New faces in German men's squad

To begin their EHF EURO 2014 qualification campaign, Germany will play two test matches against the EHF EURO 2012 finalist, Serbia.

The last time they faced each other in Belgrade, Germany scored a last second equalizer in the Main Round opener of EHF EURO 2012. Germany missed out on the semi-final, however, host and high-flyer Serbia took the silver medal and qualified for the Olympic Games, finishing ninth in London.

Five weeks before the throw-off of the EHF EURO 2014 qualification, both teams face each other in two test matches on German ground in Schwerin (22 September) and Rostock (23 September).

German head coach Martin Heuberger will use these friendly games to test some new faces and as a lot of his experienced players are currently unable to play due to injuries or lack of fitness.

“The young guns, who have shown strong performances in the league and our B national team, will get the chance to prove themselves,” commented Heuberger during the squad announcement.

Those test matches will be something very special for Michael Haaß, who was badly injured during their defeat in the EHF EURO against Poland. Haaß was out of action from January to September. The games against the Serbs will start his comeback.

“We hope that he will be able to take on the same responsibility he did in Serbia,” Heuberger said, who praised the test match opponent. “Serbia played a strong Olympic tournament in a tough group. Serbia belong to the big guns in international handball, they have a lot of talent which they can call upon.”