“I always try to leave all doors open”

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“I always try to leave all doors open”


September 4, 2018




Photo: Kevin Domas

By Kevin Domas

INTERVIEW – Kim Ekdahl du Rietz is definitely a player hard to catch. Following his decision to leave handball at the end of the 2016/17 season, he elected to re-join Rhein-Neckar Lรถwen in March of this year before signing a new contract in Paris.ย  A good time to talk with the man who openly admits that handball is not his priority in life.

Is it a surprise to see you back on the handball court?

KEdR: ย I donโ€™t knowโ€ฆyou should ask the people. But honestly, I didnโ€™t think I would come back either.

If I tell you that Iโ€™m surprised to see you back, is it something you would agree to?

KEdR: ย Of course. If youโ€™d asked me a year ago where I would be today – I never thought Iโ€™d be playing handball again.

Did the pause in your career do you any good?

KEdR: ย Oh yes. I would do it exactly the same way if I had to do it again. Iโ€™m very happy that I did it and it’s part of the reason why Iโ€™m here today. I needed a break.

What happened?

KEdR: ย Thatโ€™s a question I tried to answer as well. I just got bored and I just didnโ€™t want to carry on playing handball at this particular moment. Thatโ€™s why I just couldnโ€™t take it anymore.

Did you miss handball during your break?

KEdR: ย From time to time – yes. I spent nine very nice months but sometimes I missed handball. I traveled a lot – went to Africa, to America, to Sweden, France – and it was great.

Is there a lesson to learn from your experience?

KEdR:ย  Actually, there’s a lot to learn but itโ€™s difficult to sum it up in one sentence or even a few words. Personally, I feel enriched. To say that this experience or that experience was more precious than the other wouldnโ€™t do it justice. Iโ€™m very happy that I did it and thatโ€™s what matters.

Last January, we saw you in Zagreb at the EHF EURO 2018 – I expected I’d never see you in an arena again. Did the thought of a come-back cross your mind at this point?

KEdR: ย Not really, Iโ€™ve always liked watching handball. This was an occasion to meet with my “old world” again and re-connect with all the people I know if you want to call it this way.ย  Thatโ€™s why I went there and it was a real good experience.

And how did it feel to watch Sweden play the final match at EURO 2018?

KEdR:ย  At first, I was surprised. But I didnโ€™t feel much to be honest and I certainly did not get the feeling ‘Iโ€™d like to be there’. Itโ€™s been four years since I quit playing with the national team, so itโ€™s really something that belongs to the past. Of course, I was happy for them but at no point did I think that Iโ€™d like to be a part of it.

By the way, is your international retirement something that you will not reconsider ever?

KEdR: ย I think it isโ€ฆyou never know. For me, itโ€™s rare when things are 100% certain as you may have noticed (laughs).ย  Thatโ€™s just part of who I am and my personality. I try to leave all doors open but for now I have no reason to come back.

What was the thoughtย  process behind your decision to come back to handball?

KEdR: ย It took some time. Just like the decision to stop – so many factors were involved. Small details, coincidences, things that may or may not fall into place. For me taking the decision to come back to handball was a little bit of a journey.

How did you experience the moment when you re-entered the court with Rhein-Neckar Lรถwen?

KEdR: ย At first it felt weird – as I was on the train from Bordeaux, my last stop before Mannheim – to play handball again. By the time I set foot on court, I was extremely anxious because it was different to come back. It has been a long time since I have been that nervous. But then routine kicked back in and it felt like Iโ€™d never left.

Thatโ€™s exactly the impression I got when I saw you playing your first few games again.

KEdR: ย I kept in shape a little bit when I was away. And Rhein-Neckar was my team and in a way it still is – I spent five and a half years there. I knew everything by heart, the system, the players – not much had changed – it made everything easier.

Did the break in your career provide you with the opportunity to see handball and / or life of a professional player, differently?

KEdR: ย Today, Iโ€™m happier about my situation. I had to take a break to set the record straight and start it all over again.

Is it a pleasure again?

KEdR: ย Pleasure? I donโ€™t knowโ€ฆ it has never been a pleasure to me; handball was never my passion. Everybody around me knows that. But Iโ€™m happy where I am right now.

This kind of open talk is quite unique in the world ofย  handballโ€ฆ

KEdR: ย I know that. You donโ€™t get to hear it that often, especially from players talking to the press. But after taking my decision, it felt that up to a point, I was making many playersโ€™ dreams come true. A lot of players came to me and told me that they would like to stop and take a year-off as well, but they couldnโ€™t.

Keeping all of it in mind – how do you adapt to Paris, a club at the highest level of handball you can find?

KEdR: ย Itโ€™s been a long time that I joined a new team; I got out of my comfort zone – Rhein-Neckar was home.ย  And now, that Iโ€™m in Paris surrounded by players at such a high level, of course itโ€™s different.ย  But thatโ€™s why I joined. I like it when there are changes in my life. Back then, it was a big part of my decision to stop. It felt like I was doing everything the same way everyday and I had to stop.

Can we conclude that this need for change was as important in your decision to sign with Paris?

KEdR: ย To me thatโ€™s how life should be.ย  Look outside, donโ€™t be afraid to make changes, donโ€™t get stuck in one place, thatโ€™s how I feel alive. Iโ€™ve been here before, as a tourist but Iโ€™ve never been a huge fan. But, slowly, Iโ€™m starting to like it, Iโ€™ve discovered some very cool places and Iโ€™m very happy to be here (in Paris ed.)

Is it true that the usual talk – “I wanted to come to Paris to win the Champions League” – doesnโ€™t apply to you?

KEdR: ย Itโ€™s the whole package that attracted me. Winning the Champions League would be great, I always said that I wanted to qualify for (the EHF FINAL4 ed.) Cologne at least once. Iโ€™ve been there many times as a spectator and I know that this probably is the biggest event in the world of handball.ย  And with this team, I just canโ€™t say I want to play the FINAL4, the goals are much higher.

Youโ€™ve seen a lot, the Olympics, winning the Bundesliga – does it feel like the VELUX EHF Champions League is the last box to tick in your handball career?

KEdR: ย Iโ€™d never thought about it this way, but yes, now that you say it. At first glance, Iโ€™m not particularly moved by the thought of winning the Champions League. But I remember how it was playing the (2012 ed.) Olympic final and winning the title in the Bundesliga. Before the break, it was like… ‘allright I did it’, but talking about it now, the two titles with Rhein-Neckar Lรถwen were among the best experiences in my life. It felt like all the work Iโ€™d put in, every day, finally paid off. So, if I can re-live this experience again – winning the Champions League with Paris – I definitely wouldnโ€™t say ‘no’ to it.

 

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