FCK take their first title

FCK Håndbold are Danish champions in men’s handball for the first time ever. The Copenhagen team made a 31-31 away draw against last year’s champions, GOG Svendborg TGI. This was the second leg of the final on Tuesday night.

Both teams qualified for the Champions League already by reaching the finals, so ‘only’ the title was at stake.

After winning the ground series of the Danish league clearly and eliminating Bjerringbro/Silkeborg easily in the semi-finals, FCK went into the finals as favourites against GOG. The opponents were only third in the ground series, but managed to defeat second-placed Aarhus GF on their way.

FCK, better known for their football team, had absolutely no problems in the first leg of the finals. At home in Frederiksberghallen on Friday night they won 36-29.

Drama in Odense

According to the rules of the championship play-offs in Denmark, GOG should have won the second leg at home by one goal at least to play a third match.

And GOG definitely had the opportunity to make it. In front of 2,200 spectators in Odense Idrætshal a breathtaking and high quality match turned into an insane drama at the end.

GOG played considerably better than in the first match and it was 17-15 at half time. They even had a five-goal lead later.

With the improving performance of Norwegian national team goalkeeper, Steinar Ege, and a series of spectacular goals from right back Klavs Bruun Jørgensen, line players Mathias Gustafson and Pelle Linders, FCK managed to get back into the game,

With two minutes to go, the visitors were leading 31-29.

GOG managed to score the last two goals of the match, which ended 31-31, but that was not enough to reacj a third game. FCK took their first championship trophy in their history.

“A fantastic team”

“We simply have a fantastic team,” said Danish international Klavs Bruun Jørgensen, who scored 6 goals for FCK after losing the EHF Cup finals against German HSG Nordhorn.

“Already last year we proved that our team are strong, but the difference is that this time we finished the job,” added Klavs Bruun Jørgensen.

For substitute goalkeeper Peter Nørklit, who did brilliantly for a while in the second match when Steinar Ege needed a break, the feeling was special. Nørklit will leave FCK after this season to join a 2nd division club, Albertslund/Glostrup.

“Ending my career in FCK this way is simply fantastic. It is also for the club that fought so hard to reach the absolute top in Danish handball,” the 37-year old former Danish international said.

A player, who was considerably less happy, was young GOG star Mikkel Hansen. His impressive 15 goals were useless in the battle for the championship.

“Those 15 goals mean absolutely nothing to me right now as we lost the match. We had our chances with a five-goal lead, but we lost it all. It seems to have been our curse this season that we failed in the decisive moments. We missed the semi-final in the Champions League, we lost the Danish Cup final and now we lose the final of the Danish championship too,” said the 20-year old Mikkel Hansen, who is reported to be on the most wanted list of about ten European top clubs.