Pratschner in the Cup

Korneuburger as German handball sensation

Julian Pratscher played for Hollabrunn and Krems, now he is the Cup sensation with Rostock.(Bild: GEPA pictures)

He played for Krems and Hollabrunn in the Handball Liga Austria, now Julian Pratschner is part of the German handball sensation Rostock. With the third-division club, he will face second-division side Balingen in the cup round of 16 on Wednesday, playing in front of thousands of spectators.

"I would say that Empor Rostock would be a stable HLA club!" Ex-Krems player Julian Pratschner left the HLA after being relegated with Hollabrunn in the summer to start a new chapter in the third German handball league. And that feels very good for the 27-year-old former team wing. "I'm still excited about the structures. "Last week there were 1600 spectators in the hall for the game in Cottbus!" A number that is only reached in Austria at the Vorarlberg derby.

Julian Pratschner (right) enjoys life at the Baltic Sea.(Bild: Pratschner)

And the biggest highlight so far is just around the corner in Rostock. After victories against German Bundesliga promoted team Potsdam (with team players Paulnsteiner and Kofler, the third, Katic, was seriously injured in this very match) and second division relegation candidates Nordhorn, Pratschner ("I have the feeling here that I can develop further") has the chance to score the next coup in the German Cup round of 16 on Wednesday against Balingen, also a second division team. The home games in a former airplane hangar are sold out, with only 50 of the 800 tickets going on sale.

"The third division in Germany is highly regarded," says Pratschner. The "Mecklenburg-Vorpommern" derby against Stralsund on December 7 will be moved to the Rostock Stadthalle. Capacity 4500. "We are expecting 3000 spectators!" Pratscher seems to have done a lot of things right with the change.