Handball-EM: Drama about Duvnjak beats big waves

Drama about Domagoj Duvnjak: Croatia’s captain threatens to lose the European Championship after another injury. This provokes criticism from his club THW Kiel.

The injury drama around Domagoj Duvnjak is making waves. While in Croatia a whole nation fears for its EM-hope carrier, the THW Kiel worries also.

“That’s exactly what I was afraid of,”said Kiel’s manager Thorsten Storm to the SID after his star player was again injured and did not spare with criticism:”Of course, it’s not clear from the outside why he is still on the field four minutes before the end of the match in this score and his recent injury history. Dule was clearly on the pitch for too long,” Duvnjak recovered from a serious knee injury shortly before the European Championship.

In Croatia, too, the joy of the glittering start to the European Championship against Serbia’s arch-rival (32:22) quickly faded into the background.

Captain Duvnjak contracted a muscle injury in the calf, and an MRI examination on Saturday revealed a hematoma. He will be eliminated for the rest of the preliminary round. In the worst case even the tournament is over.

“Duvnjak is our best player, he is the boss of the attack and I don’t want to believe that we lost him,”said Jakov Gojun of the foxes in Berlin.

The Croatian media, like Storm, criticised the risky line-up of coach Lino Cervar:”Without Dule, the Croatians lack their heartbeat,”said international Patrick Wiencek, who is playing with Duvnjak at THW, to the SID:”He has prepared so well for this European Championship, it’s all the more bitter for him”.

What had happened? The host Croatia led against the Serbian arch-rivals for a long time unbeatable, since Duvnjak suddenly collapsed. The 2013 World Cup baller of 2013 and undisputed team leader was lying on the floor of the hall holding his right calf with a painful distorted face.

Duvnjak of all people. For eight long months, the backroom player was last out of action and didn’t celebrate his comeback until December. Now another setback.

Duvnjak had started into the European Championship with great anticipation. For months he had been struggling in rehabilitation for his big dream, for the mission gold at the European Championship in his home country Croatia:”Our whole country wants to win, but expects at least one medal,”he said before the tournament.

Duvnjak proved his invaluable value for a team at THW Kiel. Without his top player, the German record holder slipped into crisis. It was not until the beginning of December, 228 days after the patella tendon surgery on the left knee, that Duvnjak celebrated his return to the handball field. Since then, Kiel has won five times in a row, Duvnjak seemed ready for the European Championship.

Club coach Alfred Gislason had advised his protégé to give up the European Championship:”The smart thing for everyone involved would be not to play at the European Championship,”Gislason said in anticipation of the tournament, concerned about his leader.

But Duvnjak was determined to fulfil his dream of winning his first international title at home. This dream is now hanging by a thread.

A nuisance for Kiel: In Marko Vujin another THW player was injured. The Serbian suffered a knee injury and is missing at least in the group game against Sweden on Sunday.