Nikolaj Jacobsen: “It is a privilege to work with such a good team”

Denmark had previously defeated Norway in 2019, Sweden in 2021 and France in 2023. In their last 37 World Championship games, Denmark are unbeaten with the record of 36 wins and a draw in 2023 against Croatia.

As well as winning the 2025 World Championships with a clean sweep, Denmark took their second Olympic gold medal in 2024 after winning all nine matches in Paris and Lille, including the biggest final result (36:23) ever in an Olympic final (men and women).

Since losing to France in the final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in 2021, Denmark’s men have played 74 matches. They have won 66, drawn three and lost only five.

But despite those results, Denmark have not won the EHF EURO since 2012. In 2020, they failed to qualify for the main round; in 2022, they made it to the semi-finals, but lost to Sweden and won the bronze medal. In 2024, they made it to the final but were beaten by France after overtime.

Since 2020, Mathias Gidsel has become the world’s best player. At the 2025 World Championship, the current IHF Player of the Year scored 74 goals, including 10 in the final, to become the top scorer for the fourth major championship (EHF EURO, World Championship and Olympics) in a row. He was named to the All-star Team for the seventh time in a row; the record of six nominations was previously held by handball icon Ivano Balic, who needed 16 years to achieve it. Gidsel was also named MVP for the third time at the last four major tournaments.

The only time he failed to achieve this award was at the EHF EURO 2024, when Denmark won silver and France's Nedim Remili was named MVP. At the same tournament, Gidsel had to share the top scorer crown with Portugal's Martim Costa.

Meanwhile, at both editions of the EHF Excellence Awards so far, Danish players picked up the male MVP of the season titles: back court shooter Simon Pytlick for 2023, goalkeeper Emil Nielsen for 2024.

This week, old rivals France and Denmark clash twice in the EHF EURO Cup Highlight Matches. On Wednesday, France clinched a hard-fought 33:32 victory over Denmark, with Dika Mem scoring the match-winning goal; they meet again in Kolding on Saturday 15 March at 16:00 CET.

Before those duels, eurohandball.com talked to the mastermind behind this success, coach Nikolaj Jacobsen, who has led the Danish side since 2017. For the first couple of years Jacobsen was simultaneously head coach at German club Rhein-Neckar Löwen, but since 2019 his focus has been entirely on Denmark.

When you became coach of this team, could you imagine how Denmark would develop?

Nikolaj Jacobsen: No, not at all. At that time, Simon Pytlick and Mathias Gidsel were not even part of the national team, and no one in Danish handball knew already then that they would become such skilled handball players.

How does it feel to coach such a golden generation?

Nikolaj Jacobsen: I am glad that we currently have so many skilled handball players in Denmark. When I took over as the national coach more than seven years ago, no one knew we would get such a generation. But I also think that I have been involved in shaping this golden generation and giving some young players chances at the right times. It's a privilege to work with such a good team of players.

You profit from a great youth programme — what is the key to bringing so many top stars to the senior team?

Nikolaj Jacobsen: I think it is a good culture on the team. Another reason is that I have some really skilled people around me, who help to create a safe environment. We must also just say that some of the players who have come in are really skilled. So it has also fallen naturally.

Was winning the gold medal at the 2019 World Championship on home ground in Herning the starting point to what followed, because finally Denmark became world champions?

Nikolaj Jacobsen: No. Instead, I think it was actually the EHF EURO 2020 that kickstarted the success. After we got knocked out early in Sweden, we had to look inward and see how we did things. The generational shift also began to come. If we had not been knocked out in 2020, it is not certain we would have started the transition at that time. But it gave us the opportunity to try something new. I began to nominate more young players and give them bigger roles.

Is it easy or hard for a coach, when you only have world-class players in your squad?

Nikolaj Jacobsen: I do not think it is harder with the type of players we have. They are good guys with both feet firmly on the ground. It's about creating good group dynamics around things, so each player understands his role. Then I don't think it is difficult.

Even when your team is leading by 10 or more goals, you are still on fire on the bench — is this hunger of the coach also crucial?

Nikolaj Jacobsen: I think it's because of a common goal we have to constantly improve ourselves and never be satisfied. It starts with me as the boss, to lead by example and live by the principle of always striving to perform even better.

37 unbeaten matches including four gold medals at World Championships is a huge record. How is this possible?

Nikolaj Jacobsen: It is possible because we have had a really good team for many years now. You also need a bit of luck to maintain such a streak as we have. But yes, it is quite unreal to have participated in so many World Championship matches without losing.

The only trophy missing for you is gold at the EHF EURO. How sure are you that Denmark can win it on home ground in January 2026?

Nikolaj Jacobsen: I am never sure about anything. You should never be, because the day you are, I don’t think you achieve the things you want to. The approach is therefore always to work concentrated and hard and constantly get better. That hunger and humility must be there. If we have that, there are also good chances to go far in the tournaments. But I never go into a championship with the thought that we will win it. I could never dream of that. I can believe in it, but I never have a mindset that we do.

How are you using the EHF EURO Cup to develop the team?

Nikolaj Jacobsen: I can't use these matches for much because the players are so pressured right now. We have many games and many injuries. We have two light trainings for two games against France, and in May I have to spare the players. So I will not be able to use that gathering for much either.

So unless we arrange the national team weeks differently, it will be difficult to use these in the spring for anything specific in preparing for the upcoming championships. I would prefer to have a national team week in September and one in November instead and just one single gathering in the spring, so the players can focus on the tasks in their clubs at this time of the season.

For me, it does not make sense to have two national team gatherings so soon after the championships considering that this is also the time when the clubs are deciding their tournaments. I believe that if instead you had two weeks with the national team leading up to the championships, you would also see better quality at the championships.

Photos © Kolektiff Images