04.01.2008, 02:49
Viborg star still optimistic

Few Viborg players are healthy at the moment, but Lene Lund Nielsen is one of them. Eurohandball.com talks to her.

Viborg star still optimistic

One of the few experienced players of Viborg HK who are not injured or ill at the moment is 28-year old line player and former Danish international, Lene Lund Nielsen.

In the absence of many stars of the team, Lene Lund, with Viborg since 2005, has to work harder than ever: in the attack as well as in the defence. The match against Olthim Valcea –Viborg lost 31-29 – was no exception to that rule.

After the match Eurohandball.com talked to an obviously tired Lene Lund Nielsen

Eurohandball.com: Your team was missing many players, just as Valcea. How do you feel after this defeat?

Lene Lund Nielsen: I am so disappointed right now that I almost cannot describe it. We got an extremely poor start to the match and even though we played okay for the last ten minutes of the first half and had a lot of chances to win, we still did not manage it.

Eurohandball.com: There were great expectations in Viborg before the season and in spite of the many injuries you still have a chance to win all the competitions. That must be a ground for some optimism after all…

Lene Lund Nielsen: Of course we still have the chance of a very successful season and we also gain some experience from matches like those against Valcea. Now we will simply have to find out what we can do better.

Eurohandball.com: With one match left in the group, you can still not feel sure to qualify. You may have need a victory on 13 January against FTC Budapest. That must mean quite a pressure…

Lene Lund Nielsen: Well, at least I expect Grit Jurack to be fit for that match and I also think that Bojana Popovic will be all right by then. That will be enough for us to win that match.

Eurohandball.com: Are there also positive effects of so many injuries – the remaining players moving closer together and fighting more intensely?

Lene Lund Nielsen: Of course, some of the other players catch the possibility and take more responsibility. But of course it is hard to play without several players who play 60 minutes every time. But, as you say, we have to stand together even more.

TEXT: Peter Bruun