02.09.2015, 05:00
European success inspires ambitious Danes

VELUX EHF Champions League club countdown: 14 days to go - Skjern Handbold (DEN)

European success inspires ambitious Danes

2014/15 was the most successful season in Skjern Handbold's club history. They took the Danish cup, qualified for the EHF Cup Finals in Berlin, where they finished third, and qualified for the VELUX EHF Champions League for the first time since 2003 as runners-up of the Danish championship. Now the team of coach Ole Nörgaard wants more.

However, Skjern lost two of their most prolific back court scorers: Henrik Möllgaard moved to Paris Saint-Germain for one season, while giant shooter Nikolaj Markussen joined domestic rivals Bjerringbro.

In a big move of their own, Nörgaard and manager Anders Dahl-Nielsen secured a transfer coup in the form of Norwegian line player Bjarte Myrhol. The transfer from German side Rhein Neckar Löwen brings a huge amount of international experience.

In addition, the club infrastructure was improved by the enforcement of their home fortress, the Skjern Bank Arena, which now has a capacity of 3,200 and opens up much better marketing opportunities. The premiere for the enforced arena was the Danish Super Cup, in which Skjern gave a tough fight to reigning champions KIF Kolding Kobenhavn, losing by a solitary goal, 22:23.

Besides fighting for top spots in the domestic competitions and to qualify again for an EHF European Cup competition, Skjern hope to finish among the top two teams in Group D of the VELUX EHF Champions League, in which they face Metalurg, Zaporozhye, Schaffhausen, Baia Mare and the winner of the qualification tournament.

“We hope to win our home matches and to take some important points abroad,” says Dahl Nielsen, who had been coach and director of 2014 VELUX EHF FINAL4 winners Flensburg a number of years ago. 

The Skjern manager expects “an interesting group with some very strong teams. Kadetten Schaffhausen have experience in playing Champions League and it is always a challenge to play in Ukraine, FYR Macedonia and Romania.”

Team captain Thomas Klitgaard estimates the group as a challenging one: “We have to face very difficult opponents, which all have European experience - especially Kadetten, Metalurg and Zaporozhye. It will be some very interesting matches. But we gained a lot of international experience from last season, which we hope to benefit from. We will fight hard to advance from the group.”

Skjern Handbold (DEN)

Qualification for the 2015/2016 VELUX EHF Champions League season: Danish runners-ups

Newcomers: Magnus Dahl (Kristiansstad), Markus Olsson (Kristiansstad) and Bjarte Myrhol (Rhein Neckar Löwen)

Left the club:  Frederik Børm (SønderjyskE), Kristoffer Laursen (Skanderborg), Nikolaj Markussen (Bjerringbro-Silkeborg) and Henrik Møllgaard (Paris Saint Germain)

Coach: Ole Nørgaard (since 2012)

VELUX EHF Champions League records:

Participations (including 2015/2016 season): 3
Last 16 (1): 2003/2004
Group Matches (1): 1999/2000

Other achievements:

EHF Cup: Semi-final: 2006/07, 2014/15 (third ranked at EHF Cup Finals), Last 16: 2011/12
EHF Cup Winners’ Cup: Quarter-final: 2005/06
EHF Challenge Cup: Winner: 2001/02, 2002/03

Danish champions: 1998/1999
Danish cup winners:  1999/2000, 2014/15

TEXT: Björn Pazen / cor