It wasn’t just a victory on the court for Germany’s national handball team; they’ve secured a massive win in the living rooms of the nation too. Following Thursday’s gritty 30-27 triumph over Austria in Herning, the squad led by head coach Alfred Gíslason has plenty to celebrate, having comprehensively beaten the competition in the television ratings war. The European Championship opener pulled in an average of 5.532 million viewers on ARD, securing a dominant 23.7 per cent market share and comfortably outpacing the usually unassailable medical drama Der Bergdoktor on rival channel ZDF, which drew 4.95 million viewers.
A Hit with the Younger Demographic
The appetite for the tournament was particularly evident among younger audiences. In the key 14-to-49 demographic, the match attracted up to 1.365 million fans from 8:30 pm, commanding a staggering 30 per cent market share. The figures were equally robust in the broader 14-to-59 age bracket, where 2.261 million tuned in. These numbers represent a comprehensive victory across all three major categories for the DHB stars, proving that live sport still possesses the power to unite the nation in a way scripted drama struggles to match.
Wolff Silences the Critics and the Crowd
Despite the comfortable viewing figures, things got decidedly twitchy on the parquet floor in the dying minutes. As the clock ticked into the 58th minute, tournament debutant Tom Kiesler, who had been excellent until that point, was sent to the sin-bin for two minutes. It looked as though the momentum might swing; Austria’s top scorer Sebastian Frimmel stepped up to the seven-metre line with the chance to narrow the deficit to 26-28.
Enter Andreas Wolff. The German keeper made himself big, denying Frimmel and effectively breaking Austrian resistance. It was the decisive moment of the match, prompting the 5,000 travelling German fans inside the Jyske Bank Boxen to erupt into chants of “Andy, Andy!”
For Wolff, the save was personal. He had piled the pressure on his own shoulders before a ball was even thrown, casually dismissing Austria’s seven-against-six tactical approach as “anti-handball” and “ugly.” The Austrian contingent in the crowd had greeted him with a chorus of boos and whistles during the team presentations, but Wolff had the last laugh. “It felt good, that was very, very important,” Wolff told reporters after the match, refusing to backtrack on his earlier controversial comments. “I said this seven-against-six is anti-handball, and I’ve been proven right again. For me as a goalkeeper, it’s extremely exhausting, so I’m just glad we don’t have to face them again for now.”
Golla Sets the Tone
While Wolff provided the heroics between the sticks, captain Johannes Golla was the engine room of the victory. Finishing as the top scorer with seven goals and chipping in with three assists, his influence extended far beyond the offensive stats. From the very first whistle, Golla’s aggressive defending set a physical standard that dragged teammates Kiesler and Julian Köster along with him.
“I really wanted to set a marker early on and provide some direction,” Golla admitted regarding his ferocious tackling. His teammates were quick to heap praise on the skipper, with Lukas Mertens calling him “indispensable” for both club and country, while Julian Köster declared him the undisputed Man of the Match. “He leads from the front and the back,” Köster said. “An outstanding game from him.”
Room for Improvement
Despite the points and the ratings win, the camp remains grounded. The German side was guilty of profligacy, missing the empty net three times when Austria deployed their extra outfield player—a tactical gamble that leaves the goal unguarded. Gíslason, whilst pleased with the defensive solidity, noted that the attack lacked a certain fluidity. “I think we saw an outstanding defence over the entire game, and the goalkeepers were very good, but we need to step up in attack,” the coach assessed. “We could have pulled further away when we were five goals up, but we missed the empty goal and made too many mistakes.”
Golla echoed his manager’s sentiments, suggesting they need to be more ruthless in punishing risks taken by the opposition. “Basically, we have to take those shots so we don’t get dragged into Austria’s slow game,” the captain noted. “Our strength is supposed to be tempo handball, so we have to take risks sometimes.”
With the opening jitters largely dispelled and confidence high, Marko Grgic noted that getting the win over the line was vital for self-belief. The team now turns its attention to Saturday evening’s clash against Serbia, another fixture that fans can catch live on ARD, hoping for another commanding performance on the court and on the screen.