Handball | The youth puts pressure on the national handball team

Matthes Langhoff would certainly have appreciated a breather. The 23-year-old has been on constant duty for months, running from one fixture to the next – with great success : In the Handball Bundesliga, Langhoff's Füchse Berlin are at the top of the table with six games remaining, and in the Champions League, they have qualified for the final tournament for the second time in their club's history, which will be held in Cologne on the second weekend in June. Given the tireless schedule, it certainly wouldn't have been the worst idea to take a breather.

On the other hand, Langhoff is still at the beginning of his career, his body recovers comparatively quickly - and besides, it wasn't just any invitation that the Neubrandenburg native recently received, but one from national coach Alfreð Gíslason. In addition to Langhoff, the Icelandic player who plays for the DHB has nominated two other debutants for the upcoming international matches in the European Championship qualifiers against Switzerland on Wednesday (7 p.m., live stream on sportschau.de) and Turkey on Sunday, who have attracted attention with their good performances at club level and are now set to reap the rewards. Alongside Langhoff, right winger Mathis Häseler from VfL Gummersbach and pivot Aron Seesing from second division club Bergischer HC are also in the squad. Gíslason is consistently continuing the rejuvenation of the national team , which has been underway for some time.

Against Switzerland it is about winning the group

The circumstances make it relatively easy for the 65-year-old to continue on his chosen path: In qualifying Group 7, Germany leads the table with a 7-1 record, two points ahead of the Swiss team that is their toughest opponent so far and their direct opponent on Wednesday. However, the established coach does not want to allow premature optimism to arise. Instead, Gíslason promises: "We will do everything in our power to win both matches and secure first place in the qualification." This is important, not least with a view to the seeding list for the European Championship draw.

A win against Switzerland would also have the advantage that Gíslason could use the final qualifying match against Turkey as a kind of test under competitive conditions , allowing him to try out tactical variations that have, at best, been rehearsed in training. The Icelander also makes no secret of the purposes for which he intends to use the current training camp with his national team players: "We're also looking ahead to the upcoming tournaments and therefore have promising players in mind in several positions." For example, Matthes Langhoff of the Füchse, who – just like the Rhein-Neckar Löwen and TSV Hannover-Burgdorf – each have three players, making them the largest block of the 19-man DHB squad.

Talents make the leap to the top

In general, a glance at the current squad reveals how well German handball has fared in terms of further development. A few years ago, a fundamental problem was that talented young players received too little playing time at their clubs, rarely allowing them to fully develop their talent. Ahead of the two qualifying matches against Switzerland and Turkey, there is now exactly one player in the squad who is older than 30: exceptional goalkeeper Andreas Wolff (34). Experts agree that all the other players selected still have their best years ahead of them. Even Johannes Golla, who has been captain of the national team for four years now, is only 27.

In total, Gíslason has once again called up seven players who won the U21 World Cup in Germany two years ago, have long been regulars at their clubs, and are considered great prospects for the upcoming tournaments. While the European Championship in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway (January 15 to February 1, 2026) is still a few months away, it's no stretch to say: Alfreð Gíslason will have no shortage of young, hungry, and talented players in the future—provided his team completes the sporting formalities this week and secures European Championship qualification.