05.05.2010, 04:19
"Finishing the job!"

Two EHF Champions League titles are not enough for Viborg's Rikke Skov.

"Finishing the job!"

Rikke Skov is ready for her third EHF Champions League final tie with Viborg HK, the club she has been playing for ever since 1994. Had she not been injured for the 2001 finals against Krim Ljubljana it would have been her fourth EHF Champions League final.

On the two previous occasions – in 2006 and last year – she and her team-mates have been triumphant at the end, but the 29 year old backcourt player and strong defender has not had enough yet. She dreams of lifting the EHF Champions League trophy for the third time in her career.

eurohandball.com: What are you expectations for the EHF Champions League finals against Oltchim Valcea?

Rikke Skov: I am really looking forward to those finals, particularly when I think of the opponent we are up against. I consider Oltchim Valcea to be a super team, so personally I am really going to invest one hundred per cent in winning this tie. We have had our problems with them least year and this season, and it would really be big to finish by winning the EHF Champions League in Romania.

eurohandball.com: In your own team you have had a lot of injury problems during this season. How did you still make it to the EHF Champions League final once again after all?

Rikke Skov: The fact that everyone is fit at the right time, and the fact that our experience players are with us again has brought us back on track. Our gameplay has had a really good flow lately, additionally we have a very solid defence. We know each other very well, and actually we have found back to last year’s form.

eurohandball.com: Where do you see the chances against Valcea?

Rikke Skov: I mainly see them in our fast breaks, the first as well as the second wave. We have to run with them all the time. If we can do that, I see very good chances for us.

eurohandball.com: For the second year in a row you will be playing the first leg at home. This had not significance last year, when you lost to Györ at home, only to take the trophy in the return match in Veszprém. Bearing this in mind, does it really matter that you have to end away again?

Rikke Skov: It is hard to say in advance. I see this tie more like two halves, and maybe it does not really matter whether we play at home or away. On the two occasions, when we won the EHF Champions League we lost at home and won away in the finals. Either way, it must not be a "sleeping pillow" for us.

eurohandball.com: Is there any point in speculating in what would be a good result in the home match?

Rikke Skov: No, not at all, Of course, we had a good feeling in the semi-finals against Larvik after a six goal win in the first leg at home, but mainly our good feeling was due to the fact that we felt that we had the upper hand against them on the court. In my opinion, it is important which team figured the other team out, and which team has the tactical and psychological upper hand. It you feel that you have that upper hand, it is really not that important, if you win by four or five, or lose by one or two. It we feel that we have the upper hand after the first leg, it will simply be a matter of finishing the job in the second.

TEXT: Peter Bruun