Andersson: “Playing against Sweden will be peculiar”

A long and glorious career came to end when Mattias Andersson called it a day at the age of 40 at the end of the 2017/18 season.

SG Flensburg-Handewitt were the last from six clubs which benefitted from the legendary goalkeeper’s skills and experience, as did the Swedish national team for many years.

Andersson has not left the sport completely, however. Right after saving his last shot in Flensburg, he took over as goalkeepers’ coach at the Austrian national team.

“A natural way to maintain contact with handball”

“Some talks with Austria’s Icelandic national coach Patrekur Jóhannesson led to this cooperation,” says Andersson, who has signed a contract for one year. “For me, it was a natural way to maintain contact with handball, and I really find the job exciting. I might actually want to take up coaching on a more permanent basis.”

Andersson admits he misses playing now and then, adding “I certainly do not miss the physical strain by playing in the Bundesliga.”

His job in Austria enables him to stay in touch with the sport, though his time with the Austrian goalkeepers is limited.

“I only see them at the national team get-togethers, like the one we have in connection with the EHF EURO Cup,” he says. “But I am in regular contact with them between the national team camps. I send them training programs and follow their development in any way I can.”

Impressed with the level of the Austrian goalkeeper

Considering his own career, one might think that only few goalkeepers can impress Andersson, but he is actually quite impressed with the level of the Austrian keepers he is working with.

“I think the level is rather high, and I see plenty of potential for further development in those keepers,” the Swede says. “Moreover, they are very keen to learn and develop, and they are willing to work hard to achieve their objectives, so it is a real pleasure to work with them.”

The current Austrian squad for the EHF EURO Cup contains three goalkeepers: Thomas Bauer (139 international games), Kristian Pilipovic (21) and Thomas Eichberger (0).

“I want Austria to win, and I want my goalkeepers to do well”

This week, Andersson is going to see his goalkeepers in their first competitive matches since he took over as their coach, as Austria are playing their first two matches in the new EHF EURO Cup. The participants include reigning EHF EURO champions Spain as well as the three co-hosts of EHF EURO 2020: Austria, Norway and Sweden.

Austria are travelling to Norway for their first match on Wednesday (24 October), before Sweden are visiting Graz four days later.

Andersson retired from the Swedish national team after 148 matches a few years before he ended his playing career all together. The game between Austria and Sweden will be particularly special, he admits.

“Of course, playing against my own country will be peculiar, but that is the way the game is, and at least, I am not going to be on court but only on the bench,” he says. “There is, of course, no doubt that I want Austria to win, and in particular, I want my goalkeepers to do well.”

*An earlier version of this news mentioned Goran Aleksic as the third goalkeeper. This has been corrected.