INTERVIEW – At the age of 40, Gudjon Valur Sigurdsson decided to call it a day. One of the very best handball players on left wing ever, announced the end of his career as the Covid-19 pandemic is causing havoc around the globe and only four weeks after his last match for Paris Saint-Germain. According to Sigurdsson the time was …
“Winning two Champions League titles in one season will be an achievement”
INTERVIEW – Reaching the FINAL4 with Veszprém without playing the Round of Last 16 and a quarter-final feels peculiar, according to Kent Robin Tønnesen. By the same token, the experienced Norwegian right back is content that the Covid-19 break gives him more time to get back in shape, following his Achilles tendon injury. By Peter Bruun “All competition will be …
”The decision is nonsense”
INTERVIEW – For Pick Szeged’s Spanish playmaker, Joan Canellas, the decision of the European Handball Federation (EHF), to nominate the four best teams of the group phase of the 2019/20 VELUX EHF Champions League to the FINAL4 makes no sense. Nor, does the revised date of the tournament (December 28-29, 2020) find the agreement of the 2020 European champion. By …
“It’s an odd feeling”
INTERVIEW – Today, Tuesday, Niklas Landin can celebrate his first German championship, after the 2019/20 Bundesliga season officially came to an end. Based on a quotient calculation, THW Kiel were awarded the German championship. The experienced Danish goalkeeper admits that the decision feels just as strange as qualifying directly to the 2020 VELUX EHF FINAL4, currently scheduled for the middle …
”It does not end here”
INTERVIEW – Bent Dahl, the current assistant and future head coach of Siófok KC Hungary, is unwilling to accept the decision from the Hungarian Handball Federation to cancel all results of the 2019/20 season, effectively eliminating Siófok from a possible Champions League berth. “We’ll have to see what can be done about this situation,” he says in this exclusive interview …
“It is inevitable that there will be bankruptcies as a consequence of this”
FEATURE – The financial consequences of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic begin to affect handball all over the world. As more and more federations call an end to the 2019/20 handball season, the financial prospects of many clubs look increasingly bleak as no more games translate into economic hardship. By Peter Bruun The Covid-19 pandemic has shut-down the world as we …
“All competitions will be completed – somehow”
FEATURE – In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Handball Federation will try to resume club and national team competitions in June of this year, while FINAL4 tournaments have been rescheduled to later in August and early September. Even if the June date will be missed, EHF president, Michael Wiederer, assures that all competitions will be completed and as …
End of Season?
FEATURE – How do handball players deal with the Covid-19 break? Is it a welcome interruption of an otherwise tough schedule or do they fear an even tighter program once competition resumes? Should all handball federations cancel the remainder of the 2019/20 season, as some organizations already did and plan ahead? Opinions are split, as the interviews with two of …
“I see a bright future for our national team”
INTERVIEW – After the 2020 summer Olympics, Tomas Axnér will take over as Sweden’s women´s national handball coach – it will a first. He doesn’t see his lack of experience as women´s coach as a handicap and he certainly appreciates the challenge. By Peter Bruun Winds of change are blowing through Scandinavia. Not too long ago, Norwegian Glenn Solberg took …
“We cannot allow Esbjerg to score another 31 goals”
INTERVIEW – Grace Zaadi is well aware that Metz Handball will have to tighten their defense compared to the first match against Team Esbjerg, if they expect to have a chance in Denmark and secure first place in Group 1 of the main round, in the DELO EHF Champions League. Still, she is impressed how her team has dealt with …