Alexander Bommes was already absent from the screen at the World Cup in Qatar. It is now clear: the ARD moderator will also miss the Handball World Cup, which will take place in Poland and Sweden from January 11th. The reason given by the broadcaster again was "health problems" of the 46-year-old.

"After a year in which I, like many people, had to accept some health restrictions, I want to complete further recovery and therefore refrain from moderating this year's Handball World Cup," explained Bommes, who himself played in the Handball Bundesliga . Actually, he should have presented the second German group game against Serbia on January 15 together with the expert and former DHB international Dominik Klein.

Instead, Stephanie Müller-Spirra will now act as moderator for the German World Cup games, which will be broadcast on the first. "Of course I'm very curious about everything that's to come! Replacing Alex Bommes is a huge task, but I'll give everything - together with Dominik Klein - above all I hope that Alex himself will soon be healthy and happy in front of the camera again can", the journalist is quoted in the ARD announcement. As a reporter, Florian Naß will comment on the games.

Bommes trusts his colleague Müller-Spirra to stand in without any ifs or buts: "Dominik Klein is in competent and friendly hands with Stephanie - and I'm very happy about that." At the World Cup in Qatar, the NDR journalist should have moderated the programs from the ARD studio in Mainz with the experts Almuth Schult, Thomas Hitzlsperger and Sami Khedira. However, he canceled at short notice due to illness. Jessy Wellmer replaced him.

Bommes told "Sport Bild" at the time: "After a series of infections, I had hoped to get fit again until the very end. That didn't work out, and so it was a logical decision in the end, but of course I also did it in the very sorry about our team."

Source: ARD / "Image"