For Staffan Olsson, the main round duel between the Netherlands and Germany at the Handball World Championship does not contain any additional fuel, despite the rivalry between the two neighbors. “I don’t notice it – but I’m from Sweden, too,” said the Oranje coach with a wink ahead of Saturday’s landmark game in Katowice.
It’s still a very special game for the up-and-coming Dutchman, as everything is at stake for them. A defeat would mean the end of all quarter-final dreams and a small setback on the path to the top of the world.
This is exactly where Olsson, who played in the Bundesliga for many years as a professional and was German champion four times with THW Kiel, should lead the team. The 58-year-old has been responsible for the national team since August 2022 and is very fond of his protégés. “I have a fantastic squad, the players always want to develop. That’s obviously a lot of fun for me as a coach,” he said.
The Dutch can learn a lot from Olsson, who was once one of the world’s best players. The former backcourt player for Sweden played 358 international matches and became world champion twice and European champion four times with the Drei-Kronen-Team. The Dutch want to benefit from this experience – if possible against the DHB selection.
“The second suit fits better and better, Alfred can now switch in peace,” said pivot Jannik Kohlbacher, who was an outstanding player against the North Africans given his ten goals. “I think everyone is in the tournament now.” And the German team wants to stay in this tournament for a long time to come. “We’re still riding the wave,” said backcourt player Christoph Steinert. In the best possible case, this wave will carry the DHB selection to the final on January 29th in Stockholm.
