Handball: Finn Lemke: The Return of the Destroyer

Prior to the last group match at the European Championship in Croatia against Macedonia (Wed., 6.15 pm in LIVETICKER), national coach Christian Prokop made a change in the squad and brought Finn Lemke back. The Ober-Bad-Boy is urgently needed and enjoys great trust within the team.

It was the excitement in the run-up to the European Championship. Christian Prokop’s decision to appoint Bastian Roscheck instead of Finn Lemke to the 16-man squad for the mission of defending the title triggered fierce discussions.

Numerous experts criticized the national coach even before the start of the tournament, many fans gave free rein to their displeasure in the social media, even parts of the team were anything but enthusiastic.

A Nobody on international terrain from SC DHfK Leipzig had the advantage over the defensive boss of the past tournaments. In front of the man from MT Melsungen, who had shaped the image of the Bad Boys like no other player, especially in the European Championship triumph of 2016 in Poland.

On Tuesday morning, Prokop reversed its decision. In the simple but cosy four-star hotel, where the DHB troop moved into its quarters last Thursday, the 39-year-old announced his personnel change to the ever-increasing press crowd.

“I want to give the defence more physicality and the goalkeepers more security and block arms,”said Prokop. The man from Saxony-Anhalt didn’t want to know anything about a mistake, which he now corrects unexpectedly fast. But those who can read a little between the lines could have guessed that this was what it was all about.

“It speaks for the national coach that he has the balls to revise his decision”, goalkeeper Andreas Wolff became relatively clear in the conversation with SPOX:”I find it very positive that Finn Lemke joins us.

Roscheck could not justify his nomination in the first two games against Montenegro and Slovenia. The 26-year-old, who will stay with the team for the time being, seems to be reaching his limits at least for the moment against world-class players like Miha Zarabec.

“He had an idea about Basti. And it’s not necessarily the mistake of the national coach if his expectations are not met,”said Wolff:”Basti plays very well in the Bundesliga. Maybe it was a little too early for him to drive to the European Championship after two international matches. Such a tournament is different from the Bundesliga.”

Statements like this clearly show that the team combines positive experience with Lemke. Like the national coach, she wants to be absolutely successful. And she thinks she needs lemke in her ranks to do it. This applies both on and off the plate.

“For me as a goalkeeper, this means that we return to our basic formula of the last few years. Against Slovenia, it was seen that we were vulnerable when we moved far out. Finn is a man who can keep the shop together even better,”said Wolff.

And the keeper from THW Kiel added:”He’s also a good guy in a tournament like this. Finn is very emotional, he loves playing for Germany. He has been a cornerstone of this team in every aspect of the past tournaments.”

In the video evidence madness against Slovenia, this pillar was sorely missed. The DHB team acted in attack and defense at times insecure, was far too well-behaved. DHB Vice President Bob Hanning even remarked that he had seen some of the real Bad Boys in the opponent’s jersey.

“I was on the phone with Finn. He is fully motivated and hungry for the EM. He will certainly help us immediately,”Hanning is convinced. Lemke, who arrived in Zagreb after Prokop’s call at 2:00 a. m. on Tuesday evening, is in no shape at all. The 25-year-old has spent the past few days with Melsungen in a training camp on the Canary Island of Fuerteventura.

“First of all, I feel sorry for Basti. It’s never nice to be changed spontaneously at such a tournament,”said captain Uwe Gensheimer, commenting on the change in the squad:”But I think Finn will make us even more variable. In addition to the offensive cover variant, there is also the option to play the defensive variant better.”

Lemke is likely to alternate with Hendrik Pekeler and Patrick Wiencek in the middle block. On Wednesday, the qualities of the native of Bremen are in demand against the twice victorious Macedonians.

The 2.10-metre giant with the frying pan hands has to grasp and distribute, push the other players with its aggressiveness and emotionality and at the same time intimidate the opponent. Simply doing what he was nicknamed “Destroyer”, as Lemke was once called by the FAZ.

Macedonia’s superstar Kiril Lazarov and his colleagues can be prepared for one or two bruises.