Discovering unique handball

Eurohandball.com talks to Anja Andersen, coach of three-time Champions League winner Slagelse, before the first group match against Győri Audi ETO KC.

Eurohandball.com: You will play in Group A of the CL against Cementos, Podravka and Győr. What do you think about your chances?

Anja Andersen: Our chances in this season of the CL depend on injuries right now. The new players I got are injured. Before the season I made a 2-year plan for my team. I’m working with some of my players in new positions and for this work I need time and courage to dare to work with that because it means that my team will lose some points. On the long run, however, it will open new opportunities in our game and I will be able to write new pages in my own handball book. This is what I like most of all: to create new things in the game.

Eurohandball.com: You will visit Győr first. They would probably like to take revenge for last year's semi-final defeat. What do you expect from this match?

Anja Andersen: I love to play in Hungary and I always like to play against the best teams. I always want to learn something.

Eurohandball.com: Slagelse lost a fantastic player when Bojana Popovic left. How can you replace her in the team?

Anja Andersen: I could not offer Bojana a contract that Viborg were able to give her. We will see if some other player will be able to take her place in Slagelse.

Eurohandball.com: You finished your player career because of heart problems. People say it’s much more stress to coach than to play. Don't you think coaching is bad for you?

Anja Andersen: The only stress I have in handball is that I have to look for sponsors all the time.

Eurohandball.com: You said in an interview that people should not expect outstanding results from Slagelse for about 2 years. Right after this, your team lost matches in the Danish Cup and in Tom's Ligaen. How can a perfectionist like you live with it that Slagelse are weaker than in previous years?

Anja Andersen: Right now I work according to a 2-year plan and I will follow my plan all the way through because I believe in it.

Eurohandball.com: You won all titles possible as a player and you won 3 Champions League titles as a coach. What can still motivate you? What are your dreams?

Anja Andersen: My motivation is given by all the things that have never been done with the ball and I want to discover handball that has never been played before. One of my dreams is a professional league. I started with my handball schools 10 years ago because I wanted to give the kids the opportunity to play a kind of handball where the only limit is their imagination.