Breivang: "My personal dream"
After already being an Olympic Gold medallist and becoming EHF EURO champions for the fourth consecutive time in December 2010, Karoline Dyhre Breivang is now dreaming of her first EHF Champions League title.
With her club Larvik HK the experienced Norwegian national team player will face Spanish champions Itxako Reyna De Navarra in the two matches in the Final. In this interview with ehfCL.com Breivang describes her hopes to bring in the harvest of long, hard work.
ehfCL.com: How do you see Itxako, your opponents in the EHF Champions League Final?
Karoline Dyhre Breivang: It is nice for us to meet a team that we haven’t faced earlier in this competition. For us, Itxako are new opponents, which we never had a duel with in the EHF Champions League.
ehfCL.com: Are Larvik the title favourites?
Karoline Dyhre Breivang: It is difficult to say whether there is a favourite in those finals at all. The final result will depend on the form of both teams on the respective match days.
ehfCL.com: In a season preparation tournament in Germany before the start of this season you beat Itxako in the final – is that a good omen for the EHF Champions League clash?
Karoline Dyhre Breivang: No, that was completely different, as it was a smaller sports hall and both teams were right at the start of their season preparations. In my opinion, both teams have improved drastically since then.
ehfCL.com: Did you expect Itxako to come this far?
Karoline Dyhre Breivang: Before the start of the campaign, the Spaniards were not the biggest favourites for winning the EHF Champions League, but they really showed some impressive matches in the Main Round, and also in the semis against Györ.
They started the season in the easiest group with Leipzig, Hypo and Debrecen, but after winning that group they improved from match to match.
ehfCL.com: So far your team has only lost two matches in the entire season, an unimportant Group match in Vâlcea and the clear defeat on home ground against Györ in the Main Round. Was the latter game something like a wake up call for the rest of the season?
Karoline Dyhre Breivang: No, I don’t think so. It was quite similar to the defeat at our home EHF EURO with Norway against Sweden in Lillehammer in the Main Round. It was one single failure without any consequences in the end. We did not lose our way after those defeats.
ehfCL.com: Are you already dreaming of the EHF Champions League title?
Karoline Dyhre Breivang: For so many years we have been working hard only to come so far. Last year, we reached the Semifinals against Viborg, but this year we have the chance to win the trophy.
It has been not only my personal dream, but also the dream of my team mates, to play an EHF Champions League Final. We have a good team and of course we hope to be raising the trophy.
ehfCL.com: Is it a disadvantage for Larvik that the decision will be taken in the away match in Pamplona?
Karoline Dyhre Breivang: I don’t see it as a disadvantage at all. This season we managed several times to improve in away matches, as you could see at our away victories in Györ and in Podgorica. We will first focus on our home match, after that we are going to win the title in Spain.
ehfCL.com: Isn’t it boring to see the same players the whole year, as most of your national team mates also play in Larvik?
Karoline Dyhre Breivang: Not at all, we are real friends. We have all put a lot of energy and time into our projects with Larvik and the national team. And we really like to be together the whole year.
TEXT:
Björn Pazen