Rikke Nielsen: Home, Sweet Home

After only one year in German Bundesliga club HC Leipzig, Danish international Rikke Nielsen is back in Aalborg DH. The move has been settled after some problems with her contract in Leipzig. When Eurohandball.com talks to the experienced playmaker, she makes no secret of being happy to be with the Danish Champions League participants.

“It is wonderful to be home and to see my family and friends again. This may sound as if I would have been unhappy in Leipzig, of course. That was certainly not the case, but it is still good to be home,” she said.

Eurohandball.com: You must be even happier after all the problems around your contract…

Rikke Nielsen: Of course, it is never nice when you are not free to choose about your own future, so I have to admit that I was relieved as the whole matter was solved a few hours before my first cup match against Ikast.

Eurohandball.com: Even though you have only been away for one year, you have come back to a completely changed Aalborg. How do you see this ‘new’ Aalborg?

Rikke Nielsen: We are in the middle of a long term process, and we will have to work hard to get all new players integrated in the team. You also have to remember that the team contains players from lot of different nations, so we have to work a lot to communicate and get the various handball cultures adjusted to each other.

Eurohandball.com: Although you talk about a long process, there is still a Champions League qualification tournament waiting in Athens at the end of September. Do you think the team will be ready for the challenge?

Rikke Nielsen: In general I think we have had really fine preparations for the season so far, and we got far with our new concept too. Therefore, I’m sure that we will be ready for the Champions League qualifiers in time.

Eurohandball.com: In spite of the many new players in the club, many experts say that Aalborg will only finish in the middle of the Danish league and not get in the CL as far as in the previous two years. What do you think about your team’s opportunities?

Rikke Nielsen: I think it is difficult to estimate our team at the moment, but I think we have so many good players that we can go all the way if integrate the new players in time. However, if we do not follow our concept, this might end as a mediocre season for us.