Ulf Schefvert: Exciting draw

“Give us Barcelona, Hamburg and Flensburg,” this was the wish of Dennis Kirkegaard, right winger of GOG Svendborg TGI before the draw for the Main Round.

At least one of his wishes came true as the Danish champions were drawn to Group D with Barcelona, Pick Szeged from Hungary and Slovenian champions, Celje Pivovarna Lasko

GOG´s head coach, Ulf Schefvert was not at all frightened by the outcome of the draw. “It is a really exciting draw,” said the Swedish coach immediately.

“It will, of course, be a special group phase this time as only the first of the group will go on unlike in the first group stage. However, I really think that we have a chance to win the group and reach the semi-finals if we play in our absolutely best form and avoid injuries . Of course, Barcelona are the biggest favourites to win the group. However, I do not think that we don’t have a chance against them,” Ulf Schefvert told Eurohandball.com

Injuries may be decisive

“Not only Barcelona are strong, though. Pick Szeged may not be so well known for Danish handball fans, but they are also a very good team. They have Hungarian top players and although Celje may not be as strong as they were a couple of years ago, they are still strong. We all know what kind of pressure we will face in their hall from their crowd there,” GOG’s coach added.

“It will be crucial that our players return healthy from the European Championship in January – and it will also be decisive what form they will reach at that point with very short time between the end of the Euro and the start of the CL in February.

“Anyway, I hope that we can hang and stay in competition until the end of the second group phase,” Ulf Schefvert said.