In the second part of the big interview, handball national player Julian Köster and former national coach Heiner Brand talk about little recovery time, supposedly overpowering Danes, the resurrection of VfL Gummersbach, and who will be the new German champion in the Daikin Handball Bundesliga could be.

The Olympics are over, you didn’t have much of a break afterwards, Mr. Köster.

Koester: I was given five days off and then I started preparing again at VfL Gummersbach.

Is this still healthy?

Koester: So far I’m doing well, so I can’t complain. Of course it’s a lot of work, sometimes you might wish you had a longer break, but that’s the way it is. Personally I want to play in the Bundesliga, I want to play internationally, both for the club and for the national team, and I’m happy to take on the pressure.

What do you say about the burden on the players, Mr. Brand?

brand: This is not an issue that has only just come up, it has been around for a while. Of course it is a huge burden for the players. Especially those players who play in the Bundesliga, the Cup, the European Cup and the national team, who have relatively little break each year. In my view, this has always been viewed very critically. For example, you could say that you have a match day on Friday and Sunday and then at some point after three or four weeks you have a rest break of one or two weeks.

Would you like more rest breaks, Mr. Köster?

Koster: Yes, there are certainly phases that are extremely difficult. Especially when you come back from a big tournament like that in January and two days later you feel like you’re in the quarter-finals of the DHB Cup again, you can play, but on the other hand you also have to play. Sometimes you might wish you had a little more of a break.

In the Olympic final, Germany had no chance against Denmark. Can the Danes still be caught?

Koster: A clear yes! The Danes are not unbeatable. We should be damned if we hide from them or say we’ll never catch them.

Is Danish youth development better, Mr Brand?

brand: There is actually a general consensus in German handball that the Danes do something differently in the youth sector. We don’t know what exactly. I believe that they place more value on individual training and that the success of the youth teams is not the main focus. With us, every club ultimately aims to become German youth champions. It is striking that the Danes keep producing young players who then quickly make their way to the top. But we have also seen in Germany that players such as Julian Köster, Renars Uscins and Juri Knorr have made the leap into the team. This is partly because they have taken on key roles in their Bundesliga club.

VfL Gummersbach is also increasingly relying on German players and is now represented internationally again. How proud is Heiner Brand, a native of Gummersbach, of the club’s development?

Brand: I am very, very proud. I really enjoy going to the hall and seeing the team. To be honest, a few years ago I didn’t think it was possible after we were relegated to the second division. For me, that was when the point had come where VfL was not going to get any further up the table. The team acts as a team. The way the players interact with each other on the field is really, really good to see.

Bold thesis: Will Gummersbach be in contention for the title again in four years – yes or no?

Koester: It would be very nice, in any case. But there is still a long way to go. But why shouldn’t we continue on our path?

Brand: It’s difficult to say, a lot of things have to come together. The team, as it presents itself, will set itself higher goals. Whether it will succeed is the next question.

Another theory: Ole Pregler will be the next national player for VfL Gummersbach.

Brand: Please call Alfred Gislason.

Koester: I would be very happy too. But I think Tom Kiesler is even higher up on Alfred Gislason’s list. Kiesler can cover almost any position in defense. But that’s just a guess on my part.

Mr. Brand, you have had many players as colleagues, you have trained many players. Have you ever seen one who was as complete as Julian Köster?

Brand: Yes, Jo Deckarm was certainly one of those players. Unfortunately, his path to further development was interrupted at the age of 25. Jo was also able to play very well in defence. Ultimately, for me, those are the true handball players who decide games in defence and in attack.

Defense or attack – which do you prefer to play, Mr. Köster?

Koester: The great thing about handball is that you can do both: win or steal balls at the back or set traps, or score goals at the front and give assists.

A final tip: Who will be German champion?

Brand: I’d say SG Flensburg. They’ve planned the party.

Koester: To make it less boring, I’ll say Magdeburg defends the title.