Jensen: “The opportunity with FTC was too exciting to let go”

For FTC, the Danish style of coaching is nothing new — Martin Albertsen and Allan Heine have previously left their mark in Budapest. With Jensen, the tradition continues, as they have brought in a coach with success at both club and national team levels.

From 2017 to 2024, he led Team Esbjerg to two EHF FINAL4 semi-finals and a bronze medal. Also, from 2020 to 2025, he coached Denmark's national team, collecting two EHF EURO silver and two IHF World Championship bronze medals, and an Olympic bronze from the Paris 2024 Games.

When Jensen boarded a plane to Budapest earlier this summer, he was writing a brand new chapter of a career that has been tied to Denmark for nearly three decades.

“It was a tough decision. But at some point, it was also an easy one. I have been in the Danish league for 28 years in a row, as a player and a coach, and I felt it was time to try something new. I wanted to find out more about myself and learn more from handball. When the opportunity with FTC and Budapest came, it was too exciting to let go,” says Jensen.

With preparation for the new season almost over, Jensen has the chance to reflect on his first weeks in Budapest. “Professionally, everything has maybe been even more than I was hoping for. The club has been very organised, structured, professional, but also very warm towards me and my family. The players are open-minded, eager to take another step and develop to a new level,” adds Jensen.

The private side of life, however, has demanded adjustment. “I have been living with my wife for 29 years, so it's a little unusual to suddenly be in an apartment alone in Budapest. But we are doing fine. I'm adapting, and I'm happy when I'm here. Of course, it demands some acceptance and adjustment in the mindset, but things are going well,” the Danish coach admits.

FTC's summer was stable, with five departures — Andrea Lekic retired, while Valeriia Maslova, Béatrice Edwige, Szandra Szöllösi-Zácsik and Dorka Papp also left. Only two arrived, both of whom were familiar to Jensen: Vilde Ingstad and Mette Tranborg.

“I think the team already possesses a lot of quality. For me, it was important to respect the team that has been built over many years. I'm not coming in my first year to get rid of seven players and bring in seven new ones. I like to work with what is here and try to make the best out of the squad. We dream about the EHF FINAL4 and we aim for it, but we'll have to see how fast our progress is.

“Both Mette and Vilde are strong, world-class players. But even more importantly, they always work hard, always try to improve, are very professional, and they're good human beings. I knew they would add to the culture of FTC, which is what matters most to me,” he explains.

FTC's EHF Champions League group B campaign is anything but easy; Odense Håndbold, Ikast Håndbold, CSM Bucuresti, Brest Bretagne Handball, Krim Mercator Ljubljana, Sola HK and HC Podravka lie in wait. To reach their goals, the Hungarian side will have to be at their best.

“All the top teams in group B will aim for first place, because we know Metz and Györ are in the other half,” Jensen points out. “To have a bigger chance of going to the EHF FINAL4, it would be good to finish first. It's a strong group, many teams are on a similar level, so we have to perform at our best.”

For coach Jensen, the group also carries a personal twist, “As a Dane, it's a little funny and also a little scary to have two Danish teams in the group.” And one of those clashes comes up straight away, as FTC's first EHF Champions League match on Saturday, 6 September, at 16:00 CEST will be against Odense.

“I think FTC against Odense could be the Match of the Week. It's a rematch of the quarter-final last year, which went down to the last second. Now it's a Danish coach against a Danish team, with amazing support from our fans in Budapest. There are so many stories within the story,” Jensen talks excitedly.

While focus is on the first matches, Jensen cannot escape the expectations of the club and the fans for the Hungarian league and the EHF Champions League. With rivals like Györ setting the bar high and the EHF FINAL4 dream always present, he is clear about priorities.

“My wish is simply to keep improving all the time. If we keep improving, then we will win in the end. But the main goal for the club and the fans is to win the domestic league, and the problem is that former Champions League winners are also in the same league. So the standards are very high.

“FTC dream about league and cup trophies here in Hungary, and they dream about the Champions League. That's what the fans expect, and that's why we are here. Personally, I don't set goals. I like to work hard on the court, get the best out of the players, and create good feelings. When that happens, the wins follow,” he says.

And for Jensen, the weight of expectation is not a burden but an inspiration, “You can see it as pressure. But I think it's an add-on to the beauty of handball. Why do we spend 20 years playing, suffering, sacrificing? Because of the feelings," he says. "And the fans here will definitely give us plenty of them.”

photos © 2025 Nikolett Nász / FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria