Herning (dpa) – Just seconds before the final whistle, Germany’s handball players threw their arms into the air and as the final siren sounded, national coach Alfred Gislason also shouted out for joy at reaching the European Championship final. The DHB side beat long-time rivals Croatia 31:28 (17:15) in the semi-final and is now going for gold.
“I’m extremely proud of the boys for coming through this group of death and reaching the final. It’s a phenomenal achievement by everyone,” said Gislason on ARD. In front of 15,000 spectators in Herning, Denmark, Lukas Zerbe was the DHB team’s top scorer with six goals.
In Sunday’s final (18:00 CET), Olympic runners-up Germany will face Denmark’s high-flying side led by world handball player Mathias Gidsel. The co-host beat outsiders Iceland 31:28 (14:13) in an unexpectedly close semi-final.
Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz is keen to attend the European Championship final in person to watch the German team play. “See you on Sunday in the arena in Denmark,” he wrote on X, praising the German team: “The final – what a fantastic match!”
Discussion about this post