HERNING — Comments from players and coaches after the final and bronze-medal match at the Men's EHF EURO 2026 on Sunday.
BRONZE-MEDAL MATCH
Dagur Sigurdsson (ISL) — CRO head coach:
On the match:
“Iceland played a great match and took a really good result in the tournament. We can discuss how many regular teams are not here for the final weekend. We were disappointed after the loss in the semi — we played a great game. Wt was really a good performance of many players. They sacrificed themselves for this medal. It was a strong team effort, especially when Iceland came back into the game. We are really happy, but we also have great respect for the fight of Iceland.”
Luka Cindrić (CRO) — centre back:
On the match:
“It was a tough match, but we fought until the end. I am so proud on the team. For us, this bronze medal is like gold. We showed character in every game of this tournament. The last 10 minutes were chaotic. Both teams were nervous, and it was a really intense fight. We started really good and kept the lead for the whole match. We played really good.”
On winning the second medal within one year:
“Last year, it was easier for us, as we played at home. Now we showed that it doesn’t matter where we play. We always give our best against every team. This medal is a great success for our handball and our country.”
Marko Mamić (CRO) — left back:
On the match:
“We deserved to win the match and the medal. From the start, we played with a really tough defence, were patient in attack and managed to go ahead with five goals. After that it was much easier for us to play and to control the game. In the end, we missed some 100 per cent chances, and as Iceland is a strong team, they came back. But we remained cool in our heads and won the medal. In the end, it was pure emotions: It was our ninth match, the fans were against us, we lost our power. But we knew that we are the better team and showed it on the court.”
On the second medal within one year:
“I am very proud. It was such hard work. We had some problems during this tournament. Therefore, it was really important to finish the tournament with a success.”
Snorri Steinn Guðjónsson (ISL) — head coach:
On the match:
“It was a deserved win. We are disappointed, but we lost to a better team. We had a bad start and missed a lot of chances. Croatia is maybe one of the best teams in the world to control games. We tried hard, but could not turn the match around.”
Bjarki Már Elisson (ISL) — left wing:
On his emotions:
“I am really disappointed. We wanted to win, but failed. We lacked power in the beginning. We did not start well enough. We missed chances and that cost us the victory today. The disappointment is as big as you can imagine. We had not been so close to a medal since years.”
Photo © kolektiff images
TEXT:
European Handball Federation