PARIS (Dagbladet): Handball-european CHAMPIONSHIP was a letdown for the Norwegian national team who dreamed about medals before the championship started.
Why was the Norwegian players with mixed feelings after Sweden-the match that secured the 5. space. The team has at times storspilt and won four straight matches – but must, nevertheless, return home with the worst EM-location since the year 2000.
the Coach Thorir Hergeirsson also had to ascertain his weakest EM Uk – and the worst championship since the world cup 2013. It also finished with 5. space.
Hailed for superscoring
He chose, nevertheless, to point out the positive developments of the european CHAMPIONSHIP squad after the debacle in åpningskampen against Germany.
– I’m proud of the fact that the gang can turn the adversity, ” says Thorir Hergeirsson to the Newspaper.
the Norwegian handball has been accustomed to a team fighting for medals. The loss for Germany in åpningskampen 32-33 proved to be crucial. It admits also Hergeirsson.
In the loss to Romania, we were not better … They were better than us in most things, and we had to have a good day to beat them. It is Germany-the battle that cost us semi-final place. We were not clear enough as a team to deal with it. There have been things before the CHAMPIONSHIP that made it difficult for us, ” says the national coach.
– What happened?
the Entrance to the EM was demanding: To find the constellations, rhythm and confidence. We lost three left-handed players. Nora (Dark) at a very early stage. So was Stine Skogrand out (pregnant). She is a very good forsvarspiller and a versatile bakspiller. Then they disappear Amanda Kurtovic out with an injury the week before the CHAMPIONSHIP, says Hergeirsson.
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He adds:
– All layers nd that the three international klassespillere is gone. Any team would be weakened by it. It took time for us to find solutions, rhythm and confidence. It cost us a lot of time, and may have done that we were not clear enough to Germany-the fight, says Hergeirsson.
Now traveling coach home. In the christmas in starting the evaluation of the matches and the EM-bet.
– We shall not excuse anything, but we should look closer at what went wrong. The positive is that some players have stood out. The core of the squad has shown lagmoral and attitudes that are very, very good. And remember: I have been number five before, ” says Hergeirsson with a smile.
He thinks of the world cup 2013. Years after beating Norway back with two consecutive gold in the european CHAMPIONSHIP 2014 and world cup 2015.
Swedish attack on Norway: – Earned that made bust
