwalb.
Why? “If we were wandering around aimlessly as headless pigs, it would be different. But the boys fight like lions, the defense is good, everyone gives their all. We are far from letting ourselves down.” Schwalb believes that all it takes is one key experience and then the knot would break. Now it’s time to believe in it and keep working calmly: “We’ll manage the turnaround, I’m sure of that.” And he also knows that he’ll have the time to do it.
