Kolding pivot fears no one

KIF Kolding returned to the EHF Champions League with two successful games and the Danish champions are leading Group D with 4 points. The start of the Danish season has also been a success to the club who has won the Danish championship no less than 12 times since 1987. Being undefeated an only having lost one point in their first six matches, the team of former Swedish national coach Ingemar Linnell is currently second in the domestic league, one point adrift of number one, Bjerringbro/Silkeborg.

For one of the Kolding players in particular, 24 year old line player René Toft Hansen, the first part of the season has been especially successful. Not only has he done very well in his club team – in the defence as well as in the attack – he has also been nominated for the Danish national team for the upcoming Super Cup in Germany, while otherwise established internationals such as Jesper Nøddesbo and Torsten Laen have been passed over.

Eurohandball.com talked to the successful Kolding pivot.

Eurohandball.com: Your made a terrific start in the Champions League with two convincing wins. After having won by seven in Skopje in your first match you defeated Amicitia Zürich by eight at home in the second round. What is behind this success?

René Toft Hansen: Against Zürich the reason for the size of our win was the fact that we did very well in our defence throughout the match, and that we managed to run a large number of fast breaks. That obviously tired our opponents, and this became particularly obvious towards the end of both halves!

Eurohandball.com: Was the difference between your team and Amicitia simply physical?

René Toft Hansen: They managed to follow us pretty well for great parts of both halves, so I think that we mainly overcame them physically. However, they were quite difficult to figure out, only based on a video from one game, which was all we had seen in advance!

Eurohandball.com: How did it suit you as a pivot that Amicitia have such an open defence?

René Toft Hansen: We are getting used to playing against attacking defences by now – in the domestic league as well as in the Champions League, where Vardar Skopje also practised a quite attacking defence. It suits me very well as a line player, as it leaves me with a lot of space at the circle!

Eurohandball.com: On Saturday you will play in the huge Palau Blaugrane of Barcelona for the first time in your career, going to face mighty FC Barcelona. Do you think you will be trembling with fear before that challenge?

René Toft Hansen: Trembling with fear? Oh no – on the contrary! I am really looking forward to that experience! It will be just cool and awesome!

Kolding may expect the support of quite a lot of Danish fans Saturday, as the coming week is autumn holiday in Danish schools, and many Danes are therefore planning a vacation in Barcelona in connection with the match.

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Bad luck for Toft

After talking to Eurohandball.com, René Toft Hansen was examined in a hospital with shoulder problems. A muscle in the shoulder of Hansen was torn and in the worst case he facing a four-week break. In any case will he be out for the Saturday afternoon match in the Palau Blaugrana of Barcelona.

"At first we believed the injury was not so serious, but a scan at the hospital revealed a torn muscle. At the moment everything indicates that he has to miss from two to four weeks," Kolding´s assistant coach Flemming Pedersen said.

"It was an accident at the Zürich game on Saturday. It could not have happened in a worse moment, but for now we are going to see week by week how his injury heels."

Hansen was just called up to the Danish national team. His injury may also keep him away from the national side for a while.