Camilla Herrem: Vardar’s potential missing piece from the puzzle
When it comes to success and trophies in women's handball, the first association in people’s minds is Norway. Thanks to their domination in the last decade in women’s handball, Norwegian national team players are attractive for every club that aims high. This is one of the reasons why, Macedonian champions HC Vardar decided to bring Camilla Herrem into their squad at the start of the season. A move that made her the first ever
Norwegian player to take to the court representing a Macedonian club team.
With three consecutive bronze medals at the Women ’s EHF FINAL 4 events, the Macedonian side needed a change that will bring them to the top. At the beginning of the season, Amandine Leynaud admitted that maybe Herrem could be the crucial factor that will lead the team to their first ever
trophy in the Women ’s EHF Champions League.
"Maybe we missed a player who knows how to win gold medals, now I believe that Camila Herrem will show us the Norwegian secret to success."
Dream: A WOMEN'S EHF Champions League title
When Herrem started her handball career, she never thought that she would be able to win so many trophies. It only took two years after her debut to
win the first gold medal. This success happened at the EHF EURO 2008 in FYR Macedonia and to date her collection counts ten medals from major
competitions.
When it comes to club handball, the best left wing from the All-star teams in 2009 (World Championship) and 2016 (EHF EURO), represented
Sola and then Byasen for many years, before moving to HC Baia Mare and Team Tvis Holstebro. Vardar are her third foreign signing and definitely a club in which Herrem believes that her appetite for more medals will be satisfied.
“When it comes to clubs, I have a gold medal from Norway, but that was long time ago, so now it’s time for something new,” says Herrem
Throughout the season her team has shown two different faces. During the group matches Vardar were unstoppable, however, in the main
round weaker performances led to two defeats.
Nevertheless, in the quarter-finals they secured two victories against FC Midtjylland, which gave them their spot in their fourth consecutive EHF FINAL 4. Now at the TIPPMIX EHF FINAL 4 2017 last year’s semi-final opponents and current title holders CSM Bucuresti block the road to the final.
“I have never played at an EHF FINAL4 before, so this is my dream come true. We are all aware that it will be hard, but we all want to win the title because this is the biggest achievement you can reach in club handball,” says Herrem.
Trademark: Outstanding speed
What makes Camilla Herrem such an outstanding player for Vardar? She is a born winner and very clever player with a reliable shot. Her trademark though is her outstanding speed, which made Vardar counter attacks much more effective this year. Her game is marked with great stability in the decisive moments, which definitely makes Camilla a player who is not afraid to take on responsibility, regardless of the importance of the match.
Herrem is definitely one of the world’s best handball players, something that is confirmed by her teammate Amandine Leynaud.
“Camilla is a true professional and she fits well into the club. She is a really strong player with great speed. In her position, she is definitely one of the best players in the world. Over the years she gained a lot of experience and with the national team she won lot of titles which makes her eager for more medals,” states Leynaud.
“When it comes to the court, Herrem is a very important player for the team because she is one of the best players. Off the court, you can always see her smiling and spreading positive energy,” adds Jovanke Radicevic.
Besides being a key player in Vardar, Herrem demonstrates that the curial thing for success is team play: “On the court, I always back up my teammates. I don’t care if someone makes a mistake, as long as I see that everybody gives 100 per cent - that’s what matters. I hope that our effort throughout the season will pay off and together will write a new chapter in our club’s history,” concludes Herrem.
TEXT: Amina Idrizi/si
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