Julian Köster
German handball player (born 1989)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Julian Köster (born 16 March 2000) is a German handball player for VfL Gummersbach and the German national team.[1][2]
Bielefeld, Germany
| Julian Köster | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Köster in 2022 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Born |
16 March 2000 Bielefeld, Germany | ||
| Nationality | German | ||
| Height | 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) | ||
| Playing position | Left back | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | VfL Gummersbach | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Team | |||
– | TuS SW Brauweiler | ||
2015–2018 | TSV Bayer Dormagen | ||
| Senior clubs | |||
| Years | Team | ||
2018–2020 | TSV Bayer Dormagen | ||
2020–2026 | VfL Gummersbach | ||
2026– | THW Kiel | ||
| National team 1 | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2021– | Germany | 84 | (223) |
|
1 National team caps and goals correct as of 3 February 2026 | |||
Career
Club career
Having started at TuS SW Brauweiler, Köster completed his youth team career at TSV Bayer Dormagen, a team he would make his senior handball debut with in 2018, playing in the 2. Bundesliga.[3] In 2020, the German switched to league rivals VfL Gummersbach, signing a contract until 2024.[4] His team earned promotion to the Bundesliga in the 2022 season, one which automatically triggered a one-year contract extension in Köster's contract.[5] He became captain of the team in 2022, and signed on to play for Gummersbach until 2026 following a tenth-placed finish in the 2022–23 Bundesliga campaign.[6][7]
National team
Köster made his international debut on the German national team on 21 September 2021. He participated at the 2021 World Men's Handball Championship in Egypt.[8] Afterwards, Köster took part in the 2022 European Championship, where he played in all seven matches and became Germany's second-highest scorer with 18 goals.[9] He once again became the second-highest scorer for Germany at the 2024 Euros, where his 31 goals helped Germany finish fourth.[10]
At the 2026 European Men's Handball Championship he won silver medals, losing to Denmark in the final.[11]
Individual awards
- Best Defender
- Best Defender of the IHF Men's Youth World Championship: 2019[12]
