Handball: Commentary on Prokop: The super-GAU is in danger

The DHB’s decision to let Christian Prokop continue as national coach comes as a surprise. The risk couldn’t be greater. One thing is certain: Bob Hanning has once again played his muscles successfully. A commentary by SPOX editor Felix Götz.

Despite the disappointing European Championships in Croatia, Prokop remains national coach, including internal trench warfare. A fact that is not only unexpected for fans and observers. Even among the international players there was hardly anyone in the past few days who was not convinced of Prokops dismissal.

The incidents in Croatia seemed to be too serious when the 39-year-old put the team in a state of turmoil with questionable nominations, robbed some players in the group stage of their self-confidence with changes like on the assembly line, and finally robbed some players of their self-confidence with dissipating tactical discussions. Admittedly, the European Championship bankruptcy is not only responsible for Prokop’s failure, but its large share in the failure cannot be argued over.

Now this coach, who sometimes has great mistrust in the team, is allowed to continue. The DHB tried to play down the atmospheric disturbances. The fact is, however, that they were there. And they were sometimes more violent than it had penetrated the outside world.

The relationship between the team and coach is at least disturbed, as the past few weeks have confirmed. Even the danger that top performers under Prokop will no longer play for Germany is likely to be real. The decision of the DHB pro Prokop despite a lavish analysis is therefore difficult to understand.

The lion’s share of this decision is due to Bob Hanning, who has played out all his power. The DHB Vice President linked his personal stay to the condition to continue with Prokop. Without this threat, a decision by the ten-member Bureau would have been unthinkable.

But the situation is complicated. First of all, almost everyone in German handball correctly attests Hanning to a good job. Secondly, the question arises as to who could take up his post at all? It is an open secret that the list of applicants is virtually non-existent. Nobody wants to be Hanning’s successor.

What remains is the extremely high risk of going into the future with Prokop. With the home World Cup in 2019 and the Olympic Games in 2020, German handball is facing two landmark events – with a national coach who has actually lost all credit.

Prokop must work hard to convince and enter into a dialogue with the international players very quickly and in an extremely self-critical manner. One thing is clear: the decision taken now has the potential to become a super-GAU for Prokop itself and for German handball as a whole.