Hangout with the superheroes

What was announced as 'Hangout with the stars' became a 'Hangout with the superheroes' when Tom O Brannagain welcomed Jesper Noddesbo, Ivan Cupic, Niclas Ekberg and Andreas Nilsson for a chat in the arena's media centre on Friday.  

The show was streamed live  as a Google Hangout, giving fans not only on site but also around the world the opportunity to follow it.  

While there was some good banter all along, the all-important question was asked closer towards the end when O Brannagain wanted to know, what they will be doing with the trophy in case they win it – a question that had been hovering in the air since Füchse Berlin's Konstantin Igropulo stripped naked, covered only his most precious parts with the EHF Cup, which the Füchse had just won, and posted this intriguing selfie on Instagram.

And while three remained reluctant, MKB-MVM Veszprem’s Andreas Nilsson put his cards on the table when he confessed: “I'll do an Igropulo.” For Noddesbo, who kept his cards closer to the chest than Nilsson, this, however, wouldn't be a first as he posted a selfie of him almost naked for charity purposes some time ago.

The odds that we see a naked Nilsson are actually quite high, if one looks at the four players' winning percentages at the FINAL4. While Nilsson won the event every time he came to Cologne – admittingly only once so far, in 2013 with Hamburg –, neither Ekberg (three appearances) nor Cupic (two appearances) have lifted the trophy. Noddesbo won it once (in 2011) but stands at four appearances.

Winning the VELUX EHF FINAL4 might have been much easier for any of the four, if they possessed the power of the super heroes they wish they were.

And are you wondering for which hero the players went? Here are the answers: Cupic is Superman, Nilsson wants to be Hulk (despite having been spotted on Instagram as Flash Gordon about a year ago), Ekberg goes for Hancock and Noddesbo is Barcelona's new Batman.

However, before we find out on Sunday who the true superheroes of the 2015 VELUX EHF FINAL4 will be, watch the entire hangout here: http://bit.ly/superherohangout