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COLOGNE - Comments from Germany head coach Alfred Gislason (ISL) and left back Julian Köster (GER) and line player Jannick Kohlbacker )(GER), and Denmark head coach Nikolaj Jacobsen (DEN), goalkeeper Emil Nielsen (DEN) and left back Simon Pytlick (DEN); France head coach Guillaume Gille (FRA) and left backs Elohim Prandi (FRA) and Nikola Karabatic (FRA) and Sweden head coach Glenn Solberg (NOR) and goalkeeper Andreas Palicka (SWE) and left back Eric Johansson (SWE); Hungary head coach Chema Rodriguez (ESP) and right back Zoran Ilic (HUN) and Slovenia head coach Uros Zorman (SLO) and left back Borut Mackovsek (SLO) after France beat Sweden 34:30 after extra time in semi-final 1, Denmark beat Germany 29:26 in semi-final 2, and Hungary beat Slovenia 23:22 in the 5/6 placement match at the LANXESS arena on Friday.
GERMANY vs DENMARK
Alfred Gislason (ISL) – head coach, Germany
On the loss:
“They deserved to win this game. They are a fantastic team playing incredibly good handball. They don’t have any weaknesses. So I’m very very proud of my team.
“We were trying the best to keep in this game for us as long as possible. We played, I think, the most of the game fantastic defence. Mostly great in the first half and not bad in the second half but we had a little problem with seven-against-six for a while, what we normally do better.
“What changed the game is after Andy [Wolff] was good in the first half Emil [Nielsen] came in and had a great game in the second half. We also lost the game because we were not playing well in six-against-five.
On the team:
“I am very very proud of my team and how the young players played. You can see for some days who played a lot in this period of long tournament but it was a great game for us. We knew, we had to play extra good to have a chance against Denmark. And for us now in two days against Sweden will be a very tough and extremely important game for us.”
Julian Köster (GER) - left back
On the game:
"It was hard, I think we played a very good first half with a very good defence, but they used a lot of seven against six in the second half and we struggled to stop them. When you manage to stop Denmark from scoring, it's OK, but it's harder to do it on the long-term and we did not manage to do it."
On being eliminated from trophy contention at the EHF EURO:
"It's tough, because we really thought we had a chance, but in the end, Denmark are going there. The tournament is not over, we need to go on Sunday and grab a medal, but it is a little bit too early to talk about that right now."
Jannick Kohlbacher (GER) – line player
On the game:
"It is a very disappointing feeling to lose in the semi-final, especially when you play that good in the first half. But they were much tougher defensively after the second half, Emil Nielsen played really great and they managed to put more rhythm in the game."
On the support from the fans in the LANXESS arena:
"It was amazing, as it has been since the beginning of the EURO. They helped us a lot, they pushed us, and I could see a lot of disappointed faces in the stands after the game. We're sorry that we could not win, but we want to thank the fans for their support."
Nikolaj Jacobsen (DEN) – head coach, Denmark
On the match:
“It was an unbelievable tough match for us. We had at the beginning of first half really problems with the German defence. We could not win one-against-one and they were standing really really good in the defence.
“We managed with seven-against-six to get the match little bit calm, so we took the aggressivity out of the German defence. I think, it was important for us, to become calm and that was the key point for us. After that, we went back to six-against-six. The German team did not find the same aggressivity in the defence. So, we played then a little bit better handball.
“Our defence was amazing. Also the first half, we managed to get some stupid goals. Especially with [Rune] Dahmke running in and some other goals I was not satisfied about. In the middle of the second half or maybe a little bit earlier Emil [Nielsen] had some really really good saves.
“It was very important for us to manage to get balls passed at Andreas Wolff who was playing an amazing first half or the first 40 minutes. Then we got three, four goals lead and we managed to get the victory but it was an amazing tough match against a great team.”
Emil Nielsen (DEN) - goalkeeper
On the game:
"It was a really great match, in an amazing atmosphere. Germany played really good, they put a lot of intensity in the first half and we missed a couple of shots as well. But our second one was much better, especially in the defence, and we were able to play with a lot more rhythm, which suits us a lot more."
On Denmark taking 30 minutes to warm up:
"It's never easy to play against the home team in front of their fans. Germany decided to put everything from throw-off and to put us under pressure immediately. We managed to stand against the wind and make the most of the second half."
On his own performance:
"I'm happy I could help the team, but I think it was more about the whole momentum of the team than just myself. When the defence is better, than the goalkeeper makes more saves and that's how it goes."
Simon Pytlick (DEN) - left back
On the game:
"It was tough, we had a lot of problems with the rhythm in the first half, we were not able to play as quickly as we would have liked. Things changed after the break, we defended a lot better and that us the balls to play quick. Our rhythm was much better after half-time. It took us some time to focus but afterwards, I think we played a good game."
On what was said by coach Nikolaj Jakobsen at half-time:
"He just told us to stay calm and that we would find solutions in their defence at some point. He told us not to panic, that it was just a question of momentum and of being able to create space in their defence. And we kept pushing after half-time, and we found solutions as well."
FRANCE vs SWEDEN
Guillaume Gille (FRA) – head coach, France
On the win:
“It’s really crazy what we did tonight. Sometimes crazy things happen in sports. We had a very interesting first half and the second part of the game was totally on Swedish side and it was very difficult for us. We tried to believe in our faith but it was not easy because we did not find our rhythm in the second half.
“With a lot of luck [Elohim] Prandi was able to smash this ball into the goal. After that we found another spirit to finish this game. It was as usual between us very tight and we are the lucky winner tonight.”
Elohim Prandi (FRA) - left back
On the free throw which took the match to extra time:
"I'm really proud to have scored it and I do realise what I have done, yes. When you take the ball, when you go for the shot, I mean... I knew what I was going to do, I knew I wanted to go on the side, but from trying to scoring, it's crazy. I threw the ball, I just prayed it would go inside, and it did."
On his feeling after scoring:
"I wanted to remain focused, I did not want to show too much enthusiasm because it was not the end. It was important to keep the momentum."
On the extra time:
"We could feel like the Swedish team had taken a blow to the head, that they really thought they were going to win before the final minute. We told ourselves we just needed to push as hard as we could, because we taken the upper hand again."
Nikola Karabatic (FRA) – left back
On Elohim Prandi's free throw goal:
"I have seen a lot of goals but this one, in a EURO semi-final, it's something crazy. But I trusted him to score, I knew he could do it. I was with Valentin Porte and Kentin Mahé and I told them Elo was going to score. I was really confident, honestly."
On the second half:
"Andreas Palicka basically stopped every shot, I think we only scored six or seven in the second half, and that's nothing. Our defence also had more problems and at some point, you could feel they had taken the upper hand. But our state of mind allowed us to remain focus, to keep cool and to keep believing in ourselves."
On being tired ahead of the final after playing extra time:
"Honestly, at the moment, it's fine. With the adrenalin, you don't feel anything. But if we played 10 minutes more physically, to be honest, our heads are in a really good place."
Glenn Solberg (NOR) – head coach, Sweden
On the match:
“It was a lot of battle, it was a fantastic handball game I think for everybody. But as you understand now, I am very disappointed and sad. But I cannot do anything against now. Now, I try to build up my players again and try to be in a breaking form on Sunday. But as you know, sport is sometimes very hard and I am proud of my players.”
On the decision to award the free throw to France:
“I did not see it. I did not see what was wrong. I am not focusing on the referees now. It was a hard and tough loss for us.”
Andreas Palicka (SWE) - goalkeeper
On Elohim Prandi's goal:
"It's crazy but to be honest, I don't see the ball until the last moment. It's almost impossible for me to stop it, especially since it's that powerful."
On the last minute of regular time:
"That's how handball is, you can be in a really good mood one second and the lowest the second later. We did the second half we wanted, with a lot of good defences and also some goals scored. But then, that goal happened."
On the extra time:
"It's hard to bounce back when you are almost in the final at some point, and then you're out after such a goal. We tried to fight but it felt like nothing could happen to France tonight."
Eric Johansson (SWE) - left back
On the game:
"We played two almost opposite halves, one terrible and one super good. And then, when we thought we had the final in our hands, there was this decision and then that crazy goal. To be honest, it fucking hurts right now."
On not being able to bounce back in the extra time:
"When you take such a goal, mentally, it is tough to go fighting again. We gave everything but France had taken the momentum, just like we had in the second half. It's really hard to swallow, but they deserved their place in the final."
HUNGARY vs SLOVENIA
Chema Rodriguez (ESP) – head coach, Hungary
On the match:
“Both teams deserved to win this match. Finally we had luck in the last few seconds and we can win. But I think both teams made an amazing job in this tournament and also in this match.”
On the tournament:
“After this really difficult match, the players are so tired. I think, we are playing too much matches here in this tournament. It is crazy. I know, the tournament is like this and the games are like this but playing eight matches, nine matches like some teams go to play, it is really too much.
“Maybe it is also not good for the spectators, if the players are not in their best way and their best form. I think, it is worst for our handball. I understand after all, this is business and it is a part of more things we also need for handball. But for the players I think, it is really really difficult to play matches every two days.”
On finishing fifth:
“I hope everybody is happy. It is the first time for Hungary that we are fifth in European tournament. I think Hungary is very very proud and I am proud of my team, we are so lucky.”
Zoran Ilic (HUN) - right back
On finishing fifth with the victory over Slovenia:
"We are very happy to have won the game as we wrote history for Hungarian handball. We are very happy, we had a lot of positive messages from home and it's good to leave Germany on a very good feeling."
On turning around a two-goal deficit:
"In the locker room at half-time, we told each other that we would have to fight to win this game, even though we had not much at stake. And that's what we did.
“We showed a lot of character in the second half, László Bartucz was able to help us with some saves and in the end, we made the most of the opportunities that we had."
On the future for the Hungarian team:
“It looks good but we have to keep working hard. Next step is the Olympic qualification tournament with Norway and Portugal, that will be hard, but we need to rest first. We are all really tired and we will take some time off before thinking about the next games."
Uros Zorman (SLO) – head coach, Slovenia
On the match:
“At the end, Hungary was a little bit more lucky. We had almost the whole match under control but in the end, a little bit of missing experience and some players made mistakes and these things decided this match.”
Borut Mackovsek (SLO) - left back
On the game:
"We are all emotionally and physically exhausted and maybe it played a little bit in the second half. We made a couple of mistakes and they used the opportunity to win. But I'm very proud of the fight we gave and the team spirit we displayed during the whole tournament."
On finishing sixth at the EHF EURO:
"We are happy, because it was not a given before the start of the EURO, but in the meantime, of course at the back of my mind I wish we were playing the semi-final. But I'm proud, really proud of the team, proud of the results and we have to keep going this way to get some results."
TEXT: EHF / Kevin Domas
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