Ex-VfB Lübeck goalkeeper Eric Schlomm before his international debut

Lübeck. For Eric Schlomm, a childhood dream comes true. On Saturday (5 p.m.) the 32-year-old will wear the German national team jersey for the first time. A change in sport made this possible. After almost two decades as a soccer goalkeeper at VfB Lübeck and 1. FC Phönix, he joined the second division soccer team Lübeck Cougars in 2019 – and spent part of his career as a kicker. This will now reach a temporary climax when Schlomm plays for Germany in the European Championship group game in Great Britain in Coventry.

And the man with the precise shot is not the only Lübeck player who will represent Black-Red-Gold in England. Defense liner Berend Grube, with whom Schlomm played together at the Berglöwen in 2019 (and at the Hamburg Sea Devils in 2022 and 2023), is also in head coach Shuan Fatah’s 45-man squad. Two former Cougars coaches, Vladi Ilic and Stephan Starcke, are also there.

“I am very proud that I can be part of the German national team’s comeback.” Representing your country is one of the greatest things you can achieve in your sport. “That’s something special,” says Schlomm, who has just extended his contract with the Hamburg Sea Devils from the European League of Football (ELF) for 2025. But the situation is special for the entire team, because the German association AFVD has not provided a team for many years.

The last international match was in the final of the World Games in 2017 (6:14 against France), the last European Championship game was another three years ago. On June 7, 2014, the German national team played in the final in front of 27,000 spectators in Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium and won the continental title for the third time with a 30:27 win against hosts Austria.

Schlomm has been part of the national team since 2021

Now also the comeback that has been planned for a long time. Preparations have been underway for more than two years. “I had my first contact with the national team in November 2021, when I was still with the Lübeck Cougars. A tryout for the association took place at that time. Afterwards, I was repeatedly invited to training camps,” says Schlomm. “Being nominated for the final squad is a dream come true.”

However, the dream is far from over with the debut. The German team, which largely consists of ELF players, will be more than just there. “We’re taking it game by game.” But of course qualifying for the semi-finals is the goal. “Otherwise we wouldn’t have to travel to England at all,” explains the 32-year-old, who will fly to Birmingham with his colleagues on Saturday morning. From there we continue by bus to Coventry.

Semifinal against Austria?

If the German national team actually makes it to the last four, there would probably be a duel with Austria in August 2025, which is considered the hottest title candidate. But that is still a thing of the future for the Lübeck resident. First of all, the full concentration was on the Great Britain game…

Participants: Group A: Austria, Hungary, Serbia

Group B: Finland, France, Czech Republic

Group C: Italy, Denmark, Switzerland

Group D: Germany, Great Britain, Sweden

Mode: A simple round is played. The four group winners will qualify for the semi-finals, which are scheduled to take place in August 2025.

German group: Sweden won the first game against Great Britain 20:19. On Saturday (5 p.m.) the German team meets the British in Coventry. The final group game of the AFVD selection against Sweden will take place in Krefeld on October 26th (5 p.m./DF1 live).

LN