Men's EHF EURO 2026 flash quotes: 27 January
HERNING – Comments from players and coaches at media calls in Men's EHF EURO 2026 main round group I on Tuesday.
NORWAY
Jonas Wille (NOR) – Norway head coach
On the draw against Portugal:
“We lost a point and we won a point. We had momentum for 40 minutes, then we missed some clear chances, received some two-minutes suspensions, then Portugal got three goals ahead, we fight back. At that moment I would say we won a point, but then we have the match ball, missed and gave a victory from our hands.”
On having the last match on Wednesday and know the other results:
“If we get the opportunity to get a straight ticket to the World Championship if we beat Denmark, this would be a huge success for us. This would be the optimum and maybe even more than we expected before the championship.”
On the defence plan against Denmark:
“We could focus on everything at Danish attack, but therefore it is more important to focus on our own match. Our only chance is to be good enough in one-against-one situations. We had one got half against them in preparation with a strong defence and great goalkeepers. So we are really depending on that. We struggled with their defence, but here at the tournament we have the right flow with the ball. This is our concept.”
On the speed and goals expected:
“I am sure there will be a high tempo. You never know how the goalkeepers on both ends will perform. We have to keep on playing our tempo, but Denmark is the best tempo team in the world. We must avoid their easy goals.”
On the atmosphere with 15,000 Danish fans:
“Many players in our team have the experience with atmosphere like this. My players will enjoy it. Against Portugal, there were not many spectators, so now we are just looking forward to this atmosphere.”
Thomas Solstad (NOR) – line player
On the draw against Portugal:
“It was a game we could have won. We were ahead by two goals, then they had the advantage, then we had the match ball. It feels like a loss for us.”
On playing against Denmark in Herning;
“It is cool to play against Denmark in their home arena, they have cool fans and there will be a great atmosphere. But we focus on our task and want to continue our way we played. We could have been higher in our group, but we should not think about it. It is just Denmark now.”
On a potential direct spot at the 2027 World Championship:
“We will fight for this spot, to qualify directly would mean a lot for us. I have not calculated all options that we need, but we will fight for the win and see what is possible then.”
On stopping the Danish attack:
“If you stop (Mathias) Gidsel and (Simon) Pytlick, they have many other superstars you need to stop. We have to prepare for the whole Danish team and take our chances.”
On the duel with Emil Nielsen:
“Emil is good, but our goalkeepers Torbjørn (Bergerud) and Robin (Haug) play a really good tournament. We had a lot of saves in this championship. We just have to help them with our defence.”
DENMARK
Simon Hald (DEN) – line player
On the week between the defeat against Portugal and qualifying for the semi-finals:
“This was definitely no normal week, this was a kind of rollercoaster where you have a lot of pressure. The results were good for us, ours and from the other matches, and now we secured a semi-final spot. That’s a little bit unreal, as we were depending on so many other matches. But all ran well for us.
“In this tournament, no team is unbeaten anymore, there are so many good teams. For fans, it is so exciting to watch this tournament with so many good teams and so many surprising results. It is amazing for our sport that all teams can beat each other, nothing is secured and no teams is a big favourite to go undefeated and without troubles through this tournament.”
On having the semi-final already in their heads when playing Norway:
“Of course, we have the semi-final a little bit in our head, but we want to play a good match against Norway and aim to win. A strong last main round match is the best possible preparation for a semi-final. We play as good as we can, but maybe some players, who played a lot, get a little bit more time on the bench.”
On the ‘game-changer’ of the main round:
“Definitely, the win against France. We were down by two goals with 10 minutes left. If we would have lost that much, it would really be difficult. But we managed to pull through and secured our opportunity to hope for the semi-final. We could not ask for then being in the semi already with one match to go.”
Lasse Møller (DEN) – left back
On what changed after the defeat against Portugal:
“We fought with mental things in a tournament like this, every day there is something new, you have to find the right solutions. Yesterday, it changed a bit for us as France lost to Spain. We did not expect this and it was a gift that we could qualify for the semi. We took this gift.
“There were so many crazy things: Portugal beat us and then went down, Spain beat France. Every day there were surprises. The most important thing for us is to stay in our rhythm. We have experience and we are very good in adjusting our momentum, the small things that are decisive.
On putting the defence in the focus and not only the attack:
“Against Germany, we had some long stretches without goals, when our defence really showed that we have the base. Also, it is good to know to have Emil Nielsen in the goal in days like this. Even on his bad days, he has a lot of saves. We worked hard on defence and put the focus. We know that only with this defence we can start our counter-attacks.”
On the match against Norway:
“We want to make our fans happy with a win. If we slack too much now, it is bad for the semi. We have to stay in it and play good handball. We want to win and play with 100 per cent, we need a good feeling for the semi-finals.”
On the main round in Herning:
“It is an insane group. We know this from European championships. Every game is almost a final, from the start to the real final. Every team can beat other, every team plays on such a high level. You cannot relax in any match. This is very exciting for the fans in the arena and watching it from home. You cannot predict any game, everything changes from what you expected.”
FRANCE
Guillaume Gille (FRA) – France head coach
On the media attention around the game between France and Germany:
“It’s like a media carnival at the moment. It’s classic stuff, handball is very much followed by media. I spoke to the German media about the aftermath of the 2024 Olympics, our game yesterday, Dika moving to Germany.”
On the Paris 2024 Olympic Games quarter-final against Germany:
“It’s not a positive energy to think about revenge. Sometimes, players us that but this is now what we talk about. We have been through so many things since this game, they have been through so much as well, that I don’t think about it as revenge.
“We are playing a quarter-final against a great team, which proved its worth again yesterday against Denmark. Since the beginning of the main round, Germany has been increasing its level. Now, we are both in the same spot, on the same starting line, and only one team will qualify for the semi-finals.”
On Dika Mem’s evolution since the Olympics:
“Dika is the symbol of this Olympic adventure and I find it crazy. I have so much more to tell about these Olympics than just his missed pass. We all make mistakes, but this thing sticks to him like glue, and everyone forgets how incredible he was that day. He scored 10, in an Olympic quarter-final. When you think about it, it’s crazy.
“The treatment he received is unfair, if you ask me. He has never let the national team down, he rushed to come back last winter, after his shoulder surgery, to help us at the World Championship.”
On German goalkeeper Andreas Wolff:
“It seems like the jersey with the eagle suits him quite well. He has been getting better and better since the start of the season. Against Norway, he was incredible, he had a huge impact on his opponents. Like, his opponents seemed to fear him and missed the goal just because he was there. He will be a huge danger for us.”
Ludovic Fabregas (FRA) – line player
On the team’s mindset after their loss to Spain:
“We were disappointed by what we produced on the court and, of course, by the result. We now have a lot of determination, we are focus on the game tomorrow against Germany, which will be a real quarter-final. We have a lot of motivation, we will have to play much better if we want to qualify.
“Yesterday, we were given a warning, we did not play enough to win anyway. On the other hand, we have to know that we have been playing really good since the beginning of the competition. But yesterday shows us that when we are not playing 200 per cent, we pay for it in cash. Yesterday, we were minus 7 at the 40th minute, that says it all.”
On the last game France played against Germany at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games:
“I just want the outcome to be different and for us to win against Germany. Some still have the scars from this game. It’s surprising, in a way, to play against them now, in a do-or-die game. It’s not really a quarter-final, but for us, it is one.
“We have a lot of quality within the team, but we have to show them, all at the same time. We must have the good intentions, we must have a crazy energy. Just like we did at the Olympics, except the result was not there.”
On Germany:
“They are a very solid team, with very good goalkeepers and a tough defence. I feel like they made some small changes to be even more solid defensively. On the offensive side of things, they have a lot of shooters, they play really fast, with a lot of players changing positions. They seem to be a dominant team in the way they handle the ball.
“Against Denmark yesterday, they played 40 minutes on a very high level, and then Emil Nielsen decided the game. On thing is for sure, tomorrow is not going to be fun.”
Aymeric Minne (FRA) – centre back
On the French mindset on Tuesday:
“We were excited after the Denmark victory, we found our energy and our happiness again. We had made the calculations already, we knew that if we lost, we would be this quarter-finals against Germany. It put our feet back on the ground again after the great performance against Portugal.
“We fell with both hands and the head in the Spanish trap. The gap on the scoreboard made us panic, we took some shots too quickly. When we were minus 3 after 15 minutes, we kind of fell to pieces. We have to show more consistency in this kind of situations. Me, as a centre-back, I have to be more in control. But obviously, we lacked that yesterday.”
On the Olympics quarter-finals from 2024 against Germany:
“Of course this will be an extra motivation. The Olympics scar is still open for the ones who played this game, I really did not enjoy that moment. Of course, we will think about it before the game.
“But, in the meantime, the two teams are quite different on both sides, we have a younger team, some important players retired. I heard a lot that we have a lot of room for improvement and I agree with that. I am sure that the game tomorrow will be another occasion to go higher.”
On playing against Germany, as he will play in the Bundesliga next season:
“The German journalists have asked me the question already, but I am not there yet. I don’t know the players yet, except for a follow on Instagram with the Flensburg guys, but otherwise I don’t know them. I am really focused on our competition and I will think about Germany next summer.”
Dika Mem (FRA) – right back
On the French mindset on Tuesday morning:
“We are alive, we are not out yet, so I guess we are happy. The gods of sport gave us another chance, we still have our fate in our hands. Tomorrow is a quarter-final for us, we win, we are in the final weekend. This is the kind of game that we love, there is pressure but it’s going to be fun. I am looking forward to it.”
On playing against Germany again after the lost quarter-final of the Olympics:
“It’s going to be a special game for me, but also for everyone in the team. It did not change much for me. It was tough for me after the Olympics. I managed to switch to something else, either with my club or with the national team. I had a good competition at the 2025 World Championship after coming back from my shoulder surgery.
“Mentally, I took some time to recover. I speak about it when the journalists want to talk about it, but it’s behind me now. If I have to take the shots in the last minutes, when the ball gets hot, I will. You can count on me.”
On taking his responsibilities tomorrow:
“If I can score the winning goal to close the book, I will. It would be nice, but it won’t help us win the Olympics. That was our dream but it’s over now, now is another competition, another context. I want to take my revenge, I want to beat Germany tomorrow.
“What the fans and the journalists said after the Olympics, I did not pay attention to. But what hurt me was what some former players said. Some of them played these games and that’s fine. Some of them talked about what I did, but never played this kind of games. Maybe because they were not good enough to do it. And hearing these people talking, that’s what hurt me the most.”
GERMANY
Alfred Gislason (ISL) – head coach:
On the match against France:
“The game against France will be a 50:50 contest, a real final for a place in the semi-finals. It’s a match we’ve been wanting for months. We knew that we would have to beat some very good teams to get into this position, and we knew that we would have to beat either Denmark or France to reach the semi-finals.
“Now we’ve lost to Denmark, but we’re still optimistic. We played well, but Denmark had the better shooting efficiency. Now we have a second chance against France, and the French are not far off the quality of the Danes. So we have to build on what we did well against Denmark: defence, goalkeeping and our retreat defence. Tomorrow, however, we must place our shots better.”
On the victorious Olympic quarter-final in Lille as a reference point:
“That win was very special and helped this team move forward, but it doesn’t count anymore today. The players know they can beat France, but we are a different team compared to August 2024 – we’ve developed further. France are also a slightly different team now, so for me that quarter-final doesn’t really matter anymore, even though it was a fantastic match.”
On the substitutions against Denmark:
“Andi Wolff had played a lot beforehand, and David Späth is a top-class goalkeeper, so it wasn’t a problem – they complemented each other perfectly. It was similar with the two wings: Lukas Mertens and Lukas Zerbe had played a lot, around 80 per cent of the minutes over seven games. Both came out of the match against Norway with minor injuries and some issues. So we didn’t want to put all our eggs in one basket – now both of them are a bit fresher for tomorrow.”
On stopping France’s fast-paced handball:
“We need a stable defence and strong goalkeepers. Against France recently, we also ran some good fast breaks of our own. We have to stop France’s quick throw-off and their second wave. We managed that for one half against Denmark. But we cannot afford 23 missed shots like we had against Denmark.”
On France’s stars:
“The French are very strong in depth and very experienced. People always mention Dika Mem and Ludovic Fabregas first – they represent absolute world class – but behind them, in their positions, there are also world-class players like Melvyn Richardson and Nicolas Tournat. At this EURO, Aymeric Minne and Thiebaut Briet are playing extremely well, and France have outstanding wingers.”
Nils Lichtlein (GER) – centre back
On his flexible roles in the team:
“I see myself more in the back court – right or centre, it doesn’t really matter. Suddenly I became an option for right wing, so you practise a few shots beforehand. And now I’m also responsible for the seven-metre throws. This flexibility is an advantage for me.”
On France:
“They are a physically strong team in defence and attack. In the end, their defeat against Spain isn’t decisive. Their fate would have been decided against us anyway. It’s ‘do or die’ for both teams – everything is at stake for both.”
On the eight million TV viewers in Germany for the match against Denmark:
“We don’t really notice that here. But those numbers are the reason why we became professional handball players. It’s amazing when a whole nation is behind you. And it’s great that we can be an inspiration for many young handball players.”
Matthis Häseler (GER) – right wing
On the match against Denmark:
“The atmosphere really pushed me, I was really up for the game. Of course we would have liked to win, but now our full focus is on France. Maybe there’ll be a few neutral fans in the arena supporting us.”
On his role against Denmark:
“I was pleased to play 60 minutes. I was able to help the team quite well, and that made me very happy.”
On watching the Olympic quarter-final against France:
“Funnily enough, I watched the match in the dressing room with my French teammate Kentin Mahé. It was an incredible game – hopefully tomorrow’s match will have the same ending.”
On stopping France’s high-scoring attack:
“We need to get into our fast game, help the goalkeeper with an aggressive and compact defence, and then push forward at pace.”
On a draw being enough for the semi-finals:
“In handball, you can’t play for a draw, so we want to win the game. France are a world-class team, but we can go into the match with confidence because we know we can beat them. We know our strengths, and we have to bring them onto the court.”
PORTUGAL
Paulo Pereira (POR) – Portugal head coach
On Portugal’s mindset:
“The game yesterday, we could have lost it, we could have won it. But I want to keep that we fought all the time, even though we were not in the best physical form, even though it was a tough game. The mentality that we displayed was very good. Of course, this is not the result that we would have wanted, but I really want to think of the positive.”
On still having something to play for in the EHF EURO:
“Of course we are disappointed because we can not go through to the semi-finals, but we really want to make something out of the game we have left. We want to play it as seriously as possible, with as much determination as possible, in order to have the best chances to play the 5/6 place game. It is not entirely in our hands, but we want to have no regrets at the end of the game.”
On the importance of the 5/6 placement match:
“On many regards it is important for us. We can have the best result ever at the EURO, and after a fourth place at the World Championship last year, this would be a satisfaction. We might play against some other great team like Croatia or Iceland, and it would show that Portugal are really among the teams that count in handball right now. Also, if we can qualify for the World Championship directly and not go through some qualifications, it would also be better for us.”
On the tactical options Spain could display against Portugal:
“They have a lot of them, and it’s hard to work on all of them just in one day. As a coach, it’s exciting, because it brings something new. But it is hard, because I think that they do everything really well, especially defensively.
“They have so many options, they have so many ways to trick their opponents that you have to adapt constantly. They change their system a lot, even in the middle of the same game, which is what makes them so strong.”
Salvador Salvador (POR) – left back
On Portugal still having something to play for ahead of the last main round game:
“It’s the ultimate proof that this main round has just been crazy. It has been a rollercoaster of emotions for us. One day, you are out, the next day, you can still play for something, the next day you are out, and then you end up, before the last game, telling yourself that you can still make it the 5/6 game. Every team has been like that, I think, like France and Norway as well. It’s really important for us that we finish well.”
On the motivation for Portugal to win the game against Spain:
“Portugal’s best result at the EURO was sixth, and we said at the start of the preparation that we wanted to do better. So our smallest objective was to qualify for the game for the fifth and sixth place. Here we are, and we can play to finish fifth and for our best result at the EURO. Not only is it important to qualify for the World Championship, but it’s also important for us that we have the best result possible.”
On Spain, their forthcoming opponent:
“They showed against France how much quality they have. They have a lot of tactical options, they can play so many defences and they can really trick their opponents. I think that Abel Serdio is the best line player of the tournament, they have many options on the back court as well, they can play with big players, smaller ones. They will be really dangerous opponents.”
On how to motivate for the next game after playing handball for the past three weeks:
“It’s hard and easy at the same time. We all want to escape from the tournament, have a rest day, as we have been playing every two days for almost a month now.
“But in the meantime, we are still playing handball in front of sold out arenas, we play against the best teams in the world. We are representing our countries, so we have to fight for that. It’s not easy every morning, but we have still something to play for, it’s a good motivation to wake up in the morning.”
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