It goes without saying that a defeat always hurts, but the Swiss' performance in the 29:31 loss to Germany at the World Handball Championship cannot be overestimated. Quotes from the game.
18.01.2025, 01:08
18.01.2025, 08:14
SDA
National coach Andy Schmid spoke of a "sensational game. I don't know if the word pride is enough. I told the players that it should hurt because we didn't get the reward for a great fight. I think we were the better team for 60 minutes, and to be that against Germany, a lot of things have to come together. (Andreas) Wolff saved them."
Wolff is Germany's goalkeeper, who saved an incredible 20 shots. The 33-year-old was a particular source of despair for the Swiss wingers, who only managed to get three of eleven shots on target from outside the box. Nevertheless, Schmid did not want to blame anyone. "Everyone did their job, shooting balls is part of handball". The five-time Bundesliga MVP continued: "I was really sweating. We play for moments like this. That's why I love the sport, I want to experience these ups and downs." In the two duels in 2024 against their arch-rivals, the Swiss were left without a chance, but they drew the right conclusions.
Goalkeeper Nikola Portner said: "I'm probably the proudest captain in the world today. With performances like this, we get boys and girls in Switzerland playing handball." In the run-up to the tournament, the 31-year-old had complained that they were sometimes too sweet on the field. This time, the team played from A to Z with the necessary willingness to suffer and fight. "We weren't the little Swiss today, but acted without fear and with a lot of power. They had to tremble, even though they are better on paper," said Portner.
The latter was confirmed by the German match-winner Andreas Wolff: "It didn't look like we were going to win the game at times. Andy (Schmid) set the team up very well, talking down before the game seems to have been a very good tactic. However, I know that my team has character, that we've learned our lessons from previous tournaments and that we have the self-confidence to keep pushing forward even in difficult situations." It was not for nothing that the Germans won the silver medal at last year's Olympic Games in Paris.