German goalball men win European Championship bronze – women unhappy at European Championships!

German goalball men win European Championship bronze – women unhappy at European Championships!

The German Goalball men have had an extremely successful tournament, in which they clearly won the small final against the team from Israel 5-0. After a dominant half in which the team took a 4-0 lead, the players shone with a concentrated performance. Overall, the men's team was able to achieve five wins and only suffered two narrow defeats. In the preliminary round they lost to Ukraine 2:4 and in the semifinals they lost to Turkey 9:7. National coach Stefan Weil praised the team performance and in particular the robust defense that carried the team through the tournament, as Team Germany Paralympics reported.

A look back at the men's successes to date shows a checkered balance: They won silver at the 2016 Paralympics, took silver at the European Championships in 2017, secured the runner-up world championship title in 2018 and crowned their achievements with the European Championship title in 2019. But not everything that glittered was gold: the preliminary round exit at the Paralympics 2021 and the World Games 2023 tarnished it mood. However, before the tournament in Rotterdam, Weil expressed optimism that the team is well on the way to forming a new hierarchy in order to build on past successes at the 2026 World Championships.

Back and forth with the ladies

The German women were less lucky. They had to admit defeat 2-3 in the opening game against Poland and were therefore eliminated from the tournament early. But they showed fighting spirit and won the final game against Spain with a clear 8-0. Overall, they finished the European Championships in ninth place, which coach Jessica Bahr didn't find satisfactory enough. Despite the negative ranking, she recognized some positive aspects in the team's performance that give hope for the future.

The women's goal difference was positive despite fewer games, indicating strong offensive power. Nevertheless, Bahr emphasized the need to continue working, especially in defense and mental skills. In an exciting tournament, the team was challenged to always stay focused.

Results at a glance

Here are some outstanding results from the German men's team in the tournament:

The women's team also showed notable performances:

Goalball, which is considered an exciting sport with fast pace and strategic throws, shows once again how important teamwork and tactical skills are. With the world's greatest talent and enormous passion, the German teams are sure to cause a sensation again in the future. The entire tournament was superbly organized by the International Blind Sport Federation (IBSA) and thanks to the athletes' excellent performances, the goalball was once again impressively presented, as described on Paralympic.org.