Men's EHF EURO 2026 flash quotes: 15 January
HERNING/KRISTIANSTAD – Comments from players and coaches at media calls and photoshoots ahead of the Men's EHF EURO 2026.
Romania
George Buricea (ROU) – head coach
On the expectations ahead of the opening match against Portugal:
"We expect to play a very good game. To put on the court all of our skills, and then finally we'll see what will happen, but we'll play a very good game."
On whether he has a special plan to stop Portugal's style of play:
"It's not easy to stop this very fast game, but also I don't want to speak about our plan."
On whether he has confidence in the squad to deliver:
" About the squad, they have the capability and quality to compete in this group. I'm very, very confident and I believe a lot in my team. We are ready to play this tournament. This tournament it's very important for me, for our team and for our country, and we know we can do this."
Călin Dedu (ROU) – line player
On facing Portugal in their opening match:
"They have these very talented young guys and their squad is well built from all the positions. But I believe that we are also a team that can compete. I know we are the underdogs in the tournament, but we have planned that and we will do our best, put everything on the court, and in the end we will just see the result."
On feeling a burden to deliver:
"Since coming to the national team as a young player, I always felt the pressure and I needed to play good in every single game. I needed to practice good every time. And now I am happy in the position that I am and people trust me to help the team as much as I can. And game after game, I'm trying to be a better version of myself."
On what the EHF EURO 2026 means to the Romanian squad:
" For us, this is very good, being here in the European Championship for the second time in a row is an accomplishment. But we don't want to just keep it as an accomplishment. We want to do bigger things than this. We are, as my colleague said, we want to pass through the main round and we just want from here to participate in the tournaments every single year, in the final tournaments."
Ionuț Iancu (ROU) – goalkeeper
On the expectations ahead of the tournament:
"I think we're feeling very well and the team is very powerful. I expect us to play a good handball, to enjoy the handball and in the end to be happy for what we did."
On being the underdogs in group B:
" It's a hard group and it's true. Denmark is like first place and we are beating for the other three places, but I trust in my team and we want to do a very good tournament and, why not, to go in the main round."
On whether the squad is feeling confident ahead of the opening match:
" We come to play powerful and to trust in each other because I think we have a strong team and we want to make this step to go in the main round."
ITALY
Bob Hanning (GER) – Italy head coach
On his first tournament as national team head coach:
“I was an assistant coach to Heiner Brand at the world and European championships as well as at the Olympic Games. But that experience was a long time ago. As vice-president of the German Handball Federation, I saw in 2016 that you could become European champions with a team no one expected to win. That's why I believe that every tournament is special; there are always new conditions and new tasks, so I have no idea what I can take away from my previous experiences.”
On the team’s preparation and the test matches against the Faroe Islands:
“The truth is that we found many good solutions in attack and moved the ball around very well. We were able to find good solutions for different defensive formations. We didn't manage to do that at all in defence. We conceded over 30 goals in both matches against a team that does not represent the who's who of handball. Given our injury situation, which will accompany us throughout the tournament, it will be our task to find solutions to address it. We really need to come up with something.”
On the injuries to the team:
“Juan Pablo Cuello has torn his ACL, Thomas Bortoli has not been able to participate in a match, and our captain, Andrea Parisini, is on-site but also not available to play.”
On their first opponents, Iceland:
“Iceland is a team that could be described as a dark horse. Their players need to translate some of what they show in their clubs to the national team. For me, they are an absolute top team, and, alongside Sweden, they are one of the teams I predicted to reach the semi-finals.”
On the goals for this EHF EURO:
“On the one hand, you could say that a European championship is different from a World Championship, and when you have to play against Iceland, Hungary, and Poland, you certainly can't say that you can assume you'll reach the main round.
“Nevertheless, we have made a firm resolution: as long as the games haven't been played, they haven't been lost. That means we will do everything we can to reach the main round. I know this is ambitious and a big task, but we set high goals for ourselves. That means we want to reach the main round.”
On the development of handball in Italy:
“It's about continuing to develop and gaining experience in matches. The more matches we can play, the better. Hopefully, we are able to play more matches in the main round, because we have a young team that can continue playing together for many years to come.”
Domenico Ebner (ITA) – goalkeeper
On their preparation in the Faroe Islands:
“The atmosphere is good. You can slowly feel the excitement building. We're glad to have finally arrived here, as things are now really getting started.
“Away from the court, we've been to saunas and pools, played a darts tournament, and eaten at the harbour. That's also the balancing act you must manage. Not just staying at the hotel, but also getting some fresh air and seeing the natural surroundings.”
On Iceland’s offensive power:
“They have many players who play in the Bundesliga. That's impressive. They also play important roles in their clubs. Nevertheless, I believe that even a team like this has to enter a tournament first, and we may be fortunate in the first round if they are not yet as well-rehearsed as they will be later in the tournament.
“I also believe that we are not an easy team to play against. It will be very difficult to play against us with our slightly different defensive approach. We hope that this will pose problems for the Icelanders. I'm looking forward to the game because it's always special to play against bigger teams, and we, as a smaller nation, can also show what great players we have, even if they may not play in the top leagues.”
On the development of handball in Italy:
“We want to take the next step in our development. Younger players should take on more responsibility. The Mengon brothers are mentioned in particular. But also, other players who are now stepping up to the plate, with whom we may be able to play together for the next seven or eight years. It is important that we push ahead with this generational change so that we can continue to compete in the major tournaments in the coming years.”
On his intense video preparations and his approach during a tournament:
“I have a goalkeeper coach who has already edited together many scenes from Iceland's recent matches, but of course, I also have the video tool that I use during the Bundesliga season. That's why it's even better when many Bundesliga players play for our opponent.
“I've already done a lot of preparation over the last few days, but I'm focusing on the first match for now. I can look at everything else the night after the Iceland match or the next day, but that's quite short notice. Not quite as many Hungarian players play in the Bundesliga, so a little more work is required there.”
On diving into the next video preparation if he is not able to sleep after a match:
“Last year, I learned that after matches, you're often full of adrenaline and can't sleep for a long time. It's important for me to focus on the next match immediately. There's not much point in thinking about the previous match, as there's usually less than 48 hours between matches. That's why I usually get straight to it and look at some scenes, so I can form a first impression of the opponent.”
Leo Prantner (ITA) – right wing
On his recent injury and not having much playing time before the first match:
“I gained a lot of positive experiences from last year. I was able to focus on myself, my recovery process was going well, and there was no pressure. This year is a little different because everything was much tighter. I had only four training sessions with the team before the first match, which was evident in my performance.
“Nevertheless, many positives emerged from last year's World Championship, and it would be nice if it worked out the same way again this year. You can always believe in it.”
On the changes Bob Hanning has implemented in the team over the past year:
“Bob has injected a different way of thinking. He wants us to be much more mentally present, and he definitely creates a very good environment. We have now implemented a different tactic, and I hope that this will also come as a surprise to our opponents.”
On how much Prantner and Hanning talk about the Italian national team in their daily lives at Füchse Berlin:
“Often, almost every time I see Bob, we talk about the national team. Sometimes he tells me about players, then about information I don't know, but he also talks about things that can be improved in the national team every time.”
On their aims for the EHF EURO:
“Our goal is to reach the main round. We're not here to play against Iceland, Poland, and Hungary and then go home again. Of course, we're not the favourites in the group, but that may be an advantage for us. You never know what will happen in an EHF EURO opening match. I think two wins will be enough to reach the main round. But it goes without saying that it won't be easy.”
ICELAND
Snorri Steinn Guðjónsson (ISL) – Iceland head coach
On the experts' expectation that Iceland are a favourite to reach the medal games:
“To be honest, I don’t think so far ahead. We have been able to play for the medals only twice and have won two medals. History is not on our side. We are just focusing on ourselves and on the first match. Everything depends on how we play in this group.
“If we play as good as we can, we can win the group and have a chance to go further. At the moment, we let the experts talk a bit longer, but as a team, we have to stay in the moment. We know how good we are when we play well. If we play our best we could go a long way.”
On the team’s preparation:
“I’m quite happy. We had a good week in France with two good games. Even though we lost against France, we played a good game. There are always things you can do a little better, and as you get further into the preparation, you go into more detail. Today and tomorrow, we will shift our focus to prepare for our opening match against Italy and will be ready to go.”
On the importance of his backcourt trio from the undefeated reigning EHF Champions League winners SC Magdeburg:
“When you have good players who are playing well and have yet to lose a match, they arrive with confidence and a winning culture in their team. However, it’s not only them. I have many strong players on strong teams. My feeling is that they bring this culture into the team.
“Of course, I hope their form will be maintained in the national team, but everyone knows this is a different stage, a different competition. In general, it helps to have good players in top teams and top leagues.”
On the learnings from previous championships:
“It is difficult to say what exactly we have learned. You learn something in every match of a World or European Championship and take these experiences to do it better next time. We have experience, and the team has been together for a long time. The core of this team knows each other very well. And they also know the feeling of not meeting our goals. So we have to use it the right way and don’t feel pressured, but instead use it as motivation. I feel like this is the case now.”
On their first opponents, Italy:
“I expect a really tough match. We have analysed their matches, and I’m really impressed. It’s a good team, a different team with a really good and experienced coach. We have to be really focused and clear about our match. If we don’t perform at our best, we will get in trouble.”
Björgvin Páll Gústavsson (ISL) – goalkeeper
On expectations for Iceland to win a medal:
“Playing handball for Iceland means always having pressure. It doesn’t matter the tournament, the pressure is always on us to perform. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves. Of course, we have a dream to go far, but the EHF EURO is such a strong tournament. And if you have a first opponent like Italy, you can’t think too far ahead.”
On their first opponents, Italy:
“They are playing a very attractive handball. A style of handball that you need to prepare for really precisely.”
On the team’s preparation:
“It was overall a really good performance during preparation. We played good matches against France and Slovenia. Playing a close match in France in front of 15,000 French fans demonstrates that we can compete with the best teams. That was the plan for the last week. Now, playing in Kristianstad is something we all dream of, as we have been here before and know what the atmosphere will be like.”
On the importance of the SC Magdeburg backcourt trio:
“They are very talented players and one of the best players in the world. Yet, it is a new competition, but, of course, they arrive here in great form. Our defence has been good in the past tournaments. I hope we can keep that up. Our attack has been having some problems, but it will hopefully help if they come in flaming hot into this tournament.”
On the learnings from previous championships:
“What I’ve learned is maybe that I should have quit in 2010 when I got the second medal in two tournaments (laughs).
“We have suffered a lot over the last tournaments, but still, we played an awesome tournament last year, and playing badly for 30 minutes cost us the tournament. You have to win and lose the right matches; we haven’t done that yet. Hopefully, we win every match, but if we lose, I hope we lose the right matches.”
On playing for Iceland for over two decades:
“The journey has been amazing. My first tournament was in 2008. My first match for the national team was in 2003. I travelled to the Olympic Games 2008 with the mindset that it could be my last and that I had to enjoy it. Since then, it has been 19 tournaments.
“I’m still enjoying it and love playing handball. When you watch me play, you can see that I have a lot of passion for this sport. That’s why I approach this tournament like every other tournament.”
Gísli Kristjánsson (ISL) – centre back
On his expectation:
“I expect that we grow as a team. That’s the first objective we need to concentrate on because if we don’t do that, we don’t have a chance at this tournament. Especially since we haven’t won anything yet, nothing is going to be given to us on a silver platter.
“Everyone probably expects us to win the group, but I don’t see it being that easy. We have three really difficult matches ahead of us. Italy, for example, has beaten Spain and Serbia during qualification, which are great traditional handball nations. People from the outside don’t look at Italy as a handball giant, but they play a fascinating, modern handball, and I really like how they play in certain areas.
“If we concentrate on ourselves and play our best game, I think we have a strong chance. And I said it before, if we play our best, we can win against any nation in the world, but if we don’t, we can also lose against a lot of teams.”
On the team’s preparation:
“It went really well for the most part. We had two difficult matches against Slovenia and France. Overall, I’m very pleased with the performance, as we led for most of the match against France. I’d also say we need to show, in the crucial minutes of matches like against France, that we can close them out, which we haven’t managed to do. That’s another topic we need to concentrate on. However, preparation is one thing and is nearly done now, and I think we are ready.”
On how he and his SC Magdeburg teammates’ good form can impact Iceland:
“I think it can help us to a certain degree, for sure. To have this kind of rhythm and understanding between the three of us, but in the end, it is a completely different team, a different system. It could be helpful, but we will see how far it will get us in this tournament.”
On the learnings from previous championships:
“That it is never finished at these tournaments. We need to understand how important every minute, every goal is in these kinds of tournaments. For example, last year we were very happy to win all the matches against tough opponents like Slovenia and Egypt. Then we played Croatia, lost, and were out of the competition. Although we won all matches except that one, we still had nothing in our hands after the tournament. That’s why we always need to be on our toes.”
Photo © Kolektiff Images
