HAMBURG – Comments after the EHF Finals Men 2024 semi-finals from SG Flensburg-Handewitt head coach Nicolej Krickau (DEN). right back Kay Smits (NED), left wing Emil Jakobsen (DEN), and line player Johannes Golla (GER); Dinamo Bucuresti head coach Xavi Pascual (ESP), centre back Lazar Kukic (SRB), and line player Miklós Rosta (HUN).

SG FLENSBURG-HANDEWITT  vs  DINAMO BUCURESTI

Nicolej Krickau (DEN) – head coach, SG Flensburg-Handewitt

On the victory:

"We are very happy with the way we played in the first half, it was obvious that our defence made it easier to control the game. We played quite clever, in the end, we have to play effectively longer tomorrow. Our wings were very efficient, it made it easier to handle the attack. Dinamo showed their individual quality after the break in attack, with (Luka) Cindric we would have been in much bigger trouble, we hope for a long and hard second semi-final and hope to show it tomorrow."

Kay Smits (NED) – right back, SG Flensburg-Handewitt

On his comeback:

"It was a long time for me, and it was a special and strange day for me, as it was the first day being back and right in an important game like this. I tried to find the rhythm already in warm-up, I am just happy to be back and for the team I am happy that we made the first step at this tournament."

Emil Jakobsen (DEN) – left wing, SG Flensburg-Handewitt

On the match:

"Our defence was outstanding, this was almost perfect, and with the help of Kevin (Møller) in the goal, it was easy to score, as the pressure on the attack was much lower. We managed to score many easy goals, but in the end, we have to thank our defence. In total, it was a really, really great match from our side. Compared to previous semi-finals in other competitions, we were ready from the first second. We were full of motivation, and we put the pedal to the metal until the end, we did not think about decelerating to save powers for the final."

On making it to the final:

"We have waited so long to finally make it to another final, now it feels really great to play for another trophy."

On the 20 goals of Flensburg’s wings:

"It was a great fun to play today, and yes, the wings scored a lot, but as I said, we were supported by our defence in a brilliant way."

Johannes Golla (GER) – line player, SG Flensburg-Handewitt

On the keys for the victory:

"It was amazing, how our defence stopped Bucharest’s rhythm right from the beginning. Thanks to this strong defence, we managed to score many fast-break goals, and they were the key for the win. The first half was outstanding, after the break we lost the momentum a bit and conceded too many goals but never gave our lead from the hands."

On playing the final:

"We are so happy that after so many years we finally made it to another final. Now we have a unique chance to win a trophy. Regardless the opponent, we know Füchse and Löwen so well. We already played three times against Berlin this season including the placement match at the cup final tournament, we know Löwen very good. There will be no surprises between the two finalists. Both teams are very strong, and as usual, the daily form, the preparation and the momentum will be decisive."

On the support of their fans:

"We really have a kind of home advantage, it feels like a home match. Before the match, the fans were standing at the road, cheering for the team bus to come, and you already saw the huge number of them. This reception made us proud, and the support during the match was outstanding."

Xavi Pascual (ESP) – head coach Dinamo Bucuresti

On the defeat:

"It was an amazing match of Flensburg, and it was an amazing match for handball, for our sport. In the first half we made some mistakes and I was really angry at half-time. We had focused on two, three situations in preparation in the whole week, but we failed, exactly in those. But we fought until the end, that makes me proud, we are happy to be here but the first half was not our best. In the second half our tactic was better, but our defence and goalkeepers played weaker than normal, and without a strong goalkeeper you cannot win a match like this."

On whether Flensburg had surprised his team:

"Flensburg did not surprise us, it is about the quality of the players. They can rotate on the highest level. They showed their strength. It is difficult to play against them. I do not like to lose, but we can take a lot of experience from matches like this."

Lazar Kukic (SRB) – centre back Dinamo Bucuresti

On the match:

"It was a well-deserved victory for Flensburg, they showed their power, this team has much more experience, for many of our players it is the first EHF Finals. Tomorrow we are aiming to win for the team and especially for our fans, who came here to support us. And I am happy to see Kay Smits back on the court after his problems."

Miklós Rosta (HUN) – line player Dinamo Bucuresti

On the match:

"We missed many easy shots right in the beginning and we made too many mistakes, and Flensburg was clearly better. We could not do it against a very strong team, Flensburg for sure was the well-deserved winners."

On the support of the Dinamo fans in Hamburg:

"Thanks to our great fans, it was amazing, how they supported us, they go everywhere. And we want to make them happy by a victory tomorrow."

RHEIN-NECKAR LÖWEN  vs  FÜCHSE BERLIN

Jaron Siewert (GER) – head coach Füchse Berlin

On the match:

"We are really, really happy with the performance, the result refers to our defence. In the first 10, 12 minutes we had some problems, then we changed some players, and backed by some easy saves from Dejan (Milosavljev), we managed to take control. With a better goalkeeper percentage it is easier to score goals. In the second half we showed fast-breaks, easy goals and a defence on a really good level, and when we were ahead by six, seven goals, we could control the game much easier. But it was only the first step to defend our trophy."

On final opponents Flensburg:

"Both teams know each other well, we faced them already three times this season – one victory for each team and one draw. We need to play with the same strength in defence and goalkeeping like today. Also, we need to play with higher speed. It was quite good for us that some players could save some power in the final stages of the semi-final. Little things will decide the match – and I hope that those little things are on our side."

Hans Lindberg (DEN) – right wing, Füchse Berlin

On reaching the final:

"I am very happy to have this opportunity to fight for a trophy in Hamburg, where I started my career in Germany. It feels great to play a final to finish my career, and hopefully we manage to win the trophy."

Mathias Gidsel (DEN) – right back, Füchse Berlin

On the match against Rhein-Neckar Löwen:

"This was an extraordinary performance from all of us. We knew that the start would be crucial, it was tough in the first 10 minutes, but then we managed to pull ahead quite clearly. We kept our rhythm, and we had in mind that a match takes 60 minutes, and that Löwen would try everything. But we continued playing on a high until the end and now we have the chance to finish a great season with a trophy."

On the reaching the final against SG Flensburg-Handewitt:

"I like to play against my former coach Nicolej Krickau and all my friends I have played with at GOG. Krickau knows us, I know him, so it will be fun to play this final against Flensburg. They have an outstanding squad, though they did not play that well this season."

Paul Drux (GER) – left back, Füchse Berlin

On the victory:

"The match was open until minute 13, then we managed to take control and forced Löwen to score from different positions. Dejan saved some important shots, and at the break, we could have even led with a bigger margin. We always stuck to our plan."

On the final opponent Flensburg:

"We won the trophy last year in Flensburg, now we face Flensburg in the final, and it is our advantage that this match is not being played at Flensburg, thought they have a lot of fans here. We know what we can expect. We just played against them in the placement match at the cup final tournament – and we can take revenge for this defeat."

Nils Lichtlein (GER) – centre back, Füchse Berlin

"We stuck to our plan and did everything what we had prepared. Therefore, we stopped the rhythm of Rhein-Neckar Löwen quite early. Easy goals, found our pace scored with high efficiency used our chances until the end, we tried to save some powers for the final in the end. But we were always aware that Löwen will not come back, and we managed to do so.

On the first EHF Finals in Hamburg:

"It is simply great to play here. I love this arena because of the great atmosphere."

On the final opponent Flensburg:

"Little things will decide, when two Bundesliga top teams face. Flensburg are strong in 1-against-1 and they have extremely strong back court players and a physical present defence. Maybe Kay Smits can be an x-factor for them. But I am confident to win again, as we had won the trophy already last year."

Sebastian Hinze (GER) – head coach, Rhein-Neckar Löwen

On the match:

"In the first 15 minutes we got chances to score, but then for 15 to 25 minutes we missed so many easy shots from six metres and we lost our power at the end of the first half. In the second half we started well in attack, but Berlin – for example Lichtlein, Gidsel and Andersson – almost did not cause any mistakes. We could not get closer, as the first half had decided the match."

Patrick Groetzki (GER) – right wing/team captain, Rhein-Neckar Löwen

On the third-place match:

"It will not be easy to play a placement match tomorrow, but there are so many fans from Mannheim in the stands, so we need to play for them. We have to try to recover well for tomorrow and try our best against Bucharest."

photo © 2024 Anze Malovr / kolektiff