Quotes from media call ahead of EHF Finals Women 2023 semi-finals

Kasper Christensen – coach, Ikast Handbold

On reaching their third EHF Finals:

“We have played a really good tournament and deserve to be here. We have also played at quite a high level in this tournament, so we have quite a good chance of winning here. Also, maybe a little better chance than last year, because this team, this group together has a little bit more experience and tried this kind of weekends even more now.”

On whether they will reach the final:

“We have been pretty close two years ago against Siófok. We were in extra time and they scored in the last second in regular time to make it even. Last year Bietigheim scored in the last second and won the game with one goal. So we have been pretty close and we think that there were things in these games we could do better.

“It’s important in these kinds of weekends that you cannot have seven, eight, 10 minutes where you are off and you are not playing pretty good, because then you will not win in the end on Sunday. So I hope it’s our season. I have a good feeling about our team, we’ve performed pretty good. But I also know that right now here it’s not important that we have gone through the tournament without any losses.”

On their semi-final opponents, Thüringer HC:

“Thüringer’s a great team. They showed me in the video analysis why they are here and why they made it through pretty easy in a difficult group against Paris and Valcea.

“I also think they played a good tournament in Germany. OK, Bieitigheim is the best team in Germany and that’s how it is, but they have some players – Annika Lott especially is a player who I think should be a big profile in the German national team in the coming season. She’s a really smart and quick player. They have some players that can hurt us if we’re not there.

“But we also believe pretty much in ourselves and think if we can play good we have a good chance of winning the game.”

Jessica Ryde – goalkeeper, Ikast Handbold

On reaching their third EHF Finals:

“After last year we really felt that we want to do this all over again, that we want to reach the final four again, because last time it was amazing. We lost with one goal and it was so close to the final, so we really want revenge.”

On their semi-final opponents, Thüringer HC:

“I’m glad our game is against Thüringer, a German team who we never met before. It always adds some extra nerves and tension because you don’t really know what you’re going to meet.”

On Ikast’s defence and how it helps her:

“A great defence always makes the work of a goalkeeper easier and it has a positive effect on each other. When they’re doing well I want to do well, and maybe when I do well they want to do it even better. Maybe in that way you can help each other become even better.”

Stine Skogrand – right wing, Ikast Handbold

On their semi-final opponents, Thüringer HC:

“We think they are really good from a distance with the shots. Annika Lott, she’s also good with line players. We have to watch them as well. Also they run a lot, and they will have a good tempo in the match and that’s also what we want.

“It could be a game with many goals but we also want to close in the defence. We have the best goalkeeper and the best defence, and if we can stick that together hopefully we will reach the final.”

Henk Groener – coach, BV Borussia 09 Dortmund

On being in Graz:

“We are all very happy and very anxious awaiting tomorrow. We have worked hard, and came a long way. Especially our last match against Nantes was something I think nobody really expected., but we believed in it, we kept on fighting and in the end we got rewarded.”

On their fans:

“When we played against Nantes it was our home match, so there were a lot more spectators than there will be here. But we have a group of fans coming with us and they will be loud, I am sure, so they will support us. We’ll take that energy and put it in the game tomorrow.”

On their semi-final opponents, Nykøbing Falster Håndbold:

“Both teams I think are more or less an equal level of play. I’ve seen the games of them in the European League, I’ve seen some games in the Danish league. They have a good team: strong defence, good shooters in offence, good in the middle-centre back with [Kristina] Kristiansen, a good creative player; good goalkeeper. So it’ll be a tough match.”

Clara Woltering – goalkeeper coach, BV Borussia 09 Dortmund

On qualifying for the EHF Finals:

“It was tough matches, it was hard work, but in the end the team fought for it. We can be also really proud because we had good development in the season.”

On their defence and goalkeeping:

“Yara [ten Holte] played really well, but in the end it’s always a communication with the defence – defence and goalkeeper. This is also a really strong side for us. In the end we need to have a good defence and a good attack to play a really good match. At the end of course it will be really good if we have one more goal than Nykøbing.”

On being goalkeeper coach:

“I know finals and I love finals. I’m sure that I’m sitting on the bench and I’m like OK, come on girls, come on – it’s a lot of pure emotions. This is handball and you have that all the time in your life. For sure you will hear me on the bench that I’m screaming, that I try to help the team.

“It’s normal to be with 100 per cent of the heart at the game.”

On Yara ten Holte:

“I work now a long time with Yara and she’s a great personality and a great sportswoman. She is so motivated and she’s listening so much. She’s had a really great performance. At the end she’s a good teammate, and I like that she’s working really great with the team, with the other goalkeepers. For me this is also really important, at we have three goalkeepers and they are working together.”

Yara ten Holte – goalkeeper, BV Borussia 09 Dortmund

On their semi-final opponents, Nykøbing Falster Håndbold:

“They play a really fast handball, and this is the type of handball we really like. It’s going to be a really interesting game and in the end will be a close game, but our chances are good.”

On being nominated for an EHF Excellence Award:

“I was really surprised by the nomination, because wen you look at all the goalkeepers who are nominated I’m the youngest and there are some goalkeepers I look up to. I’m really proud to be between their names. I don’t expect anything but it’s already a really big honour to be nominated.”

On goalkeeping coach Clara Woltering:

“We have a really good relationship. I played one year with her and after that she became my goalkeeper trainer. We are really open in communication and about sharing our thoughts and improving the things I’m not that good at yet.”

Jakob Larsen – coach, Nykøbing Falster Håndbold

On being in Graz:

“It’s nice. We’re all happy to be here. It’s been a long season and we’ve had our ups and downs. This tournament is the big opportunity for us so we’re really happy and proud that we’re among the last four teams in this European League.”

On their semi-final opponents, BV Borussia 09 Dortmund:

“It’s a good team. It’s a strong international team with many good players and especially [Yara] ten Holte in the goal and Alina Grijseels, the playmaker, is two players with the X-factor. Especially in the quarter-final against Nantes at home in Dortmund they were really good, both of them.

“We have to be aware of those two players of course but the rest of the team are also good, they have a strong defence, they’re aggressive, and they played a lot of good matches both in the Bundesliga but also of course in the European League. We have deep respect for them.”

Sofie Bardrum – line player, Nykøbing Falster Håndbold

On being in Graz:

“It’s very big for us, it’s a really big experience for the team. We’re all so happy to be here, so excited to be here, so we’re really looking forward to playing the two matches.”

On playing their semi-final opponents, BV Borussia 09 Dortmund:

“We have to find our good defence in the game. We know if we are strong there we have a good chance against them. Then we have to find the right chance in the attack because then they don’t run so much.”

Cecilie Greve – goalkeeper, Nykøbing Falster Håndbold

On playing their semi-final opponents, BV Borussia 09 Dortmund:

“We have to be strong in defence so we can get a lot of easy goals on the fast break. It’s one of our strongest sides. Then in attack we have to be patient and then we can play with a good chance.”

Herbert Müller – coach, Thüringer HC

On their preparation:

“We feel very very good. We had a very long road to this final four because we started in the first qualification round, we had really strong opponents to fight against – Chambray in the first round to Sola in the last round, through teams like Sävehof who have the Champions League quality. We’re very happy and I think we deserve very well to get here.”

On their semi-final opponents, Ikast Handbold:

“I could watch already the last season when they lost very tightly to Bieitgheim and I think they are the great favourites for winning tis title. But why not face them in the first day? We are happy to be here, we want to play with a lot of emotion, but also with a lot of fighting spirit.

“My team is so happy that we reached this goal to come to Graz and now we want to take our chance. In a match you always have a chance.

“You never know what will happen, but you have to believe in yourself, you have to trust your own forces, and you have to go inside with a lot of fighting spirit but also with a lot of positive emotions to think ‘hey, we can beat them, it’s 60 minutes, everything can happen and we’d like to make it happen.”

Lydia Jakubisova – right wing, Thüringer HC

On coming back from retirement:

“I’m really happy I’m here with THC. This is a big moment for me in my career. I’m not so young, but with my years I can play for the best team in the EHF European League. It’s really amazing for me.”

Nathalie Hendrikse – right wing, Thüringer HC

On being in Graz:

“It feels really good. We deserve it after this season; it was a very long season and we are happy we are finally here and that we’re finally able to show ourselves in the finals. We’re going to give 120 per cent tomorrow and see how it goes.

“We have a very good feeling and we’re ready.”

On their semi-final opponents, Ikast Handbold:

“We had actually the worst draw for us, but it doesn’t matter. If you want to be number one then you have to be able to beat very team, so that’s what we’re going to try to do tomorrow.”

Photos © Sasa Pahic Szabo / kolektiff