Felix Aellen directs the Swiss game
Image: Keystone
There seem to be no limits for Luca Sigrist
Image: Keystone
Felix Aellen directs the Swiss game
Image: Keystone
There seem to be no limits for Luca Sigrist
Image: Keystone
The next miracle would have to happen for the Swiss handball team to reach the semi-finals of the European Championship. But the future looks bright. Felix Aellen and Luca Sigrist are emblematic of this.
27.01.2026, 05:00
27.01.2026, 06:30
SDA
Felix Aellen is 22 years old and Luca Sigrist is only 20. Both are showing what they are already capable of at the European Championships, even if they didn't have the best of evenings on Sunday in the 24:28 against Croatia. Aellen is currently the number one playmaker in the Swiss team. Although he only scored eight goals in the first five games, it would be unfair to measure him by that. He is not someone who primarily looks for finishes (14 in total so far), but manages to set up his teammates ideally. His passes to the circle are always a feast for the eyes.
Although other backcourt players in the team have more individual tools, "he is so present", as national coach Andy Schmid puts it. "He does everything with 100 percent consistency - regardless of whether it's for himself or for the player to his left or right. That's mega valuable. And I can use him everywhere in the cover."
Sometimes he thinks too much
The fact that he writes things down on a piece of tape around his wrist also shows how Aellen works. He is very involved with handball and questions a lot of things. Sometimes he even thinks too much. "That happens from time to time," admits Aellen in an interview with the Keystone-SDA news agency. "It's always a ripple effect over the course of a season. Sometimes you have a lot of confidence and don't have to think too much. Then, if it drops for some reason, you might worry too much. But now I can also accept it when things aren't going well." He recently started mental training: Even if there is no specific problem that he needs to work on, "it's still important to learn certain tools," says Aellen, who began studying law at a distance-learning university last summer.
He has been playing in the Bundesliga in Eisenach since this season. The move to Germany was made easier by the fact that he realized at the World Cup a year ago: "I'm absolutely at this level. I wasn't so sure before the World Cup. The biggest step was the whole process." Specifically, he had to leave his social environment behind - including his girlfriend, who also plays handball.
Great interest in Sigrist
Luca Sigrist, whose parents both played handball, still has the move to the Bundesliga ahead of him. He signed a two-year contract with Melsungen until 2028 and is currently with Kriens-Luzern. Sigrist also had inquiries from other clubs in Germany - as well as from teams in Croatia and France.
However, the Bundesliga was a "big childhood dream" for him. Why did he choose Melsungen, currently eighth in the table: "When they asked, they were in first place. They have ambitions to play at the top, but there is still room to develop. They want to back me, first as number 2, then probably as number 1 if I develop well." That convinced him.
While Felix Aellen sometimes thinks too much, Sigrist works differently. "I'm more the one who just tries things out, feels what it's like and then makes the next decisions based on that," he tells Keystone-SDA. Sometimes, however, he wants too much and becomes imprecise in his play. He is working on minimizing stupid mistakes and hasty finishes. "But it's important that I don't lose my light-heartedness and still push the pace," he clarifies.
In the 43:26 thumping victory against Montenegro in the final preliminary round match, which secured the team's place in the main round, he did this brilliantly with ten goals from eleven shots. Schmid says of Sigrist: "There are no limits for him. It's important for him to take the next step in his development, to be able to assess what his strengths are. Sometimes he still seems like a young dog that you have to keep on a leash."
Aellen with clear words
After the defeat against Croatia, the chances of reaching the semi-finals are now only theoretical. Aellen says of the performance against the Croatians: "We played really badly and still only lost by four goals against the World Cup runners-up. That also spurs us on, but the performance was not acceptable."
The Swiss' last two opponents are Iceland on Tuesday and Sweden on Wednesday. These two games will provide Aellen with indispensable experience on the way to the next step. The Swiss are not yet used to playing so many games at such a high level in such a short space of time. They also had hopes of reaching the semi-finals before the main round, which increased the pressure. "That requires an enormous mental presence from every player," emphasizes Aellen. Either way, the direction is right, and thanks to Aellen and Sigrist, the Swiss handball team can look to the future with confidence.
