Double whammy
January 26, 2012
The German national team suffered a double blow on Wednesday when their loss to Poland eliminated them from the European Championship and dashed their chances of qualifying for the London Olympics this summer.
In the final round of the group phase of the tournament in Belgrade, Germany needed a win over Poland to clinch a berth in the semi-finals. The close 33-32 loss meant Germany were at the mercy of Denmark, who advanced with a win over Sweden and prevented Germany from advancing.
Germany won the world championship in 2007 but have struggled in international competition since, placing no better than fourth in international tournaments since.
Denmark will face Spain in Friday's first semi-final. In the second match, Serbia takes on Croatia. The two best teams from the tournament will earn spots in the Olympic qualification tournament.
Late on Tuesday, after Croatia won a match against France, several dozen people were arrested when Serbian fans attacked Croatia supporters in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad. Several cars belonging to Croatia fans were damaged.
Author: Matt Zuvela (AFP, AP, Reuters)
Editor: Andy Valvur