"In handball, there is nothing bigger than Cologne"

For seven years Thomas Mogensen has been the key figure in the SG Flensburg-Handewitt’s attack. Ever since the team has tried many a time to qualify for the VELUX EHF FINAL4 and eventually succeeded this year. Hence Mogensen, at 31, will play his first EHF Champions League Semi-final and faces a tough task in the form of record champions FC Barcelona.

You come to the VELUX EHF FINAL4 for the first time. What are your expectations?

Thomas Mogensen: This is going to be awesome. We played the German Cup’s final tournament in Hamburg a number of times, but Cologne is much, much bigger. I can hardly imagine it. Furthermore this is my career’s first Champions League semi-final, after we bowed out a few times in unlucky fashion in the quarter-finals. Hence Cologne, also from a career point of view, is the next big step and I’m really looking forward to it.

However, it wouldn‘t have taken much for you to be eliminated. Your game at Skopje against Vardar was on a knife edge…

Thomas Mogensen: That game’s second half was so close and chaotic! After the first half we had the feeling that things were going well for us, but then Skopje, supported by their crazy fans, staged this unbelievable comeback. In the end, eventually, we kept calm enough to advance but we were also quite lucky.

Is it something special for you that you face FC Barcelona at your VELUX EHF FINAL4 debut?

Thomas Mogensen: It didn’t matter which team we were drawn against. There were only strong ones left. We are neither the favourites in this game nor for the title in general, but we nevertheless want to win. One good game is enough to get to the final, but if you look at Barcelona’s roster, they are truly a world-class team.

Do you look at HSV Hamburg as an example, as they beat Barcelona last year despite being the underdogs?

Thomas Mogensen: I don’t look at Hamburg in particular, but I have witnessed many matches that were won by the underdogs. However, we are not thinking about eventually winning the title. We only think about how we can beat Barcelona.

Given that task, is there a Barcelona player you are particularly aware of?

Thomas Mogensen: Every player they have is outstanding. If I have to pick one, then it is Nikola Karabatic. He has played so many finals in his career and possesses a wealth of experience. But it’s important for us that we focus on Barcelona as a team. We have to try to disturb their rhythm. We are not afraid of them, even though they were much less challenged in the Spanish league compared to the many tough matches we had to play in the Bundesliga. But everyone goes on holidays after the FINAL4, so for these two remaining matches any pain will be forgotten.

Over the past years Flensburg have become a traditional hub for Danish players. Do the five Danes in the team form a separate group?

Thomas Mogensen: No. We all live in Handewitt. Not only the Danes, but almost all players. That’s why in our spare time we all do a lot of things together with our respective families. There is no Danish group.

Your fellow Dane, Jesper Nöddesbo, plays for FC Barcelona. Did you get in touch with him after the draw?

Thomas Mogensen: We sent each other some tweets. We will say ‘hello’ to each other before the game, but once the match has started I don’t care anymore who plays for the other team.

What will Flensburg‘s signature strengths be at the VELUX EHF FINAL4?

Thomas Mogensen: The cooperation between our defence and our goalkeeper is outstanding. That’s where we gain most of our high momentum. We need these goals resulting from fast breaks because we lack – compared to Barcelona – some strong shooters in the back court.

Do you have any rituals before the game?

Thomas Mogensen: I don’t have any. In handball in general there are fewer and fewer rituals. We play 80 games a year, that makes it hard to have the same routine every day. However, there are some players that follow exactly the same pattern from getting up to the throw-off, but I don’t.