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DUSSELDORF - Comments from Germany head coach Alfred Gislason (ISL), left back Philipp Weber (GER) and goalkeeper Andreas Wolff (GER), and Switzerland head coach Michael Suter (SUI), goalkeeper Nikola Portner (SUI) and left back Lenny Rubin (SUI) after Germany beat Switzerland 27:14 in preliminary round group A at the MERKUR SPIEL-ARENA on Wednesday.
Alfred Gislason (ISL) – head coach, Germany
On the win:
“We are very happy with the point and also with how the team performed. It was a world-class performance from them. The defence was exceptionally good, that was the foundation of the win. Great attitude from the guys when we lost the ball, we got seven or eight balls back.
“We played well in defence which was important also. Andy Wolff was a big part of the success, he caught 64 per cent of the shots. In attack it was a great day also.”
On the upcoming game against North Macedonia:
“We are playing at home and we are dreaming of getting far in the tournament. The reality is still the same, I am happy with the team and how the players performed.
“We have a few days to prepare for the North Macedonia game. It will be a difficult game. They are an impulsive team and an aggressive team so they will be difficult and this win today does not change that. The big favourites are the French team and we have to continue improving every game. We continue in this way to think about each game.”
Philipp Weber (GER) - left back
On the game:
“Our defence was impressive, Andy [Wolff] had an amazing game, and of course it is easier to win a game of handball when you only take 14 goals. But we worked well, we were able to stop their plan. Such a win is very good for our self-confidence.”
On the importance of starting the competition well:
“This is like the most important competition for German handball in a long time, and we know that we can’t mess around. We showed that tonight, we started with a bang and it’s very good for all of us. We left doubts aside, put our foot to the floor and that’s also how it should be on Sunday in Berlin.”
On playing in a full stadium:
“The roar when we entered the court, I can’t describe it. I play in the Bundesliga every weekend but that was something else. It was like playing in front of a sea of people. Of course, it made things simpler for us, but I’ll remember the whole experience of playing there. You have to enjoy it because it might never happen again.”
Andreas Wolff (GER) - goalkeeper
On his personal game:
“It is easy to make saves when your defence is playing that good, let’s be honest. I know I am one of the leaders of the team, and that I had to show the way. I’m glad I was able to do it, glad that I was able to help the team as well.”
On playing in a full stadium:
“There are no words, to be honest. The fans have been amazing, they have been chanting and enjoying the moment. Of course, you feel some pressure and responsibility when so many spectators turn up to see you but I was confident that the expectations would not crush us.”
Michael Suter (SUI) - head coach
On the reasons for the loss:
“Our defence was okay. The first 20 minutes were especially hard for us, we had lots of problems with Andy Wolff.
“We made mistakes ourselves which was our problem in the second half. We lost a lot of one-on-one situations.
“Maybe the preparation games were too easy. We could not get through the defence of the German team. It was hard for us, it was a big game for us and we wanted to do well but it was not for us today.”
Nikola Portner (SUI) - goalkeeper
On the atmosphere in the stadium:
“We made sure it would not be too good by playing so badly that they did not see a proper game today. At least they were able to eat their popcorn without worrying about the result.
“Sarcasm aside, it’s an amazing ad for our sport, but I’m quite bitter when we were not up to the occasion.”
On the forthcoming game against France:
“It’s going to be another tough one, since France are even better than Germany in my opinion. But we have three days to heal our heads first and get things on track before we play against them.”
Lenny Rubin (SUI) - left back
On the game:
“There is not much to be said really. We struggled offensively and we lost too many balls and missed too many shots. Germany were definitely the best team tonight, but we made things easy for them too.”
On the reasons for Switzerland’s defeat:
“We did not play together, we did not do things together and especially on offence, we all tried to do our thing. When we play together, we can beat anyone, but that’s not the face we showed today.”
On playing in a full stadium:
“It was crazy, but the defeat makes it a bit bitter. The fact that we played in Germany did not make it easier for us but we did not play on the level that’s requested. Thanks a lot to the 3,000 fans that came from Switzerland to support us, that’s amazing and I would have liked the team to put on a better performance.”
TEXT: European Handball Federation
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