Switzerland worries against the Czech Republic - Schmid faces challenge!

Switzerland worries against the Czech Republic - Schmid faces challenge!

On January 15, 2025, Andy Schmid as national coach of the Swiss handball team. In the first preliminary round game of group A, Switzerland separated with a 17:17 draw of the Czech Republic. The game was characterized by a false throw festival of the Swiss, which questioned their chances of getting on in the tournament.

The results in the parallel groups were clear. The Netherlands showed an impressive performance and defeated Guinea with 40:23. Portugal prevailed against the USA with 30:21, while Egypt struck Argentina with 39:25. These results increase the pressure on Switzerland, which has to compete against Germany in their next game on Friday, January 17th.

a promising but bumpy start

After the first encounter of the preliminary round, Switzerland, together with the Czech Republic, ranks 1 point in the table, while Germany and Poland have not yet played. The table of group A shows:

Participation in the main rounds will be decisive for the best three teams in the groups, and Switzerland sees itself in a precarious situation.

Andy Schmid's way to the national coach

The appointment of Andy Schmid as a national coach was a well-documented decision. Originally, he was not supposed to start his term in the summer of 2024, but due to the premature separation from his predecessor Michael Suter, this process accelerated. Media reporting about Schmid was extensive, with a focus on his long -term career in handball and his resignation from top sport on January 30th.

Schmid himself expressed that the first months in his new role will be both challenging and revealing. He has a long -term contract up to the EHF euro 2028, which will be held in Switzerland, Spain and Portugal. A breakthrough in the preliminary round could strengthen his team's self -confidence.

outlook for the upcoming games

The schedule for the coming days stipulates that Switzerland will compete against Poland on January 19, while the Czech hits Germany in parallel. The results and achievements in these games will be crucial for whether the Swiss will move to the next tournament. The team has to improve to achieve the top three of their group and to keep the chance of playing round games.