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SportsGermany U20 handball team loses 25-27 to Hungary, eliminated from European Championship quarter-finals
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The German U20 handball team was eliminated from the European Championship in Romania, losing 25-27 to Hungary in the quarter-finals. The match in Turda was a physical, defensive battle. Germany led 7-6 after 15 minutes but suffered a scoring drought late in the first half, trailing 13-15 at halftime. A 14-19 deficit early in the second half seemed decisive, but Julien Sprößig equalized at 19-19 in the 43rd minute. However, Hungary handled the crucial details better down the stretch, ending Germany's hopes. The German team, largely composed of players who won the U19 World Championship in 2025, will now compete for places 5-8. In other quarter-finals, Denmark beat Switzerland, Sweden crushed France, and Slovenia eliminated Spain. The semi-finals will feature Sweden vs. Denmark and Hungary vs. Slovenia.
Source report
Since summer 2025, the youth teams of the German Handball Association (DHB) have dominated across genders at handball tournaments at European and World Championships. The U19 women became European champions in 2025, and a large part of that squad recently won the World Championship title as the U20 team.
The U17 men won the World Championship in 2025, and the then U19 team also secured the World title a year ago. Now, largely forming the new U20 team, they made a big splash at the European Championship in Romania for a long time. The successful run is over: Germany was eliminated in the quarter-finals with a 25:27 (13:15) loss against Hungary.
Our U20 Handball Players Throw Away Semi-Final
In the arena in Turda, a brutally tough and rustic quarter-final developed from the throw-off. Every duel was like a small battle, with hardness in the defensive lines dominating. Germany's coach Martin Heuberger had urgently warned about the Hungarians beforehand: "The team is extremely dangerous."
It quickly became clear how right Heuberger was. The opponent's mobile defense caused problems for his team, and the DHB often failed against goalkeeper Adam Balogh. Fortunately, Germany's keeper Finn Knaack was in no way inferior. After 15 minutes, Heuberger's team led narrowly 7:6. Both teams' shooting hands trembled several times in attack, especially for the Germans towards the end of the first half. The consequence: no goals for four minutes and a 13:15 deficit at halftime.
Heuberger's team only recovered from this weak phase during the second half; after 35 minutes, the 14:19 deficit was a shock. All over? No. In the 43rd minute, Stuttgart's Julien Sprößig equalized to 19:19. The drama unfolded, and small details decided the game. The Hungarians handled them better, leaving Germany only the placement battle for ranks 5 to 8 on Friday.
In the remaining quarter-final matches, the favorites prevailed twice:
- Denmark beat Switzerland 36:29
- Sweden dismantled France 39:28, at times taking them apart piece by piece
- Spain was surprisingly eliminated 23:30 against Slovenia
The semi-finals on Friday will see Sweden face Denmark (4:00 PM), followed by Hungary against Slovenia (6:30 PM).
Source
BILD - SportWestern
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Drama Against Hungary: German U20 Handball Team Throws Away Semi-Final