Handball legend Stefan Lövgren is EHF FINAL4 Ambassador

Handball legend Stefan Lövgren is EHF FINAL4 Ambassador

Stefan Lövgren, who finished his two-decade long handball career in 2009, will be the official Ambassador of EHF Men’s Champions League FINAL4. In his new job he will no longer compete in the Champions League, but will contribute to the success of the competition through his official role.

The Swedish player was born in 1970 and played from 1999 to 2009 for THW Kiel in the playmaker position also being the captain of the team. Lövgren was also member of the Swedish national team. Lövgren proved his outstanding personality on the playing court which was matched by superb technical abilities and a unique vision of the game. All these qualities elevated him amongst the best and most renowned handballers of all times. Lövgren was especially recognised by the team mates for his charisma off court. Nikola Karabatic, World Player of the Year 2007, described him as the one who “made a team out of the players”.

Stefan Lövgren won a huge number of titles and awards throughout his career. He was EHF Champions League winner with THW Kiel on one occasion, won the EHF Cup Winners’ Cup twice and the German championship seven times.

Before that, he played for the Swedish team Redbergslid Göteborg and won the league five times. He also led the Swedish national team to one World Championship title and to four European Championship gold medals. Lövgren, who will be the Ambassador of the EHF Champions League FINAL4, currently works in sports management.

With the FINAL4 coming up at the end of May 2010, Stefan Lövgren explains in an interview his enthusiasm for the EHF Champions League FINAL4.

Absolutely! We are in for a very interesting season in the EHF Champions League, but most of all we are looking forward with a lot of excitement to seeing which teams will reach the FINAL4 and we are also eager to find out what that weekend will be like.

Would you not prefer to play the FINAL4 yourself?

It’s too late for me, unfortunately. I already finished my career. However, I will be there as an Ambassador and as such I will be close to the event. I would certainly have enjoyed the atmosphere of the FINAL4 as a player, but when you step on court you must fully concentrate on the game anyway. You do not see much of what’s happening around you. Now I’m happy that I will be able to fully experience it, also the great sport event and the programmes around it.

You won many titles, but only one Champions League trophy in 2007…

…it would have been bitter end to my career without that! If you play all you life for the biggest handball titles, it is one of the greatest moments when you can hold the CL trophy in your hand. It is something really special, like an Olympic gold medal.

What makes it special?

The best club teams of the world play in Europe. In a Champions League Final you meet players who are the best in the whole world in their positions. And don’t forget that the players on the bench are on the same level. As a result, the Champions League games are always very close. You need the determination of the entire team in every second of the game and during every action on the court to win. You need strong will and total dedication. These games test your limits and you always learn as a player and as a team.

What is the difference between this competition and the national team events?

At the finals of a world tournament the conditions and playing level are similar. The Champions League is played by club teams. You are together with the guys you see every day of the year and you also fight for other trophies together with them. There are always ups and downs; you criticise and help each other at the training to make things run smoothly. The players take part at national team competitions as well, but the club always comes first. When you only have a handful of players fit towards the end of the season, as was the case for us in 2007 with THW Kiel, then winning the league, the cup and also the Champions League is the biggest possible achievement.

What are the advantages of the new EHF Champions League playing system with FINAL4 at the end of it?

It is always difficult for the players to prepare for all the competitions running parallel to each other during the season. It often happens that a team shows extraordinary performance in the Champions League and only three days later has a complete disaster in a league game. Though the players will still have to take care about this during the year, there will be a clear objective right after the end of the season to focus on. Furthermore, there are no more tactical calculations based on playing two games home and away in the finals. You play two games instead of four and everything must work perfectly there.

Is it going to influence the appeal of the games?

Sure. You cannot hide here and hope for a better day when you play the second leg. Whoever plays the FINAL4 must know that this is the decisive day. The semi-finals and finals of the EHF Champions League were already incredibly dramatic. The FINAL4 will further increase the tension, and for the fans too.

So you expect a better atmosphere for the games?

The finals, wherever they were played, always had superb atmosphere. However, it was only the case for one team and only for their fans. Now the teams will play for all the spectators in the arena and also for an even higher number of fans who watch it on TV. This event will have a different atmosphere. The games will be played in front of a greater public and accordingly, the event will be a festival for all those who arrive in Cologne for the FINAL4. It will be good for handball as more people will be able to share this experience.

You also played in the LANXESS arena. What was it like for you?

My former team, THW Kiel, had one of the biggest handball halls in Germany and a fantastic fan club. However, the Arena of Cologne has completely different dimensions. The players look up to the ceiling as they step on court. These dimensions are really special. I shiver when I think about the FINAL4: 20,000 people, fans of the four European top teams… and everyone knows that these two days will write a new chapter in handball history. Amazing!

It will be a festival, a big event. How important is this aspect?

Very important! There was no occasion before for so many international handball fans to meet. Before, all of them travelled by bus and they did not cross each others path. This time they will come to Cologne and they will experience a huge thing together. It will be unforgettable. Accordingly, the attention of the media will also be greater than before when home and away games were played. Ciudad Real, for example, is far from the big cities and Kiel is also not the centre of Germany either. Though the Champions League has an enthusiastic audience in these cities, only the usual fan clubs could enjoy the finals.

There are a couple of teams who are always among the favourites. But who will win this time?

Every team that reaches the semi-finals is a top team. The roles are not clear in a FINAL4. Any team travelling there as supposed outsiders will experience a great atmosphere. They will try to make their dreams come true in front of the entire handball world watching. If they go against the favourites with this mentality, they can become heroes overnight. This is part of the appeal of the new playing system.