Women's handball European Championships 2023: German team relies on victory in Innsbruck

Women's handball European Championships 2023: German team relies on victory in Innsbruck

The anticipation for the 16th handball European Championships of women is great, and the teams are preparing for an exciting tournament that takes place in Hungary, Austria and Switzerland from November 28 to December 15. This year there will be an innovation at the European Championship: for the first time, 24 teams will compete against each other. This is an opportunity for many nations to present themselves on the big stage, and the pressure to deliver in every game is enormous.

The German women who play their preliminary round games in Innsbruck meet in Group F on Ukraine, Iceland and the Netherlands. According to national coach Markus Gaugisch, the team evaluates the opportunities in the duel against the Dutch. "This is the decisive key game. The aim is to complete the preliminary round without loss," said Sarah Bölk. The German team has already won two clear victories in the qualification against Ukraine, which keeps the mood optimistic.

where and how is played?

The games take place in several cities: Debrecen, Basel, Innsbruck and Vienna are the venues selected. In Vienna, the medals are presented on the final weekend. The preliminary round consists of six groups, each with four teams, with the two best teams of each group moving into the main round. In the main round, the preliminary round results are taken away, which can influence the course of the tournament.

An interesting detail concerns the point rating: There are two points for a win, and one point for a tie. In the event of a tie, various criteria are used, from a direct comparison to the goal difference to fair play ranking, which means that the number of punished cards is also important for the same points.

The favorites and the German squad

The main round could become challenging with teams such as defending champion Norway and the strong Danes. France and Sweden are also considered medalists. The German team would like to take the next step towards success after sixth place in the last World Cup and the first participation in the Olympic Games in summer. So far, the last medal for Germany was at home at the 1994 European Championship, where the women won silver.

An important step for the team is also the flexibility of the squad. Up to 20 players may be reported before the start of the tournament, and on the matchday the coaches from this pool can select the 16 players who are on the field. This regulation enables the coaching team to react to the strengths of the players.

In addition, the tournament is accompanied by a special mascot, a wildcat called "Catchy", which embodies attributes speed, maneuverability and intelligence - properties that are also important for handball. The official song of the European Championship is an adapted version of the classic "Live is Life" by Opus, which is given the anniversary with a special note.

Fans can follow the exciting games and experience the development in the tournament up close. More details and current information on the European Championship can be found here to be found.