Men's EHF EURO 2026 post-match flash quotes: 23 January
MALMÖ – Comments from players and coaches after matches in Men's EHF EURO 2026 main round group II.
SLOVENIA vs SWEDEN 31:35 (15:13)
Uroš Zorman (SLO) – SLO head coach
On the defeat:
“We prepare I think good, the first half was very good.
“We enter in the second half with this kind of energy like we played the first half, or first 30 minutes and then they take a lead and then it was difficult to catch them. But 60 minutes we were behind, breathing from the behind, but this shows we can and we have the team to make some good result.”
On trying to find the weaknesses in their opponents' game:
“When you talking by TV, you can not tell everything. We find something, of course, we show this on the court. Like I said, they have only luck that they play at home, with full hall and so on. But they deserve this win. We have three games still more and we will do the best and we try to make some really good results.”
Domen Novak (SLO) – right wing
On the match:
“We showed in the first half-time that we can play with everyone this tournament. Maybe it wasn’t like this before the start, but now we show this. We can be proud of our game. It wasn’t enough but that was a bonus game for us, actually. I would say the three next games are even more important.”
On the start to the second half:
“We were without one player and then it was so fast. The whole second half-time we had problems in attack, and that’s why they controlled the game better than in the first half-time. It is what it is.”
Michael Apelgren (SWE) – Sweden head coach
On the match:
“Slovenia did an amazing game, hats off for them. Very very strong in defence, with the strong goals all the time. The first half they were clearly better, had control.
“I am proud of my team that we succeeded also to play when it’s a little bit harder and tougher. We continue to do everything. In the second half we played very good.”
On what he said to his team at half-time:
“That we also need to show that we can play when not only the sun is shining. It’s important for us that we get this kind of match so that we can play also with emotions, use the arena, and do our thing. In the second half, when we were continuing, the contra attacks were amazing.”
Oscar Bergendahl (SWE) – line player
On the win against Slovenia:
“They were really good in the first half, but we were even better in the second half. I think they played fantastic, they played tactical, we were struggling a lot, but on the other side I think we also played quite good, but we didn’t score our chances. This was the biggest difference between first and second half.”
On the second half of the game:
“The second half, we just continued our game, we ran a lot and scored some easy goals and had a little more saves. A combination of everything. They are a fantastic good team, and they are scoring a lot of goals in every game, so we were very well aware they will be scoring a lot against us.”
SWITZERLAND vs HUNGARY 29:29 (20:14)
Andy Schmid (SUI) – Switzerland head coach
On the match:
“I’m happy because we get one point, we’re standing in the main round with a Swiss team. I think it’s the first point in the main round in the history of Swiss handball.
“We played almost perfectly again for 35, 40 minutes. That’s the way it is.
“They have also quality, Hungary. The goalkeeper (Kristóf Palasics) had a really great second half.
“In the end, we played a better first half, they played a better second half. That’s why we made progress, in this case that we didn’t lose, because we were in a tricky situation after 50 minutes when we were behind – I think the first time we were behind in the game – and we managed to do that, we managed to get a point in the end.
“We can say also that we could easily win. That’s the way it is, that’s handball. I’m just proud because there’s some young players on the field, they’re making their first experience on the European handball stage.”
Felix Aellen (SUI) – centre back
On the draw with Hungary:
“I think we can’t be happy with it, it’s the second time now that we were up like seven, or even more goals, and we can’t carry it through the whole game. At least we’ve got one point, but we are not happy with it.”
On Hungary closing the gap in the second half:
“We tried to learn from the last match against Slovenia. I think it was a small step forward, because we got one point at least, but we had some couple technical fouls, and that’s the biggest difference.”
Nikola Portner (SUI) – goalkeeper
On the match against Hungary:
“When you have one point, it’s always a bit the feeling. It can be one lost point, one won point. Today really is like that. Difficult to say, we were leading with a lot at the end, one minute 30, two minutes with one behind, but we still managed to have character, to say OK it will not happen again.
“We switched it with two good defence in a row, we were leading with one goal, and we had the chance also with the last attack to score, which we didn’t manage to score, but it is as it is. Now we have to continue to work, to improve. I am quite also happy with the character that we are showing and now we have to believe more that we can really bring it till the end.”
On the next match against Croatia:
“It’s kind of going to be interesting, I think the win against Iceland gave them their confidence back. They were not playing so well until today, but now they managed to find themselves again. The way they play with the strong defence and good fast breaks and running, it’s going to be a big challenge for us.”
José Rodríguez (ESP) – Hungary head coach
On what he said to his players at half-time:
“I said to them, it’s easy, we are not defending in the first half, we are having a lot of problems for stop Switzerland team, and if we arrive here it’s because we defend so good. And in the second half we do, like normally we do, but if you give 30 minutes after in this level is so difficult. I’m so happy, because in the second half we worked good and we had a chance to win the match, but the real situation is, I am so disappointed in the first half that we make it.
On the last 10 minutes of the match:
“I think in one match like this when you go to the finish, almost draw, everything can happen. I say we can win, we can lose. I think the draw is not good for no team, because for the both teams with only one point is so difficult, but OK we go to take all the positive things that is this match and try to improve in the bad things we do today.”
Zoltán Szita (HUN) — left back
On the comeback:
“We made too much mistakes in the first half and that was the problem in the beginning, but we recovered. This is the most important. We fought 60 minutes. We fight as a team and we will continue like this. This is sport. If you make too many mistakes, it will punish you.”
On what they talked about at half-time:
“We had opportunity to score in the first half also — just we missed a lot of shots and we made a lot of pass that was not good and that’s why it was a lot of mistakes. We just continued what we were doing. In the second half, we focused a bit more and it was successful. We recover and we defend amazing. Much better than in the first half and this is the key — defence and running the fast break.”
Kristóf Palasics (HUN) — goalkeeper
On the comeback:
“I think in the second half we started playing our game, we started playing tough defence, we started being more aggressive and of course it led to them also making mistakes. This is the attitude that we need. I think this is the attitude that we were showing in the previous games also, and for some reason I have the feeling we were missing this a little bit in the first half. I don’t know why.
“But Switzerland has a great team and we cannot afford that they are leading by seven goals in the second half. Of course we took a lot of energy and believed we can come back. In this way I’m proud of the team, that we came back to the game, but obviously I’m at the moment now still disappointed because we would like to win. But of course, it’s not always like this.”
On the overall performance, especially the defence:
“Overall, it’s really two-faced. I think in the second half we showed really who we are. We showed fighting spirit and we showed individual skills.
“We stick together as a team and I think this counts a lot. This needs to be a positive from this game for the future. And of course we have to keep performing at this level because now all the games are going to be like this. All the games are finals. We have to believe in ourselves and in the team.”
ICELAND vs CROATIA 29:30 (15:19)
Dagur Sigurdsson (ISL) – Croatia head coach
On the victory:
“We played a fantastic game. The guys sacrificed everything, left everything on the floor, so very proud of the team.
“This is a very good victory for us coming back from the disappointment against Sweden, where we didn’t play our game. We did that today and I’m very happy.”
On playing against his home nation of Iceland:
“I’m getting used to it, I’ve done it with so many nations. I don’t get any extra pleasure out of it; I know they want to go far but we are in the same group here, and I just fight for Croatia when I’m in this game.”
On the next game, against Switzerland:
“It’s never going to be easy here. We see it every day, there are some difficult results to get, so we have to find some power to come strongly into that game.”
Mateo Maraš (CRO) – right back
On the second half of the match:
“We like drama, so we put on a show today. I think we had the game in our hands, but there was a strong performance by Iceland in the beginning of the second half, we struggled a little bit.
“When we bring back our playing style I think we deserved our win, and we showed it in the end.”
On his own performance:
“I’m happy for my performance. I think we have here 20 extremely good players who can always play and perform. Today it was a lot of guys from defence to offence, so I think we put all the puzzles together and at the end two points go to Croatia, and we look for the next step.”
On the goalkeepers’ performance:
“When you play good defence of course the goalkeepers also start to shine. We have two or three diamonds in the goal; we have to brush them a little bit so they shine again.”
Luka Cindrić (CRO) – centre back
On the match:
“It was a really hard match, we expected something like this. I think Iceland have amazing players, they play really good. We knew that they will come in the game, but we didn’t lose the focus, we didn’t lose the motivation. I think we deserve this win more than them because we show from the beginning that we want more the win than nothing, because for us every game is a final now.”
Snorri Steinn Guðjónsson (ISL) – Iceland head coach
On the match:
“The first half was not good enough, especially in defence. Overall I’m not that unsatisfied with the performance of my team; of course we lost and we are really disappointed about that. But it was a good fight, they were scoring a lot of goals from nine, 10, 11 metres in the first half. When Croatia have a day like that it’s difficult to stop them.
“I think in the second half we managed a little better, we got some balls in the goal, and we were close, but not close enough.”
On why they could not close the gap sufficiently:
“We were just always one step after that. It’s difficult to chase a team throughout the game. We were also missing four penalties, four, five really good chances, so that’s also really tough and expensive in a game like that. Usually when you lose with one goal it’s the small things here and there.”
On the next game, against Sweden:
“A really tough game and a world-class team, and one who can win the tournament. It will be really difficult, but it’s a European championship and we don’t have much time to be sad, we just have to keep going, focus on the next opponent and try to be ready for that game.”
Óðinn Ríkharðsson (ISL) – right wing
On the defeat:
“These long-distance shots from Croatia were making it difficult for us. While we have to take a look at it, it was not an easy game in defence, they were shooting good. Maybe we need to take more height.”
On the rest of the main round:
“We focus on the next game. Nothing is over, we’re still in.”
Elliði Viðarsson (ISL) – line player
On the match:
“They got a four-goal difference in the first half, and it was hard for us to fight back. We gave it everything we could but they had it in the end.”
On the rest of the main round:
“I was just foucsed on trying to beat them, so now we have to sit and look at it. But it seems that we have to win (against) Sweden in the next game and see what happens after that.”
On what to improve:
“It’s the defence in the first half. It’s not big things we have to change, it’s some lost balls and some things that we missed. It’s small things in this tight match, could have gone both sides.”
Photo © kolektiff images
