30.08.2010, 09:30
Heroes of the Gigantium

VELUX EHF Men's Champions League countdown, part 2: AaB Handball (DEN)

Heroes of the Gigantium

It’s a premiere for this club to be part of the EHF Men’s Champions League, and the players from Aab Handball want to show their opponents that they’re real giants – not only because of the fact that their home arena in Aalborg is named Gigantium.

Last May AaB found themselves on an emotional rollercoaster: First they failed to win the Danish Cup by losing the final against Silkeborg 19:25, but then the team from Aalborg celebrated their first ever Danish title after a real thrilling final series against KIF Kolding. It took three matches (25:24, 24:32, 33:32 after penalties) to beat Kolding. AaB’s Norwegian international Kristian Kjelling was match winner in match three with 14 goals scored.

A speciality: Aab play with a squad containing only Scandinavian players from Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Sweden. In their first ever appearance in the EHF Champions League the objectives are quite high, knowing that Danish clubs always have performed strongly - as the domestic league has improved over the last years.

"We are looking forward to participating in the finest European club competition for the first time – it will for provide a chance to our players and of course the spectators to experience the best handball clubs in Aalborg," coach Peter Bredsdorff-Larsen says – and adds: "We will not be satisfied with merely participating, we have a clear ambition to move on from the Group Phase. We were drawn into a group where all teams seem to be very equally strong, so we’re really looking forward to this exciting and interesting experience for AaB Handball in the EHF Champions League."

The Danish champion will play against 2010 EHF FINAL4 participant Chekhovskie Medvedi, Kadetten Schaffhausen, Pick Szeged, Valladolid and the winner of Qualification Tournament 2 in Porto.

But coach Bredsdorff-Larsen isn’t only focussing on the EHF Champions League matches, but hopes that the European experience will improve his team for the tasks on domestic turf: "In the Danish league we are title holder, a title we will try to defend. Besides that our primary sub objective is to finish minimum fourth after the first stage of the season – then the play-offs will decide the Danish championship. So, all people in Aalborg are looking forward to this season."

But the AaB team will have to replace some key players who left the club: Goalkeeper Sören Rasmussen transferred to the German EHF Champions League participant SG Flensburg-Handewitt, Mattias Gustafsson and Kristian Svensson now play in Germany, too, and Daniel Svensson went to Spain.

But AaB signed some hungry players to reach their domestic and international objectives like the new goalkeeper Sören Pedersen, Olof Ask from their Danish final opponent KIF Kolding or experienced Tobias Möller from GOG. The best known newcomer is Icelandic international Ingimundur Ingimundarson, who played for the German team of Minden before.

Top players of the EHF Champions League debutant are Kjelling, Henrik Toft Hansen and the Swedish playmaker Jonas Larholm who used to play two seasons in Barcelona (in 06/07 and 07/08) before.

In the preparation for their first ever EHF Champions League season Aalborg tested against German top opponents, but lost to Hamburg, Kiel and Lemgo. For coach Peter Bredsdorff-Larsen those experiences still were very important: "It was a really good trip for us. That was a fine opportunity for the team to strengthen the relations, and we obviously got some good indications of where we stand and what we have to work on to strengthen our performance. Those matches have shown that we can keep up with the very best, but it is clear that we have to improve physically, mentally and tactically. We still have some way to go, especially concerning the defence."

For AaB it’s the second season in international EHF competitions after playing in the EHF Cup 2009/2010, when the Danes were eliminated in the fourth round.

A special fact: the Aalborg club isn’t only known for their successful handball division, but they have successful teams in football and ice hockey, too.

Key facts

Newcomers: Søren Pedersen (from Mors Thy Håndbold), Rasmus Carlsen (from AaB U18), Tobias Møller (from GOG), Olof Ask (from KIF Kolding), Ingimundur Ingimundarson (from GWD Minden)

Left the club: Søren Rasmussen (to SG Flensburg/Handewitt), Kristian Svensson (to Tus N-Lübbecke), Mattias Gustafsson (to Tus N-Lübbecke), Daniel Svensson (to BM Toledo), Rasmus Skram (to HK Malmö), Patrick Wiesmach (to Team Tvis Holstebro)

Coach: Peter Bredsdorff-Larsen (DEN, since 2008)

Club records

Danish Champion 2010

Find more info here.

TEXT: Björn Pazen