Twenty years after he lifted the world title on home court, Germany 2027 ambassador Dominik Klein is ready to welcome the handball world back to the arena where it all happened

Dominik Klein still remembers the sound. In the closing seconds of the 2007 IHF Men's World Championship final, 20,000 fans in Cologne’s LANXESS Arena counted down the clock as Germany sealed the title on home court. Klein, then a left wing who barely turned 23 years old at that time, was on the team that sent the country into a frenzy.

“When I think of Cologne, what I remember most is a sea of flags, everything in black, red and gold,” he says. “That image has really stayed with me. I remember scenes from our film Projekt Gold, when 20,000 fans counted down the final seconds of the match until the final whistle. It was an absolute frenzy of joy and excitement. Everyone went wild.”

That title was the highlight of Klein's international career that ran from 2005 to 2018, with 187 matches and 370 goals in the Germany shirt. It also made Klein one of the most popular figures in German handball. Now, as an ambassador for the 2027 IHF Men’s World Championship, he hopes to see that sea of flags again when the world’s best teams arrive in Germany from 13 to 31 January.

The signs are good. Three quarters of all available tickets had been sold four months before throw-off, and every match of the host nation is already sold out. Germany 2027 is shaping up as a handball party on a massive scale. Klein will return to the World Championship, albeit as an ambassador, alongside former Germany internationals Stefan Kretzschmar, Pascal Hens and Anja Althaus.

 

A sport rooted in everyday life

For Klein, that demand is no surprise. Handball in Germany, he explains, is both an elite sport and a part of everyday life.

“Germany has a great handball tradition, a history of outstanding success and some fantastic role models,” Klein says.

“Handball is part of everyday life, from grassroots level right through to the strongest league in the world. It all starts with the sparkle in children’s eyes and continues through recreational sport to elite competition.”

Behind it all, stand thousands of people who rarely make the headlines.

“There is an enormous amount of voluntary work and commitment in German clubs at the base of our sport. So many people help make handball as popular as it is, and we can be proud of all of them, whether they are coaches or volunteers,” adds Klein.

That closeness runs all the way to the top. Klein believes it is one reason German arenas feel so different.

“One of the great things about handball players, even the biggest stars in our sport, is how approachable they are. That is why so many families with children come to the arenas, and that in turn helps create such an enthusiastic atmosphere. German fans love the sense of togetherness and the shared experience at tournaments like these. That is what sets them apart,” adds the 2027 IHF Men's World Championship ambassadors.

International fans have felt it before. Germany co-hosted the 2019 IHF Men’s World Championship and staged the record-breaking EHF EURO 2024, and Klein expects the same welcome in January. In 2029, the IHF Men's World Championship will return to Germany, who will co-host the competition with France.

“We saw in 2019 and 2024 how warmly the participating nations were welcomed, with great attention to detail,” he says. “At every host venue there is openness, warmth and, above all, packed arenas.”

 

Six cities, six atmospheres

This time, six cities will share the tournament: Munich, Stuttgart, Kiel, Magdeburg, Hanover and Cologne. Klein expects each to have its own character.

In Kiel, the draw has placed Sweden, Norway and reigning world champions Denmark, and Klein expects northern Germany to take on a distinctly Nordic feel. “

There will be a very special atmosphere, with a strong international feel and plenty of visitors from Sweden, Norway and Denmark,” he says. “The same goes for Magdeburg, where fans from Iceland and the Faroe Islands will help create a fantastic atmosphere.”

It is Munich, the city he calls home, that he is looking forward to most. The tournament opens there on 13 January with Germany against Tunisia, the first time the German national team has played a major international match in such an event in the city.

“Munich already hosted matches in 2019 and 2024, but this time the German national team will play there for the first time, and the matches will be held in Europe’s most modern arena,” he says.

“We have already experienced some incredible moments at the Olympiahalle, but the roof will practically lift off at the SAP Garden! The same goes for the other group, when Croatia take the court. So get ready for unforgettable experiences and plenty of emotion in every host city.”

 

Back to the mecca

But as usual in German handball, every road leads to Cologne. The quarter-finals, semi-finals and medal matches will all be played at the LANXESS Arena, Germany’s largest, which Klein calls “the mecca of handball”.

His bond with the arena goes back to the very first handball match it hosted, between VfL Gummersbach against THW Kiel, which he watched as a fan.

“I was sitting in the very last row, right under the roof, experiencing the atmosphere first-hand,” he recalls. “Even from the upper tier, you feel part of this huge community. As a player, you look all the way up and see the fans celebrating high up in the stands. You are delighted to be able to thank them and cheer them on, even those right under the roof.”

He is convinced Cologne can produce another moment like 2007.

“We will see players on the court who embody their sport with passion and energy,” he says. “Every player wants to play in Germany, and the players will give something back to the fans, whatever nation they represent.”

 

“Where handball is alive”

The 2027 IHF Men's World Championship motto is “Where handball is alive”. For Klein, it is about pride, and about sharing that pride with everyone else in the arena.

“Every fan can proudly display their flag, wear their shirt and identify with their team. For me, the slogan is about being able to express that pure joy, not just for your own nation but for everyone. It is something everyone wants to be part of,” says Klein.

 

His advice to first-time visitors is simple: be quick. “You can look forward to packed arenas, provided you have been quick enough to get your tickets in advance!” he says. “When you head home, I hope you will have experienced that wonderful sense of togetherness: people from all over the world celebrating together and enjoying fantastic sport.”

Asked for the one thing every fan should experience, he refuses to pick just one. “It is all about the overall experience,” he says. “Hearing your national anthem, seeing the stands packed with fans and being surrounded by so many passionate supporters. That is what makes it truly special.”

Draw photos: Marco Wolf / DHB