Men's EHF EURO 2026 post-match flash quotes: 19 January

HERNING/OSLO/MALMÖ – Comments from players and coaches after matches in groups A, C and E at the Men's EHF EURO 2026 on Monday.

NETHERLANDS vs CROATIA 29:35 (13:15)

Staffan Olsson (SWE) – Netherlands head coach

On what happened in the last 10 minutes:

“That’s a good question. I think we sorted out some particular plays in both halves compared to the Sweden match. We were going down a little bit. I’m quite satisfied with the defence in the first half, but then we have some chance what we didn’t take to go away with some goals. In the second half we were getting too tired in defence, so we were going down there. These small phases, teams like this are too good, so they are using it, and we need to start chasing. We didn’t manage that.”

On Dani Baijens’ injury and the effects:

“Our plan was to run a lot with Dani Baijens and Luc Steins. They are really good at that, and I think we succeeded with that in the first half. We were missing him a bit in the defence. That was a tough one for us."

On bouncing back for the last match against Georgia:

“We have 48 hours to recover and come back. We want to finish the tournament in a good way. We are going for two points in that match.”

Lars Kooj (NED) – line player

On the end of the match:

“Until the 50th minute it was a close game. We wanted the whole game to play with speed, to outrun them at the end, to let them not change in defence.

“That was our tactic, and I think we did at the beginning a pretty good job. But in the whole game we made too much technical faults in attack, in the six against six, because of our speed. I think towards the end we wanted to try even more speed, and that became more technical faults, and that’s why at the end it made such a big difference.”

On the injury to Dani Baijens:

“Dani’s for us a really important players, and also to run we need every player if we want to hold this speed the whole game. That was of course a setback for us. But I think even without Dani we can manage this, and with so much technical mistakes it was not enough against a team like Croatia.”

On the upcoming game against Georgia:

“We have to switch the switch. Today we can maybe have a setback, but tomorrow we have to set our heads straight and make the win in two days.”

Dagur Sigurdsson (ISL) – Croatia head coach

On the tight first half:

“Yes, I think it was only in the end that we were superior. It was a tough game. Netherlands played unbelievably quick, it was difficult to make changes in defence and offence. It was a pressure game for us, a very good performance from us and we can continue.”

On the offence:

“There were some mistakes in part of the game, but I think the game was really good from both teams. I’m happy with our performance. It was maybe not so solid, because they could do a lot of fast breaks on us, but altogether I was happy with the performance.”

On the rotation in Croatia’s squad:

“It was a completely tactical move. We knew that there would be space on the pivot position and Zlatko Raužan is a very promising young player, with not so much experience, but he played very, very well and has been doing good. Also with Mateo Maraš and Luka Lovre Klarica we have two young left-handers and we decided to put Ivano Pavlović if we needed a new centre back.”

Zvonimir Srna (CRO) – left back

On the match:

“It was a tough game, because pressure was on us, because we needed to win to pass to the second round. Netherlands, it’s a tough opponent, they run a lot and it’s a direct opponent; we stopped them at the beginning of this game.”

On the end of the match:

“We were patient and smart in attack, we didn’t make technical faults. If you make technical faults they will run and score easy goals. We run good to set our defence, and that was the main reason why we win.”

On the last preliminary round game, against Sweden:

“It is a championship in Sweden so I think it’s a little more pressure on them. We just go to fight and enjoy, and fight for two points to get to the second round.”

AUSTRIA vs SERBIA 26:25 (12:13)

Iker Romero (ESP) – Austria head coach

On his team:

“So we knew that it will be really, really difficult to win. It’s incredible how they [the team] work. It’s the spirit that we need for the future, it’s the spirit that we need now, and I am really proud of every player.”

Nemanja Beloš (AUT) - left back

On the win:

"It was a hard game for us, we wanted to win from the first minute and we knew that we had a chance (to go to the main round) if we win by four goals, and the game was not so attractive because both teams played for a result, and we won, but it was not enough."

On being eliminated from the EHF EURO 2026:

"We are a little bit disappointed, but proud of our first win at the tournament and for our new coach and it's difficult but we have to keep going and play."

On the future:

"We hope to play at the next tournaments and with this win we have a good chance to get not so difficult opponent for the World Cup qualifiers."

Raúl González (ESP) – Serbia head coach

On whether the exhaustion after the match against Germany affected them today:

“No, they are a different match. Now we feel the pressure and we didn’t play so good, but we were in the match until the end and fighting for the victory. Now we have chance, it depends on the match, what happens in Spain against Germany, but we will see.”

On his impressions on the second half:

“In the second half we did several mistakes, especially in five minutes we lost three-four goals and their goalkeeper was good. Then they took three-four goals advantage and it was very difficult to continue in the match, but we fought until the end and now we have chance. It’s difficult because Germany has good players, good coach, playing here with their supporters, it’s difficult.”

Vanja Ilić (SRB) – left wing

On what the defeat means:

"We hope that Spain win, but then we go with zero points in the main round. I don't know what to say, it's hard to speak now after a game like this, but we knew that it will be hard, they never gave up. We were ready, but I don't know if it was for the nervousness, but we hope Spain win."

On coming back from three goals down:

"We played three very hard matches, maybe we gave a lot and everything against Germany and one day for rest, maybe it was short for us.”

Stefan Dodić (SRB) – centre back

On his impressions after the defeat:

“A really good match, a really tough match, I think we played much better in the first half. In second half I think that we didn’t find the solution against their seven-against-six, they prepared good, but that’s sport. So I think we need more discipline in attack, but we still have our chance. So we will wait to see the match against Germany and Spain.”

On whether they were physically and mentally exhausted after the game against Germany:

“Yes of course, we lose a lot of power, but we have one day rest, like them. It’s same for us and same for them. The biggest problem is that we don’t have discipline in attack, we lose easy ball and we didn’t defend their seven-against-six.”

CZECHIA vs UKRAINE 38:29 (17:14)

Daniel Kubeš (CZE) — head coach

“We managed to play as we wanted. Play fast and pushing the second wave whole game. Through 60 minutes. That was one important thing and the second was a very nice performance from Jonáš (Josef). He played amazingly well. I’m really happy for him.”

On Josef’s performance and what that shows for the future:

“We will see. We will see. When he’s going to play like the last two games, the future looks really bright for him.”

On what they take from the EHF EURO 2026:

“It was a big experience for our young squad. I think each player can take something with them home. For us, that we have to work even harder to manage to play equal games against teams like France and Norway and I hope we can do it better next time.”

Tomáš Mrkva (CZE) — goalkeeper

On the key to the first win at the EHF EURO 2026:

“Our energy in the whole 60 minutes. I think we saw a great game with two teams that were playing about being qualified in the main round to play-offs to the World Championship. We wanted from the beginning play hard. It was a little bit sand and mortar on the beginning, but we still be able to get three goals lead in the half-time. And after the half-time I think we made our game and I think it was nine goals and was a success.”

On what the team can take from the EURO for the future:

“I have to say that I’m proud of the team because we had some difficulties with key players. Injury from Tomáš Piroch. Daniel Bláha was sick, then we got a red card from him today as well. Petr Široký was gone.

“But we played like a team, one for each other, so that makes me really proud. I think the keys from this tournament is that the young players saw that the level of the game is somewhere else like in Czech league and we have to be prepared for a tournament like this.”

Jonáš Josef (CZE) – centre back

On the victory:

“It’s absolutely beautiful. We win the game, we don’t finish with three defeats but we also move a little bit further for the next World Championship. We told ourselves that we wanted to play tonight as we did against Norway and we managed to do it.

"I think that in the second half, we gave a great performance, especially defensively. And it’s easier to win games when you don’t take goals. I am really, really about our performance.”

On recovering from their bad start to the game:

“The first minutes were not good, we also had a red card, so we had to move forward a remain focus. We did a really great job, our goalkeepers made a couple of important saves to keep us in the game. And at half-time, we told ourselves that we had to kill the game right away, that we did not to be with only one or two goals difference in the last minutes. That was the plan and we made it work perfectly.”

On tying the second-best performance for most goals scored in a EHF EURO game:

“I don’t believe you. Honestly, I don’t believe you. Is it true? OK, so this is crazy. I felt good on the court, my teammates helped me, I also thought that I should take responsibilities. And when things work, there is no reason to stop. I am proud of what I did, but even more proud because it comes with a team victory.”

Vadym Brazhnyk (UKR) — head coach

On the key to the result:

“We were preparing for today’s game. We changed our defence, but unfortunately two of our key defence players were injured and it didn’t allow us to keep the tempo through the whole game.”

On what he takes from the EURO campaign overall:

“First of all, it is a great experience for us. We have a young team and now we have to go on.”

Ihor Turchenko (UKR) — left back

On the match:

“It’s so bad we lose again. Nothing change. We lose nine goals. I think we have to show more character. We don’t show character now. We lose again, so of course we are not happy and me too.”

On what they take from the EURO overall:

“We have to learn in team like this. Like they play, like they prepare to the game, like they see video. They show how we need to play. We have to learn. We have to take everything — how they happy, how they score, how they play defence, attack, everything.”

 

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