Kick-off for the biggest European Handball Championship of all time

The European Handball Championship kicks off today, Thursday – and the German national team faces a tough test right from the start in their opening match against the Netherlands. We spoke to world and European champion Tosten Jansen about the DHB team’s chances, potential advantages arising from the injury crisis, cabin fever and blind chickens.

Travel stress inevitable

The 14th edition of the European Handball Championship brings plenty of new features: for the first time, 24 nations are taking part – eight more than usual. What’s more, three countries – Norway, Sweden and Austria – are sharing the hosting duties. An unusual arrangement: whilst the German team’s opening matches are scheduled for Trondheim, the main round would take place in Vienna, over 1,700 kilometres away. For any potential final matches, the squad would have to travel back north to Stockholm.

Former international Torsten “Toto” Jansen is also baffled by the European Handball Federation’s (EHF) planning: “It is a bit odd. We’ll have to wait and see how the atmosphere develops. Besides, we’re all talking about climate change, so journeys like this make even less sense for the teams.” The coach of Handball Sport Verein Hamburg favours a clearer hosting arrangement: “Personally, I thought it was better to travel through a single country. Even the last World Championship, which was shared by Germany and Denmark, only felt like a half-home World Championship.”

Who will be the surprise package?

As well as the stress of travelling, a number of challenges await the German national team on the court. In the group stage, they will be battling it out for the top two spots against the Netherlands, co-favourites Spain and Latvia; in the main round, they could face the strong Croatian side. For the expert, the tournament is a mixed bag: “Reaching the main round should be possible. However, off the top of my head, I can think of six to eight teams that are very good and could go far in the European Handball Championship.”

Alongside the handball powerhouses – world champions Denmark, France, Spain, Croatia, Slovenia, and hosts Norway and Sweden – Jansen also expects a surprise in the final round this year. But the Hamburg resident doesn’t want to commit to who that might be: “It’s nice that you can’t predict what will happen. The European Handball Championship will certainly be a highly competitive tournament.” How far the German team goes also depends on whether national coach Christian Prokop can compensate for the numerous absences.

New opportunities

No fewer than seven backcourt players had already withdrawn before the first throw-off. Now, players who are not natural playmakers must take charge in the centre. “Every absence weighs heavily, but it gives other lads the chance to prove themselves,” says Jansen. Often, it is only subtle differences that decide the selection, as the differences in performance across the individual positions are minimal.

The former left-winger should know: he made 178 appearances for the national team and enjoyed a real run of form at the successful 2007 home World Cup, scoring around 90 per cent of his shots in the opposition’s goal. “Even a blind chicken finds a grain of corn sometimes,” laughs Jansen when asked about his outstanding scoring rate. “Of course, your confidence grows with every win during a tournament. Nevertheless, you always have to be prepared for the next situation,” as games can turn on a sixpence – luck and misfortune are two sides of the same coin.

“There’s no magic formula”

“You lose some tournaments because of a goal or two, or three silly decisions. There’s no magic formula for success,” explains “Toto”. That also applies to leisure activities between matches: “Every team has different types of players who deal with the situation differently. Some enjoy pottering about together on the console in the common room. I was also quite happy going for a walk on my own or reading a book.”

According to Jansen, the famous case of cabin fever usually arises during pre-tournament preparations and is already overcome by that point; “during the tournament, it’s all about winning.” Yet with every match won, it’s likely to become harder to switch off: public attention grows as the event drags on. “The media hype just keeps growing. But after talking to the journalists, the players have to quickly refocus on what matters most. Everyone’s always wiser with hindsight anyway.”

Highs and lows

For the 2011 German champions, it’s back to the second division rather than the European Handball Championship from next Monday. As coach of second-division side Handball Sport Verein Hamburg, preparations for the second half of the season are underway; HSVH are currently ninth. “So far, there’s been quite a lot of light, but also plenty of shadows. We’re not playing as consistently as we’d hoped and have let a few points slip away needlessly.”

In this physically demanding sport, it is often the mental aspect that decides victory or defeat, as Jansen says: “It’s a dance on a razor’s edge. Some players have the courage to do something crazy in the crucial moments.” But when will a national player from the Hanseatic city next combine these two elements and travel to a major tournament, Mr Jansen? “I’m no fortune-teller. But perhaps still within this decade.”