Handball world championship : Stefan Kretzschmar, We will make the semi-finals!

Herr Kretzschmar, in time for the football world Cup, published her new book "Hölleluja". It was a personal goal to write a tribute to your sport or lack the basketball before the world Championships at home, in Public and interest?

First of all, the Initiative came rather from the publishing house, which has recently delivered some good sports books: the Hockey national player Moritz furstenau about the Football Coach Patrick Esume to the commentators Elmar Paulke and Frank Buschmann. Then the topic of football world Cup came up, of course, everyone knows that it is happening in Germany. In may, the publisher with the question approached me, whether I can imagine to write a book about my sports, which is otherwise rather neglected is being treated, at least in the very large public perception. The idea I thought was great. With my Ghostwriter, the Hamburg-based journalist Nils Weber, it was a gift, a summer to work together, because we were at the start of a wave length

How you have to imagine this, specifically?

We have often sat with a bottle of red wine in the garden, talked and at the same time the recording device. Sounds very casual, in retrospect, it was riding a bit of hell, because we had little time. With the result but I am very satisfied, Nils has made my Pitch. If I grab the book in the evening and a Chapter reading, I even sometimes laugh out loud, even though it is my book

In one Chapter, you tell an anecdote about their former coach Alfred Gislason for you once in the Champions League have played, even though you have pain with acute back hardly able to move. "Man or mouse" he asked before coming off the bench. How difficult was it to tell good stories, without the former companions and friends to alienate.

I wanted to write a tell-all book, and other people in the pan just as well as you may know it by one or other of the players. My impression is anyway that the sensitivities in football are not nearly as pronounced. I have Wiegert, for example, Bennet, the coach of SC Magdeburg, you will be asked whether it is okay if I call him in connection with a wild party night in Reykjavik in particular. It could be quite uncomfortable for him, if his current players read a story about him and say: Look, our coach was a beast of a Party! But Benno was deeply relaxed and said: Kretzsche, that was a cool time, that was our youth, and I stand by it. You don't have to talk around the Bush.

there Were also other cases?

no. I just noticed that the own memory differs sometimes from that of my companion. Alfred Gislason, for example, the story with my disc problems in Europe has game Cup sure looks different. Nevertheless, more than a relationship between the player and the coach connects us more, we are becoming really good friends. To me it is clear that I can write a book in football, probably not without injunctions.

the other day, you are noticed in a talk show with the Thesis that the fascination of a 0:0 opening up in football. There was a Shitstorm?

The Handball community celebrated me – and this is my relevant target audience. A bit of games and I'm fine of course with such statements, logically. If it rubs me the wrong way once in a while and unpopular things, there is also an Echo, you would not achieve normally. The players do not understand a spell like that, of course, is clear. And it was not meant to be upset: I've been asked for my opinion and I have said that I, as a soccer los is sometimes just too boring and the football is usually much more.

At the last Handball world championship in Germany in 2007, it took a certain amount of time, until the euphoria was wide. How do you find the time?

The demand is there, the media put on a great Event. How many Interviews I've given on its own in the last few weeks! The Marketing Department at the Deutscher Handball-Bund does a good Job with a strong Social Media presence. I think Germany is well prepared for this tournament. The halls are so well secured as out of stock, the transfer of rights, everyone can see the games. The is outstanding. Of the players I would like to see maybe a bit more presence, but that happens in the next few weeks.

The former handball player Stefan Kretzschmar trust of the German national team a lot to the world Cup.Photo: Uwe Anspach/dpa

In the past decade, the volleyball Sport in Germany and the Bundesliga in Particular, has taken a development out of the smaller places and in the big cities, after Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Mannheim, Leipzig. What is the role of this circumstance?

quite extraordinary. Nothing against the traditional locations such as Lemgo, Gummersbach, Germany or great wall city, of course, have all of their raison d'être. Even if it is this clubs increasingly difficult, economically, to grow and to remain competitive. The clubs in the big cities, however, have a massive advantage, because you have, of course, on a quite different Basis, over a larger catchment area and huge arenas. As the direction goes, no question.

What are the chances you reckon the German team for the world Cup in their own country?

In the first round, I assume that the Germans will lose a maximum of the game against France. Under this condition, the crew shall allow and then in the main round not a defeat more, the course is brutal. But the dramaturgy of the flap: can get self-confidence in Berlin, in a full, noisy hall, and then on a wave of success after Cologne. If the preliminary round is no egg dance, we have a good chance of the semi-finals. But it can claim six, seven other teams also, because the top is together in football for years, damn tight.

your specific forecast is?

We make the semi-finals! The home advantage is on our side, so there will be also the one or other of the whistle in favour of the German team. It is important that the team from the audience, the atmosphere and the all around wear, and these factors are not additional pressure of feeling that can paralyze you.

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