Leganger ends career with immediate effect

The Women’s EHF Champions League this season and in the future will be played without one of the most famous and outstanding female handball players in history.

At the age of 39, Cecilie Leganger has decided to end her career with immediate effect.

During the past few years, Leganger has been bothered by injury on several occasions and has now decided to call it a day.

“My training experience as well as my medical education tells me that it is time to say goodbye while the going is good, and I am still at good health. Enough is enough,” said Cecilile Leganger in an official message, issued by her club, Larvik HK on Monday.

“I am happy and grateful for the extra years I have had, but with a body which is not exactly young anymore and which has been trained a lot, this has also led to some injuries, some of which have been quite serious. All those injuries are healed by now and I am in good shape. I would like to stay that way,” Leganger elaborated.

Sad head coach

Larvik´s head coach Ole Gustav Gjekstad is naturally sad about losing Leganger.

“Cecilie has been one of the most dedicated and professional athletes I have ever worked with. It is a big loss to Larvik and to international handball not to have Cecilie on the court. I hope we will still see her in some role in handball. She has a lot to teach,” Gjekstad said.

Cecilie Leganger has won the Women´s EHF Champions League three times – with Slagelse in 2005 and 2007, and with Larvik in 2011.

With the Norwegian national team, for which she appeared 162 times, she won the Women’s EHF EURO2008 and the World Championship in 1999.

No replacement

Larvik are not planning to sign any replacement for Leganger. Ahead of this season, the Norwegian champions signed Danish national team goalkeeper Sandra Toft from Team Tvis Holstebro, so she and Alma Hasanic, who joined from Norwegian league colleagues Glassverket last year, will form the goalkeeping duo in Larvik, at least for the time being.