World Cup in Germany and Denmark : handball players suffer from a tight game plan

footballer moaning already, if you only have three days break between Games. Earlier so-called "English weeks" is often a Horror for the professionals who were in the League of everyday life, only used on weekends to compete. Today, this has changed with the many competitions, but a world Cup is about draws in soccer are often very long. Six-day break between Games, the handball players can only make you smile: this time you play a complete world Cup-preliminary round with five to Play.

again, even at the world Cup in Berlin: Who's playing today, tomorrow again. As for the German team. After the tie against Russia on Monday before the serious game on Tuesday against France (at 20:30/live on ZDF). The starts for the Germans, a good 23 hours after the game against the Russians. The French, it got even worse with the game plan, they played on Monday night against South Korea. 22 hours break between two performances, how to put handball team is the way to go?

"are We set," says Prokop

First, the close timing of the appointments is of course a circumstance that hits all Teams at the world Cup. The German national coach Christian Prokop says: "We know the game plan already for a long time. We are set on it. This is not a Problem.“ For the players, this is already heavier than the Trainer, because you have to process an enormous physical strain. National goalkeeper Andreas Wolff said after the heavy game against the Russians in the television interview: "I think I'm going to sleep before two o'clock. At least we can sleep in. Breakfast does each individually. Since there is no uniform time for all. We must see to it that we regenerate and sleep.“

After the game against Russia, the German Team goalkeeper Andreas Wolff has a short regeneration time.Photo: Soeren Stache/dpa

How would that work in such a short time? The Berlin physician, Thorsten Dolla was the team doctor in many sports. He says: "high performance sport is not a sport for your health." Of course, is unhealthy, what did the athletes. "Celebrate every day: a huge load. Between the Games, there are therefore hardly any serious Training, it's simply a question of Regeneration.“ Because: "The players are not machines."

Every day in the hall

The tight game plan in football costs-the world Cup is due probably less to the benefit of the sport of Handball, but is subject to a lot more organizational constraints. So a tournament is the cost of the logistics very much, the teams must be housed, the rent for the Arena at the Ostbahnhof is also want to play there in a couple of days back to Alba and the polar bears. Every day in the hall, it is not necessary, break days there are in the world Cup preliminary round in Berlin.

The breaks in football are probably longer because in a tournament is completely different, money is earned through marketing and Television. Also in hockey at the world games Championships are often drawn in a daily cycle. Sports medicine Dolla keeps the cause for concern. "Football and basketball are sports, in which I approach my maximum heart rate because it goes up and down." Also in the modern basketball the is nowadays the same. To comes even though the athletes probably Good that a game at the basketball only lasts two times 30 minutes of playing time, so in total less than a football game. There, the athletes are in Basketball or hockey (including breaks) two or more hours. In addition, in the latter sports, as part of the football stops the clock, but the mental stress in addition to the physical effort is still very high.

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sports medicine Thorsten Dolla says: "When such a tournament like the football world Cup, then the players are flat and can't often bring in your club, the usual performance."