Swiss goalkeeper Nikola Portner has had a difficult time. If the team wants to make it through to the main round of the World Cup in Herning, it needs him to be on top form.
15.01.2025, 04:30
15.01.2025, 07:05
SDA
Nikola Portner is not a loudspeaker, but a man of clear and direct words. At the Yellow Cup in Winterthur, which the Swiss finished in 2nd place behind the Netherlands, he told a teammate that if he carried on like this, he wouldn't have to go to the World Cup. "It's never personal, but it can hurt," he said in a media interview in Stans, describing his leadership style as captain.
Portner's words carry weight. At 31, he is the oldest member of the Swiss team and the only one to have played more than 100 international matches (135). His successes are also more than impressive. He won the Champions League with both Montpellier (2018) and his current club Magdeburg (2023).
Last year in particular, however, he also experienced the darker side of sport. In mid-April, he was suspended from playing after testing positive for methamphetamine. At the end of June, the German Handball League acquitted him, partly because the amount of the banned substance in Portner's body was very small. However, the case is not yet over for him, as the German National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) does not accept the acquittal and has appealed to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
When asked how he dealt with the whole thing, he replied: "It sucks, but I'm doing really well in life. My wife and my two daughters are healthy, I have something to eat. My father died four and a half years ago, that's when you realize what's really bad." This attitude says a lot about Portner. Shortly before the festive season, he experienced another horror scenario when there was an attack at the Christmas market in the immediate vicinity of his home in Magdeburg. "In a situation like that, you ask yourself a lot of questions," he says.
The dream of a medal
Now, however, his entire focus is on the World Cup. His status in the team is also due to the fact that he thinks big. He says: "My biggest dream is to win a medal with the Swiss national team one day, no matter how crazy that sounds and even though it seems unattainable. This mentality has taken me to the Champions League."
Portner is satisfied with the development of Swiss handball. He highlights the example of 19-year-old Gino Steenaerts; the winger is moving from Kriens-Lucerne to top German team Rhein-Neckar Löwen in the summer. "Ten years ago, that would have been unimaginable," says Portner. "Back then, you had to play for Kadetten Schaffhausen and perform at a top level to maybe - I don't want to be disrespectful - sign with a club like Minden."
Today, top clubs send scouts to the Swiss league and there are various Swiss talents with an extremely professional attitude. "When I made my debut in the national team (in November 2011), there were players who came straight from the exit to the training course and smoked after training. That's how it was back then. I'm proud of the way it is now."
Nevertheless, Portner still sees potential for improvement in terms of mentality. "We sometimes represent Switzerland the way we are as a people. We're too sweet on the handball court, and that's not good." Sometimes it is necessary to break out of the system and make a statement. "We sometimes lack that in defense. If you make your opponents think, you have more chances of being successful."
Full focus required
It is clear that the Swiss must play at their best, especially after the loss of playmaker Manuel Zehnder, in order to finish the preliminary round in the top three and thus reach the main round. They are clear outsiders in their second match on Friday against Olympic silver medallists Germany. The two duels last year were clearly lost 14:27 at the European Championship finals and 26:35 in the European Championship qualifiers. "There's something about their style of play that doesn't suit us," says Portner. Is too much being invested in this particular encounter? "I can't speak for the others, but for me it doesn't matter whether I'm playing against Germany or Kosovo."
How does he see the starting position in the duels against the Czech Republic, the first opponent on Wednesday evening at 6 p.m., and Poland on Sunday? Are they 50:50 games for him? "Those are two games that we can win but also lose by a ten-goal difference if we don't implement our plan. These are opponents who have much more experience at international level than we do." That's why it's important to be fully focused every second. If that is not the case, Portner will address this clearly and directly.
