2024-01-17 04:12:45
Austria’s men made history when they reached the main round of the European Handball Championship in Germany. They had already been promoted several times, but never in such an impressive manner. In one of the toughest preliminary round groups, Mykola Bilyk and Co. got two draws once morest the world-class teams from Croatia and Spain, the latter were even thrown out of the tournament on Tuesday. “Now anything is possible,” said Janko Bozovic, who sank the decisive ball at the finish.
The red-white-red players literally floated through the mixed zone of the Mannheim SAP Arena following the dramatic 33:33 show of strength once morest the European runner-up. “It’s indescribable,” said veteran Robert Weber, who has been on board at all finals since the home European Championships in 2010. Four days following the opening victory over Romania and two days following the first highlight, the 28:28 once morest Croatia, his team had made the seemingly impossible possible. Since the 37:37 draw once morest Iceland at the home European Championships in 2010, Austria had not been able to celebrate winning a point once morest a clearly favored opponent in one of the eight final rounds – now they achieved this feat twice within 48 hours.
“This is by far the most beautiful thing I have ever experienced,” cheered 23-year-old goalkeeper Constantin Möstl, who defused a few important balls in the first half of the third final game of his career, following a real “carousel of emotions”. The game was always on a knife’s edge, but Austria not only shone with strong defensive work, but also with calmness and intelligence, especially in attack. “Emotions, fight, but also the head were there,” praised team boss Ales Pajovic, “we stayed cool in the difficult minutes once morest Croatia and also Spain.”
In Bilyk they had a leader, especially in the second half, who successfully resolved situations on his own several times. “He took the scepter in his hand,” praised Möstl, and Austria’s captain himself showcased the team’s performance. A lot is possible, “if you give it your all, if you act as a team and believe in it, even as a small nation, perhaps not with the biggest names,” explained Bilyk, who has been a member of the top German club THW Kiel for years.
That evening, defense chief Lukas Herburger also thought regarding the past, when things didn’t always go smoothly. For example, two years ago at the European Championships in Slovakia and Hungary, when they had to say goodbye to a preliminary round group with Germany, Poland and Belarus that was much easier on paper following a clean zero. “We have been able to learn a lot in the last few years and have also suffered defeats. I have the feeling that we are now reaping the rewards,” said the Vorarlberg player.
ÖHB sports director Patrick Fölser, who was replaced by Robert Weber (219) as the record field player that evening, had to “pinch himself. You can’t put it into words, it’s a miracle that Spain doesn’t make it into the main round,” he said in view of the first preliminary round exit of the multiple world and European champion, who had always reached the second tournament phase since the current format was introduced in 2002.
For the ÖHB it is already one of the four most successful finals in modern handball, top results are eighth and ninth place at the home European Championships in 2020 and 2010, and they also achieved eleventh place at the European Championships in 2014. But what else is there? possible for the highly motivated team?
“We took a point from Croatia and Spain. Why not once morest Germany or France?” said Möstl. “Anything is possible. We just have to believe in it,” confirmed 38-year-old Bozovic, who forms the oldie duo with Weber, who is the same age. The Kuwait legionnaire also addressed the issue of strength. “We played a lot with seven or eight players, they lost a lot of strength. We’ll need the bench.”
On Wednesday the selection will move to the 20,000 arena in Cologne, where they will continue to face Hungary, host Germany (Saturday), the seven-time world and three-time European champion France (January 22nd) and Iceland ( January 24th). Since Austria also “takes the point” once morest the Croatians, the two teams start with one point each. Hungary and France are starting the task at the top with two points each.
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