For Swiss national coach Andy Schmid, anything is possible in the preliminary round of the European Championship finals. The young team wants to prove itself and live up to the higher expectations.
16.01.2026, 05:30
16.01.2026, 06:50
SDA
Friday's opener against the Faroe Islands, who have made great progress in recent years, is a key game for the Swiss. Director Elias Ellefsen a Skipagotu is on target for Kiel and ranks 4th in the Bundesliga scoring charts. Hakun West av Teigum plays for German champions Füchse Berlin and is one of the best right wingers in the league - this season his success rate is an impressive 80.26 percent (61 goals from 76 attempts). The 20-year-old Oli Mittun, who plays on the half-left, is regarded as one of the greatest talents in world handball.
In addition, the Faroe Islands often rely on the 7 vs. 6 tactic in attack. "That can drive you crazy," says Swiss national coach Andy Schmid. "It allows them to defeat opponents who are individually better. That's why it's crucial how we deal with it." However, he does not want to make a big issue of the immense support that the Faroese will receive from thousands of fans at home. After all, no fewer than ten Swiss players earn their living abroad, nine of whom play in the Bundesliga, and are therefore used to an atmospheric cauldron.
"Are now on a different level"
The SHV team will also have to deal with the higher expectations from outside. They finished 11th at the World Championships a year ago. Therefore, missing out on the main round - the top two in each of the six preliminary groups progress - would be a disappointment. All the more so as dynamic playmaker Manuel Zehnder was missing from the World Championships due to a cruciate ligament rupture suffered shortly beforehand. Although Felix Aellen is currently the number one in this position in the Swiss team, it is invaluable for Schmid to have Zehnder as an option. He can make the difference at any time.
To what extent is the very young team further advanced than a year ago? "I can feel the development in that we are now at a different level when we come together," says Schmid. "Everyone in the team has improved a few percent. That's no guarantee of success, but it increases the chances."
Schmid has also learned a lot as a coach - he was still a player at Euro 2024. Compared to the World Cup, he has given the run-up to the European Championship even more thought. "Manuel Zehnder's injury, as bitter as it was, opened up a new path for me. I saw back then how quickly everything can fall apart, and that gives me more peace of mind now." He has also learned to deal better with difficult decisions: "I'm not an ice-cold dog, I never will be because I wasn't brought up that way. But it doesn't help to beat around the bush and perhaps raise hopes." It is important to clearly state the facts. And he expects the players to do the same. He no longer feels sorry when he has to say unpleasant things and is aware that not all of his decisions are understood.
Dents still too deep
The Swiss traveled to Oslo on Wednesday with the Yellow Cup tournament victory in their luggage. In the "final game" against North Macedonia (29:29), they almost let it slip from their grasp despite leading 18:13 at the break. "It's normal in handball that you can't play consistently at the same level for 60 minutes. But the dip is too deep for us. That's our biggest problem." He also takes responsibility for this: he himself also has weak phases when coaching during a match. "That's certainly a point I need to improve."
Schmid takes a pragmatic view of the starting position for the tournament: "If we get into a flow and show our best side, I'm convinced that we can win three times. But we can also lose three times - the decisive factor is the form of our players and mine on the day. That makes the whole thing unpredictable, which is why we try to focus on ourselves."
