23.01.2019, 11:20
Proud GOG happy to be back in Europe

MEN's EHF CUP COUNTDOWN #1: After a one-year absence, one of Denmark’s proudest and most traditional clubs, GOG, are back in European Cup handball

Proud GOG happy to be back in Europe

Before the reconstruction of the club in 2010, GOG were one of the most successful clubs in Danish handball.

During the eight years since, the club from the southern part of the island of Funen have not won a title yet, but in recent years, the club has begun to play a bigger role among Danish league’s top table.

This had earned them European Cup participation several times and this season, after a year of absence, the yellow boys from Funen are back in Europe, this time ready for the group phase of the Men’s EHF Cup.

Kirkeløkke injury a big blow

A few days before Christmas, their hopes for success in the Danish league and Europe suffered a severe blow as right back Niclas Kirkeløkke suffered an ACL injury.

The injury to Kirkeløkke, who will be joining German top team Rhein-Neckar Löwen next season, was a severe handicap to the Danish national team ahead of the World Championship as well as to GOG.

However, being the largest talent factory in Danish handball, GOG are used to finding solutions and young Jon Andersson will be the primary replacement to Kirkeløkke.

"In the world to win titles"

Head coach Nicolej Krickau is well aware of the ambitions at the club and he shares them.

“GOG is set in the world to win titles.

“Nationally, we go hard after the championship. In the EHF Cup, it is primarily about advancement from the group. After that, we will have to see what happens,” says Krickau, who strongly believes his club belongs in Europe.

“GOG as a great club with a proud history nationally, but also in Europe in the past.

“We are happy to be back in this company again and we look forward to showing our spectators some European handball again,” says Krickau who sees THW Kiel from his team’s own group as the favourites to win the EHF Cup.

“Kiel look like a great favourites. Berlin, Porto and Hannover also look strong, but we see Kiel as a relatively big favourite to win the title.”

GOG

Qualification for the Men's EHF Cup Group Phase:
Qualification Round 3: 70:52 aggregate win against Vojvodina

Newcomers:
Oscar Bergendahl, Allingsas HK
Josef Pujol, VfL Gummersbach
Odin Thor Rikhardsson, FN Hafnarfjordur
Henrik Tilsted, Morst Thy Håndbold

Left the club:
Lasse Rosendahl, Odense HC
Mads Bruus, end of career
Torsten Laen, end of career
Henrik Jakobsen, Toulouse
Gøran Søgaard Johannessen, SG Flensburg-Handewitt
Mark Strandgaard, Aalborg Handball
Magnus Jøndal, SG Flensburg-Handewitt

Coach: Nicolej Krickau – since 2017

Team captain: Lasse Kronborg

EHF Champions League records:
Last 16 (1): 2006/07
Main round (2): 2007/08, 2008/09
Group phase (4): 1995/96, 1996/97, 1998/99, 2000/01

EHF Cup records:
Quarter-final (3): 1999/00, 2001/02, 2005/06
Group Phase: (1): 2016/17
Round 4 (1): 2009/10

Other European Cup records:

Cup Winners' Cup:
Final (1): 1994/95
Quarter-finals (2): 1993/94, 1997/98
Round 4 (1): 2002/03
Round 3 (1): 2003/04

National titles:
7: 1992, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2007

National Cup titles:
9: 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2005

TEXT: Peter Bruun / cor