Boldsen back in the CL

After a year in Danish league club AaB Håndbold, Danish international Joachim Boldsen is returning to a Champions League club from the coming season, as he has signed a two year contract with FC Barcelona.

Last summer Boldsen joined AaB from German Champions League team SG Flensburg-Handewitt in a three year contract, but even though he actually has two years remaining on his contract with the Danes, AaB have agreed to let him leave in return for an undisclosed financial settlement from Barcelona.

Sad and happy at the same time

“Actually, I feel a bit sad to leave AaB, as every one in and around the club have been extremely nice to me and always treated me fair. However, getting the chance to play for Barcelona is a dream come true for me. In fact, I think playing for Barcelona would be a dream for any handball player!” Said the 30 year old playmaker as the transfer was officially announced.

As Boldsen was playing for Flensburg, Barcelona made their interest in the Dane known, but both times Flensburg were not willing to let him go.

Joachim Boldsen, who was one of the dominating profiles, when Denmark won the European Championship in Norway back in January this year, has played 174 internationals for Denmark so far, scoring 393 goals.

Larholm goes the other way

AaB have not only found Boldsen’s successor already, the player in question is coming from the very same club that Boldsen is joining. Swedish international Jonas Larholm is travelling in the opposite direction – from Barcelona to Aalborg for a three year contract with AaB.

“Jonas is a very intelligent player and a great reader of the game. Furthermore is he extremely good at scoring goals, and he has experience at the highest possible international level”, said AaB’s sports director Jan Larsen about Larholm, who is joining the Danish club after two years in Barcelona.

Mikkel Hansen also joins Barcelona

However, Joachim Boldsen is not the only Dane that FC Barcelona has landed this summer. Mikkel Hansen, who has been characterised several times as one of the greatest talents in Danish handball for many years, is leaving last season’s runners-up in the Danish championship, GOG Svendborg TGI for a three year contract with FC Barcelona.

The transfer has become a reality after long negotiations between 20 year old Mikkel Hansen, his agent and Barcelona – and has only been made possible through a considerable financial compensation from Barcelona to GOG, as Hansen still had a year left of his contract with the Danes.

“I am very happy and proud to be able to call myself a Barcelona player from the coming season. I am joining a club of my dreams with a coach who believes in me and my qualities at both ends of the court”, said the talented left back as the contract was finally been signed.

Mikkel Hansen will be the fourth Dane in FC Barcelona in the coming season. The club already has Danish internationals Kasper Hvidt and Jesper Nøddesbo in the squad, and – as mentioned above - Joachim Boldsen is also joining the Spanish top team from the coming season.

Mikkel Hansen has played 7 internationals for Denmark so far. He also played in important part in GOG’s second place in their main round group in the Champions League last season.

And Barcelona got more reinforcement from GOG, as Swedish international Magnus Jernemyr – a strong line-player and an even stronger defender – is joining the Spanish top team after only one year with the Danes.

GOG also active on the transfer market

GOG, on their side, are not just letting go of their chances to stay at the top of the Danish league and to be successful in the Champions League, though. The former Danish champions have got Danish international Kasper Nielsen back from SG Flemsburg-Handewitt on a three year contract in return for right winger Lasse Svan Hansen.

“It was a tough decision, as I have had three fine seasons in Flensburg, but once my decision to go back to Denmark had been made, GOG was a quite natural choice”, Kasper Nielsen said.

GOG have closed the gap after Lasse Svan on the right wing by signing Swedish winger Kristian Meijer, who is joining from Spanish Torrevieja on a three year contract.