|
HERNING/OSLO/KRISTIANSTAD – Comments from players and coaches at media calls and photoshoots ahead of the Men's EHF EURO 2026.
MONTENEGRO
Didier Dinart (FRA) — MNE head coach
On how he sees the team ahead of throw-off:
“It’s the European championship. Very high level. We need to do the maximum to try the second round, the main round. Today we have one day more to prepare the game against Slovenia and I hope the best for this tournament. Only this.”
On the match against Slovenia:
“Slovenia is a good team. This team usually play the quarter-finals, the finals of a tournament, always. But always it’s possible to win the game — it’s only one match. Maybe it’s possible to win. The magic of sport is this. It’s possible, everything.”
Milos Vujović (MNE) — left wing
On how the team is feeling ahead of throw-off:
“Right now, we are a little bit tired, because we arrived before, maybe one hour. So, a long day for us, but actually we are feeling really good. We are excited. We came here with big emotions, big plans, so we have to reach something big for us. So, the energy of all of us, it's on a high level.”
On how missing the 2025 World Championship serves them now:
“I can say, for all my friends, we are some players like that — when something hits us, then we came always stronger and stronger. So, I hope this championship will be really good for us, because it was really painful, for the last one, because we missed it. We hope that we will do our job on a good level.”
On the first game, versus Slovenia:
“That will be, for us, the hardest match in this group. Slovenia, it's really one amazing team, but I heard that they had some injured players, so that can be a plus for us. But we don't want to celebrate that, because that it's something bad — we know that.
“But, you know, this is the sport and we are looking for our chance, and we will give our best to try to win that match. I know that will be really hard, but we will do everything what we can do.”
Luka Radović (MNE) — right wing
On their feelings ahead of the tournament:
“We're so excited. Maybe a little tired, because we have a long trip to here, but we cannot wait to play that first game against Slovenia. We're so excited about this and I hope we're going to be ready.”
On the preparation leading up to the EURO:
“We had preparation already 20 days before the game. I think our situation is only to prepare just for the first game. Have our mind just about the first game, because we will go just step by step. And after the first game, we will prepare for the second game and the third game — you cannot think about the future. Just for the beginning of the first game, and that's it.”
HUNGARY
José Rodríguez (ESP) – Hungary head coach
On his expectations for the EHF EURO:
“The approach remains the same: try to win the first match. That is the expectation. We know that the EURO is becoming more difficult with each edition. All the teams are really amazing, the level of the EURO is growing and growing.
“Our mindset is to try to win the first match; after that, we will focus on the second and third matches, and then we will see whether we have passed the first phase. We always work like this. We don’t think about what could be in the future.”
On the team’s preparation:
“I always think that we still need to improve a lot. We have a solid base to build on with the players who are in the team for a long time. We know our style of play and continue to play it with the younger players who joined the team.
“The idea is to continue as we have over the past year. We are really happy with our preparation and hope that it will be enough to win matches at this tournament.”
On the first match against Poland:
“It’s a difficult match. The opening match at a tournament is always the most difficult and most important match. If you start with a win, you can create a flow, but if you lose, there is pressure, and the following matches become even more difficult.
“Poland is a difficult opponent for us, with a new head coach. Jota (head coach Jesús González) is my friend and I know he will be preparing this match very well. We don’t know much about them because their test matches were not broadcast. I expect some surprises from Poland, so we have to adapt during the match.”
On the atmosphere in the team:
“Even our younger players are already experienced. The mix is good as we also have guys with great experience on the international level. That is what we want the squad to look like.
“We think we have chosen the best players to represent Hungary. The atmosphere in the team is amazing, we are working together really well, and hope to translate that to the court.”
Zoran Ilić (HUN) – right back
On his expectations for the EHF EURO:
“At the moment, we have some injured players, like Bence Bánhidi, but we will try to do our best and play the best level of handball in every match. We want to build on what we started two years ago in Germany with the fifth place and in last year’s World Championship and try to get even better at this tournament.”
On the team’s preparation:
“We started on 2 January because of the players who play outside of Hungary. Since then, we have prepared really well, playing two matches against Romania, and in the second match, we tested a bit for the tournament. We are a young team, and I think we can achieve something great.”
On the first match against Poland:
“As a player who plays for a Polish club, we already talked about that with our teammates. The first match of a tournament is always hard. We need to do our job and fight until the end.”
On the banter between him and his Polish teammates:
“We haven’t talked today but before in the club, we joked about this match.”
On the atmosphere in the team:
“The atmosphere is good because we are like a big family and we help each other in difficult situations. A lot of young players have joined the national team, so the experienced players need to help them. However, it helps that the young players already play for good teams and at a level that will help them play in this kind of tournament.”
On his role as a more experienced player:
“When I joined the national team, everybody was helping me with tactics and explaining the tasks in defence, as well as in offence. And now, it’s our turn to take on this role, but this is normal for me.”
Bence Imre (HUN) – right wing
On his expectations for the EHF EURO:
“It was a really nice tournament two years ago, but since the Olympic games we have built a new team. We have some new, younger players on the team and want to surprise some teams at this tournament. But first, we concentrate on the first match, as it will be a very hard game against Poland.”
On the team’s preparation:
“We had good test matches against Romania, but that doesn’t matter now. The first match is always tough. Poland is a really good team. Our team has a great mix of young and experienced players, so I hope that we can be successful in the first match. “
On the first match against Poland:
“They have a new coach, who is Spanish, just like we do. I think this will be a good battle with the same system of handball, but we really want to win this match.”
On the relationship between the coaches and possible surprises:
“I think both will prepare some surprises. Ultimately, it’s the highest level; everyone knows how they want to play. Jota (Jesús González) is a really great coach, we also have a really great coach, and I don’t want to talk too much about our surprises.”
On the atmosphere in the team:
“It’s a great mix in the team. Many players play outside of Hungary, which is good for the team. Our young players have already gained experience at this level, but what matters most is what we show on the field.”
SWITZERLAND
Lenny Rubin (SUI) – left back
On the feeling in the team ahead of throw-off:
“Very good. I think we are in good form and we have fun together. I think we can play a very good tournament here in Norway.”
On the preparation period:
“We trained hard. We've been two weeks together now and we have three good games and I think every game we played a little bit better and better. I think we are ready for the game on Friday.”
On the first match, versus the Faroe Islands:
“It's a tough game. Faroe Islands are a really good nation. They play really good seven-against-six, but I think we have also very, very good players and we want to win this game.”
Nikola Portner (SUI) – goalkeeper
On how the team is feeling with the start of the EURO approaching:
“We're really, really happy to be here. I think that we are quite confident. Of course, we know how tough and how equal also our group is, so I think everything is open. It's kind of a group where you can be first and last for every team, in my opinion. But we had three quite good preparation games on home ground.
“Thank God, we don't have injuries, which is I think the most important thing. And we're really, really looking forward to that first game.”
On the group and how the other teams’ injuries impact the level of competitiveness:
“Slovenia has a roster of like 50 amazing players where they can change and where you don't really, in my opinion, you don't feel the weakness is a lot. Of course, players like (Aleks) Vlah, for example, if they got injured, or (Klemen) Ferlin, which is like number one in the goal — but they still have like amazing players which can back up and which can win games. I think even with that team, which they have here, they can really, really go far, in my opinion. So, in my opinion, the situation didn't or doesn't change really a lot.”
On the big picture for Switzerland, with more regular major tournament participations:
“That's something which is really, really important to us, for our country and the team and the federation — to be present in every competition. I think it's like the fifth in six or seven years, I don't know, I think six years.
“So we're really, really, really happy about it and I think it's time now to make the next step in the EUROs. We went short the last two times, in Germany and in Sweden, and finishing last in both group stages. Now I think we have a big chance to even go through to Malmö, which is our main objective. Also, we don't want to hide about it. We came with that ambition too, so hopefully we can manage to do that.”
FAROE ISLANDS
Peter Bredsdorff-Larsen (DEN) – Faroe Islands head coach
On the status of the team before throw-off:
“We had a very good preparation. We have been looking forward to this for nearly nine months, and our preparation has gone very well. We all look forward to getting into the tournament on Friday.”
On the first match, against Switzerland:
“Of course, a very tough match. They came from the fourth level in the draw, so we were very unlucky, I think, to catch Switzerland in that draw. We know it’s a very tough opponent and it will be a very great game. Two great teams — upcoming teams. We’ll do our best.”
On it being their second EHF EURO and major tournament:
“We were very young last time. Now we are two years older and a lot of the players got a lot of valuable experience from greater clubs around Europe, so of course we have only been watching our development the last two years. But, of course, also our opponents are now looking at the Faroe Islands and we cannot be a surprise anymore and we know that. But I’m very happy with the development of the team — of each player, and also the team. We look very much forward to rejoining the EURO and we’ll do our best to see if we can get our first win. That’s our first goal.”
Óli Mittún (FAR) – left back
On the feeling in the team before the EURO:
“Everyone is very excited to finally start with the tournament. Now we are settling in here in Oslo — a bit cold, but we’re used to it in the Faroe Islands. But we're very excited to play in two days against Switzerland. There are going to be, I don't know, six, seven thousand Faroese supporters, so it's going to be special for us.”
On their preparation period:
“We have gotten fine in the preparations. We played two matches against Italy — lost one, won the other one, but of course, we have had some injuries. Elias [á Skipagøtu] hasn't played in those matches, but hopefully he will play in two days. But I think it looked very good. I think the other players did well coming in. Bjarni, Roi, Pauli and Tróndur — they all did very well in those two matches, so it was very positive to get other players on the court and show what they can do.”
On the group overall, especially in light of Slovenia’s latest injuries:
“I see, likewise, good teams maybe, and I think it is really who is good on the day. I think we can beat all three teams, but I think also we can lose against all three. I think Montenegro are, I don't know, if they were pot three or four, but they’re maybe the weakest team if I have to say so, but they play with real passion and real power. I think that would be a very tough game.
"And then Switzerland — they are, maybe, like us. An upcoming team with a lot of interesting young players and also a lot of older players, so a bit of a mix. Slovenia, in pot one, should be the best team in the group. But now they have a lot of injuries and that's going to be interesting, but I see a very tough group but also a group where [there are] no teams like Denmark. I think we have chances against everyone if we're good on the day.”
Pauli Jacobsen (FAR) – goalkeeper
On the team before the tournament begins:
“I think we're feeling very good and we're all in good shape. We know each other really, really well both on and off the field. So, I think we are as ready as we can be for this tournament.”
On the different experience of arriving at their second EURO:
“Of course, we have got some more experience than last time. We know what we have to do to be able to perform at this high level and to play some great matches.”
On the main goal of the preliminary round:
“I think our main goal is that we have some things that we have to live up to, some values, and that's our main goal — to develop to those values. And then hopefully we can take our first victory at a championship.”
On Switzerland, their first opponents:
“They are a really good team with a lot of players from the Bundesliga and players from Kadetten. Players that have played a lot of Champions League games, so it's a very tough opponent.”
NORWAY
Jonas Wille (NOR) - Norway head coach
On their preparation:
“The mood within the team is great and it has been since we started the training camp. We have good energy and there is a lot of optimism coming from what we saw lately. We are more underdogs in this EURO than we have been in the previous competitions, but this is something that we all agree on.”
On the underdog status that Norway give themselves:
“It’s based on the results that we had lately, really, and for several years. It’s also based on what our best players have been doing with their clubs lately. We did not match the results that we had seven or eight years ago.
“We are competing and always aiming for the best result ever, but we have to realise that we are not the only ones and that maybe, yes the competition is toughest than it was before.”
On how hard it is to cope with this reality:
“It is not easy, but it’s important to process it. This is something that we have been doing for several years now. Now, we know what we are working towards, what we are aiming for, but we also know where we are. Whereas maybe, in the recent past, we were defending our old status, now maybe we can be attacking a little bit more. While we were trying not to lose our place, we might be starting to gain some now.”
On the difficulty of getting this message across to the outside world:
“Maybe that’s the hardest part, but my job is to put everyone within the team on the same page. If people on the outside are still hoping for us to qualify for the World Championship every time, if they think that we are going to have results as we had in 2017 every time, I can’t do anything about that. We have the qualities to fight for the top, we remain ambitious, there is no-one that we can’t beat but we can also lose to everyone.”
On the ambitions Norway have for this championship:
“It’s better to focus on each game individually. Tomorrow, it’s Ukraine, a tough match, and then we will focus on the next one. We want to be successful tomorrow, play good handball in front of our fans in Oslo. There would be no point in talking about anything else than the game against Ukraine at the moment.”
On Ukraine, Norway’s first opponents in the EHF EURO:
“We have seen a lot of their matches and they are a good team. They fight a lot, they have a lot of players who can play well on both sides of the court and they have, in Ihor Turchenko, an excellent shooter from long distance. Opening games at this kind of tournaments are never easy, so we have to be fully focus in order to get a good start.”
Simen Lyse (NOR) – left back
On the excitement ahead of the EHF EURO:
“We are definitely ready to start. We had a great tournament last week against Denmark and the Netherlands and the mood in the group is great. We are aiming to play a good handball and to give the other teams a punch from below, as some of our opponents might not see us coming.”
On their recent lack of major successes:
“It’s true, but that does not mean we are not a good team. We are a very good one actually, with very good players. But we have to stabilize the way we play. Of course, it will happen that we play bad, but we want to get our lows a little bit higher, so to speak. But we don’t want our highs to get any lower.”
On the preparation Norway had prior to the EHF EURO:
“We had a really good half against Denmark, with Torbjørn (Bergerud) making many saves in the goal. We lost but overall, that was a good performance.
“The one against the Netherlands was a little bit more disappointing, we were losing by three before turning things around and winning by three. There were a lot of good things, things to correct as well, and I hope we can be ready for tomorrow.”
Henrik Jakobsen (NOR) – line player
On their feelings after the preparation:
“We are confident after the preparation, we had two great games at home against Denmark and the Netherlands, and that built up the excitement as well. We are really happy to play in Oslo, a lot of the guys are from around here, so that adds up to the excitement as well. We are confident that we can make something nice during this competition.”
On playing in front of family and friends in Oslo:
“That’s always nice and that puts a smile on your face. But that also means that you want to play good, you can’t want to play in front of your mum and dad and play bad, right? The Norwegian audience is really enthusiastic, the game on Monday against France is already sold out, so it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
On how to turn this home support into a strength:
“The first game of a competition is always really important, it sets the tone. Last year, at the World Championship, we lost against Brazil in Oslo in the first game, and that led to the competition being a disappointment.
“We have to remain confident in ourselves, knowing that we are a strong team, even though we might have a more underdog status than we had in the past. Hopefully, the fans can give us an energy boost and allow us to give even more on the court.”
On the new status Norway have these days:
“It’s kind of a new beginning for everyone, really. There are some new players within the squad, but it’s not all about that. We are looking for victories to build our confidence and for that, we have to do it game by game. We know we can beat everyone but also that everyone can beat us. So we need to go slowly and not shout that we want a medal or something. It’s game by game, if we win, the confidence will grow and that’s the thing that I am aiming for.”
On the dangers in the EHF EURO first game:
“Everyone wants to start the competition right, and when you want something really badly, it can lead to some problems. We want to succeed but the best way to avoid pressure is to be sure about our strength and what we can deliver. We might be underdogs at the moment, but we have quality as well.”
FRANCE
Guillaume Gille (FRA) – France head coach
On France’s preparations for the EHF EURO:
“You are never really prepared for this kind of event. I don’t remember a competition where I arrived and said, OK, now we can play because we have done everything we wanted.
“We did a lot of work in the preparation, prepared for a lot of different scenarios. We played two interesting games last weekend, with two victories over Austria and Iceland. We are ready to start and excited.”
On playing against Czechia for the first game:
“First games, overall, are always something special. You need to find your feet, in a new arena, against a team that maybe you don’t know too well. Czechia can be a tough team to play against, they will give everything to beat us. We have a lot of confidence, but we play that first game with a lot of respect.”
On the absence of Nédim Rémili through injury:
“It is a huge blow for us, because Nédim is really important for us, both on and off the court. I won’t say it’s a blessing, but he was not playing in the preparation, so we had to find other solutions last weekend. Nédim is crucial in the way we play, but there is no use crying over spilled milk. We have to adapt, to move forward and to find solutions.”
Aymeric Zaepfel (FRA) – left back
On playing his first international competition:
“It is a huge honour and a huge pride to wear the France jersey in an international competition, especially a EURO. I am really motivated, really happy to be here and I will give the maximum to help the team, no matter how I can do it.”
On how he lived through the last 24 hours:
“It was an emotional rollercoaster. I was meant to go home after the preparation, the coach made that choice and I accepted it. I was disappointed, but that’s part of the game. But then, Nédim got injured and before I left, I stayed. It is hard to make the transition in the head between being ready to go home and ready to play at the EHF EURO, but I will try my best.”
On how it feels being part of the France team after watching games on TV for so long:
“There is a mental switch to do, not to be too wide-eyed and not to be a spectator of your own competition. It’s something that I have never done before, so I don’t know how things will happen. But it’s great, really, I am super excited to be here and I am sure I can bring something to the team.”
Melvyn Richardson (FRA) – right back
On finally being at the EHF EURO:
“When you train for 10 days, all you want is to be at the competition, and here we are. We are really excited, really looking forward to starting the competition. The journey to come to Oslo was a little bit hectic, but we feel ready and prepared to start the first game tomorrow.”
On France being the EHF EURO titleholders:
“Honestly, there has been so much water under the bridge that it quite does not feel like a thing. It was two years ago and we played two competitions since, a lot of the team changed since the EHF EURO.
“It’s more a thing for journalists, but I think that the handball map now is not the same as two years ago. Of course, we want to have another gold medal, and we will do everything it takes to be on top of the box.”
On playing against Czechia in the first group phase game:
“They can be a very dangerous team, we played against them not so long ago and they gave us some problems. They have a couple of experienced players, mixed with some talented players, but younger, so we have to be fully focus. It’s important to start the competition the best way to get things going and to gain a little more confidence.”
On the absence of Nédim Rémili and how this can affect his own role:
“We will see. Of course, it will change the dynamics of the team as Nédim is really important both off and on the court. Maybe I will have to play on the centre-back position, we will see. But it’s not important, we have a lot of solutions within the team and I am sure we can make things work during this competition.”
CZECHIA
Daniel Kubes (CZE) – Czechia head coach
On starting the tournament:
“There is a lot of excitement to reach a big tournament like this. The preparation went well, we did what we wanted, we had a good training camp at home and we won against Austria. We have a young team, but the players are hungry and that it is exactly what I want to see.”
On his experience at the EHF EURO as a player and how he can help his players with it:
“It’s completely different, and of course, you don’t learn those things just by clicking the fingers. It’s easier for me because I know the organisation, I know not to get angry or sad when things don’t work. But really, they are old guys, they are not too fussed by everything around.”
On starting the EHF EURO against France:
“It’s a good thing. They are one of the favourites of the tournament, it’s going to be one of the highlights for us playing against them.
“They are such a strong team, they are a team that everyone wants to watch. It’s a great opportunity for us to show what we can do and that we can look these players into the eyes.”
On having a young and unexperienced team:
“To me it’s a strength, as the players want to prove that they belong to this kind of level. This is how we work, with a young and talented generation. It’s the first experience at the EHF EURO for a lot of them, but they will learn, they will grow. I want them to approach the three games as any other game, just not to put themselves under too much pressure.”
Tomáš Mrkva (CZE) – goalkeeper
On the excitement ahead of the EHF EURO:
“There is a lot, like every time I have played this competition. It is an honour to represent my country here. I was in the team in 2018, when we reached the sixth place and missed the semi-finals by one point. I was also there in 2022 and 2024 when we did not reach the main round. I have been up and down at the EHF EURO, but I am very excited to be here.”
On whether he is using his experience to help his teammates:
“I don’t think they need much advice, but my door is always open if they want some. I am not the one to shout around, so I will try to lead by example more than anything. These guys have a lot of talent, they are hungry and they have everything they need to succeed.”
On playing against France for the first game:
“I think it’s a good thing, it will show us where we are and what we can expect. Maybe this will be the toughest match in the group, but we have to take advantage of the fact that they might not be fully ready yet. We had a great preparation, we are ready for the big fight.”
On the goals for Czechia in the EHF EURO:
“There are two. Of course, we would like to qualify for the main round, even if with Norway and France in the group, that seems difficult. But overall, I want us to play good handball and to stick together, no matter what happens. we are all on the same ship and let’s see how far we can sail.”
Tomáš Piroch (CZE) – right back
On the feelings after the preparation:
“It is actually very good. We played against Algeria in December, even though not with a full squad. And then we beat Austria, which was a good sign.
“We are a tough team to beat, with a lot of young players ready to fight. Of course, we might lack a little bit of experience, but we have been playing together for a long time, so we know our strengths. For some of us, this EURO will be the first experience, but they really want to show what they are capable of.”
On playing against France in the first game on Thursday:
“It’s a good thing, really. The game will be tough, because they have a lot of quality players, but so have we. We are not afraid, we just want to show our best face.”
On being one of the most experienced players in the squad:
“It’s something that I enjoy, I work with this role but I don’t take advantage of it. I am happy to be representing my country and I am motivated. And if I can help my teammates being motivated, so it’s perfect. I don’t give advice to anyone, if they have questions on how to negotiate around, of course, I can help.”
AUSTRIA
Iker Romero (ESP) – Austria head coach
On his first tournament as Austria head coach:
“I’m extremely happy and really looking forward to this first match — it’s great fun. The anticipation for the EHF EURO is enormous.”
On their opponents:
“I know the opponents and they know us. I know Germany and Spain very well; we all know exactly how the other teams play.”
On his new style with Austria:
“We’ll have to see — let yourselves be surprised. Our biggest advantage is the unity of the group. We have experience, we are a compact team. Little by little, I want to implement my philosophy.”
Nikola Bilyk (AUT) – left back
On the team’s current strengths and weaknesses:
“We’re extremely excited for the start; the waiting always feels far too long before tournaments like this — you’re so hyped for it.
“We have many strong qualities within the team. Our greatest strength is the passion we bring. Everyone is fully committed, everyone plays for each other and for Austria. Of course, there are definitely things we still need to improve. In the preparation matches, our back shift and attacking discipline didn’t always work well, and we need to take more responsibility with the ball.”
On the opponents in the preliminary round:
“It’s a very tough group, but every team in the group says that. There are many teams who have taken big steps forward in recent years. Spain and Germany are two teams who have been at the top for a long time, but every match will be a challenge for every team.”
On their chances of reaching the main round:
“If we didn’t believe that we could progress, we could just come with a reserve team. We’re convinced that, like at the last European championship, we can pull off a small miracle — that’s our goal.
“We know our qualities, we are a strong team, and we have to manage to bring those qualities onto the court. I’m convinced we can trouble any team. 2024 was a great tournament, but now we want to do even better in 2026.”
Sebastian Frimmel (HUN) – left wing
On the mood within the team:
“The anticipation is huge — we can hardly wait for the European championship to start. We’re extremely fired up and really looking forward to it.”
On the squad and the new coach:
“We’ve been together for a long time and know each other very well. With Iker (Romero), we’ve gained new impulses. The team cohesion and the atmosphere within the squad are excellent.”
On taking three points against Spain and Germany at the EHF EURO 2024:
“I hope that’s a good omen for this year, but it’s in the past – still, they’re great memories. We have to keep proving ourselves again and again.”
On the changes under Iker Romero:
“We don’t like to compare. We look back very fondly on the time with Pajo (Aleš Pajovič) and now look ahead to the future with Iker with excitement. He demands a lot of structure from us in defence. Everyone knows exactly what to do and what is expected of them – he’s very meticulous about that.”
On the match against Germany:
“There will be no secrets — we know each other very well. Every one of us knows the German team and their top Bundesliga players inside out. It will be an exciting and great match.”
DENMARK
Nikolaj Jacobsen (DEN) – Denmark head coach
On returning to Herning for another major championships:
“It feels great. It’s an amazing place for us, to be as a handballer. We won our first World Championships here in 2019, and played here last year (at the 2025 World Championship), six games which also was amazing.
“It’s like a little bit of coming home.”
On the boost Denmark will get from their home fans:
“Of course with this arena, with 15,000 Danish spectators it will give us a great boost. We’ve tried it before and they are ready to carry us on. There are some guys who were in ’19 here, and some who experienced it for the first time last year.
“With the home crowd we will get some extra per cent.”
On handling pressure of being the favourites:
“All players are so young. It’s only the media who are thinking about the EURO gold. They are all so young — it’s only Rasmus Lauge who was in 2012 — all the others are so young, so I don’t think they’re thinking of that.”
On the team’s strengths:
“The greatness of the team is that we have some really good players, we can play really fast. We have a great defence who is a really flexible defence. We can play a lot of different styles of defence.
“But I always say this team’s greatest thing is that you can see in the eyes of the players that they love to play handball. They have so much joy about playing handball, and have a lot of joy being together. That’s the best thing about this team, it’s the joy of playing handball.”
On the first match against North Macedonia on Friday:
“The first game’s always a little bit odd, because you have to come into the tournament. But we have now experience, and the 15,000 Danish spectators will help us a lot.
“They have a young team. We are big favourites, we know that, but the first team is always special. We are going in and we know what we have to do. We know we have to win nine games, the first one starts on Friday.
“We also know we have so much confidence, so we can look at ourselves and say if we play really good we are difficult to beat.”
On the ‘Founding Fathers’ documentary which aired on Tuesday 13 January:
“I haven’t seen it yet. Some of my friends wrote to me, and my wife, and said that it was really good.
“It’s always great to see some of the old guys. I have a lot of contact with some of the guys, with Lars Christiansen and Lasse Svan, all those guys.
“It was a great day to share some experience.”
Mathias Gidsel (DEN) – right back
On what they were working on during the preparation period:
“We have been working on quite a lot of things, a lot of new systems, and some things that we’re going to use. Some things that we’re not going to use, some are just directly thrown into the trash can again.
“Our strength is that we try to develop, even though we come here as world champions and Olympic champions we try to develop our game and to find new ways, new solutions, and make it more difficult for people to prepare on us.”
On why playing in Herning is special:
“We have an amazing support in Denmark. It’s always so loud, and the arena’s also amazing, built to this European championship with these standing stands behind the one goal. It’s not so normal to see that in handball and that makes the arena really special.
“The whole team are looking forward to coming in and feeling the energy; maybe some of the guys are a bit nervous to enter the arena on Friday, but also it’s going to be an amazing experience for the spectators, not only when they’re watching us, but the whole European tournament.”
On their first opponents, North Macedonia:
“We are well prepared. We know that always these kinds of teams makes it really difficult for you, they are playing really physical, even though we want to try to keep the pace high and play a little bit more fast speed handball, and not going so much into physical duels with them.
“For most of us it’s now come in Friday, feel the arena, feel the court, and get the most nervousness away and then we can focus on the rest of the tournament.”
On filming the ‘Founding Fathers’ documentary and discovering the evolution of Danish handball:
“That was mostly what I learned that day: I was a little bit surprised that there was a time when we didn’t play in the finals every weekend. That’s of course said with a little bit of a smile but also with the deepest respect for the work that’s been done before us.
“This generation, there’s been a lot of frustration I could feel from the guys that day. There’s also been a lot of failures but also some success. The guys — I never met them before — but it’s legends like Kasper Hvidt, Lars Christiansen and so on, that was the guys that made me dream about handball, made me play handball.
“So it was a pleasure to meet them, to hear about their experiences, and also to understand that this generation that we have is because of them. They have been doing a lot of good things for Danish handball, also tried some failures, and learned from that. That’s maybe the greatest thing to do in life, is to learn from mistakes.”
On what the Danish team learned from losing to France in the EHF EURO 2024 final:
“A lot of good things came out of that loss against France. We showed that directly after in the Olympics and the World Cup afterwards that we’d developed as a squad, as a team; played a completely different kind of handball when we’re looking back at the Europeans two years ago now.
“We sat together as a group after that final, and even though we were seconds from becoming European champions, we sat together and tried to figure out how we could go forward from here. We are now coming here now with a completely new way of playing, and also showed the last two tournaments that we are really competitive and have an amazing culture in this team.”
Simon Pytlick (DEN) – centre back
On being in Herning ahead of the EURO:
“It’s nice to be home again and to play in the (Jyske Bank) Boxen. We are looking forward to play on Friday and hopefully we’re going to get a nice kick from the fans. They are always with us and stand behind us.”
On their first opponents, North Macedonia:
“A young, good team, with a lot of good players. They are going to give all they have to see if they can make some pressure on us and play a good game.
“I think it’s going to be tough, and hopefully we can play a good match and be there from the start. They’ll give everything they have.”
On the Danish team spirit:
“It’s a little bit typical Danish that we’re a lot together. When we’re not playing handball, we’re sitting in a room together and we are playing some other kind of games, and playing cards, and playing table tennis. We are enjoying very much the time when we’re not playing handball, but we’re also enjoying when we’re playing handball. We have a good balance between those two things, and I think that’s one of the things that makes us special.”
On the tournament as a whole:
“Going into the court on Friday and feeling the atmosphere, and hopefully going to get a good start. Then I hope that we can build on something in this tournament and go all the way, and hopefully we can stand on the last day with something special.
“The most important is that we’re playing good as a team, and building on the system we’ve been training.”
Emil Nielsen (DEN) – goalkeeper
On the tournament ahead:
“I’m excited. It’s an important championship for us, we would like to have the treble — having the World Cup, having the Olympics and having the EUROs would be a big thing for us.
“We’re in Denmark, that’s a lot of pressure but we thrive on pressure and we’re just excited.”
On the team’s strengths:
“We’re very versatile. We have a little of everything. We have the speed, we have the physicality. We have a great defence, great attack, we’re a pretty complete team.
“If we play at the levels we want to reach then I do believe we have a pretty good chance of winning.
“Everyone here plays in a top club in Europe so we’re used to the pressure, and we enjoy it.”
On filming the ‘Founding Fathers’ documentary:
“It was great. Talking to the handball stars I’ve been watching as a kid was fun, it was a great experience. We can do a reunion at some point, in a few years.”
UKRAINE
Vadym Brazhnyk (UKR) – Ukraine head coach
On the importance of being at the EHF EURO:
“Of course, given the situation at home, with the war, it’s important to be here and to show that Ukraine are present at the highest level. We are among the best 24 teams in Europe, and for my players, most of them are young, and it will be a great opportunity to gather some experience.”
On playing against Norway for the first game of the group phase:
“It’s a very important day for us, almost like a fairy tale, to be able to play against Norway in Oslo. It’s a very nice arena, there will be a lot of people to see the game, so it is really an honour.”
On what Ukraine can hope for at the EHF EURO:
“We would like to win games, and to show a great face as well. We will show the maximum we can do, and we will see what happens.”
Ihor Turchenko (UKR) – left back
On arriving at the EHF EURO:
“All is good, we are really excited to be here and come back at the EURO. The start of the tournament will be tough, with a lot of fans cheering for Norway tomorrow, but it’s always great to play in this kind of atmosphere.”
On the progress Ukraine have made since 2022:
“A lot of our players play in the best leagues in the world and we have a lot of experience, even though we are very young. We want to develop even more being here, it’s important to grow as players to play on such big stages.”
On the game against Norway on Thursday:
“They play in front of their fans, it will be really crazy. They have so many good players, like Sander Sagosen and Tobias Grøndahl, but we have good players as well. This is the first game of the tournament, we will try to play our best. We are fully fit and we hope we can surprise them.”
On being the leader for Ukraine:
“Maybe I am the leader, seen from the outside, but also I am nothing without my teammates. I know I can take a lot of responsibilities, but I take my strength from my teammates. I don’t see myself as doing things on my own. When they tell me ‘Ihor, let’s go’, it just gives me an extra bit of focus.”
Andrii Akimenko (UKR) – right wing
On the importance of being at the EHF EURO:
“It’s amazing to be here, we feel really good. We had no problems coming here and we can not wait to get things started. It’s always good for a small handball nation like ours to be here, among the best teams, so we can make progress and show what we want to do.”
On the preparation Ukraine had prior to the EHF EURO:
“We had a week of training and working in Croatia, starting 2nd of January. It was tough, but exactly what we needed before the competition. Then we played the Yellow Cup in Switzerland, where we won one game but did give two good performances. Now we know what are the mistakes we made, where we have to be better and how we can make progress.”
On his personal experience from the EHF EURO 2020:
“It’s always good to know what to expect in this kind of tournament. Some of us play in big clubs in Europe, so that helps as well. Playing in front of so many people, that can be a bit frightening. The fact that I was here in 2020 at the EHF EURO already, it’s going to help me.”
On the game against Norway on Thursday:
“It’s going to be really tough, they will play in front of their fans, in a full hall, I expect a complicated game. But we will give everything, show the best face and we will see what happens.”
Photo © kolektiff images
TEXT: European Handball Federation
|
