HERNING, denmark (Ekstra Bladet): Kim Ekdahl du Rietz is a chapter entirely to themselves. The 29-year-old swede said five years ago farewell to the Swedish national team after the european championships in Denmark, and in 2017 he went on pension at the age of 27.

the Game hung him far out of the neck, and he put the size 51 of the shelf.

He traveled around the world in nine months. Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the UNITED states and lived in its allotment of Lund, since the Rhein-Neckar Löwen called and asked if he could be persuaded to a temporary position. Gedeon Guardiola was broken.

the Candidate in psychology, said yes on the condition that he would play for free. He would donate three monthly earnings for charitable purposes.

It was he then allowed to of a club where the coach has a very special place in Kim Ekdahl du Rietz’s heart.

– Niko is the for me the world’s best trainer, and I miss him very often – both as a person and as a coach.

Photo: Jens Dresling

What is it you miss so dramatically?

He spread incredible joy, and for me as a handball player it is very important to have a trainer who makes you feel comfortable.

But even Nikolaj Jacobsen could not get the swede to find the spark.

I was just forced to do something else. I was so tired of handball, that there was no other way. I was only 27, but there is no pattern or an age on it.

Got you cleaned the head?

– I don’t know, but, above all, learned jrg very much about myself. It was the first time I was out in the world on its own without the handball – without all. I visited a lot of people that I know, couchsurfede and lived at the hostels, but raised the most for myself. You will be left behind in the company of his own head, and sometimes it is funny – other times not so good, he says.

Why turned you back?

I realized at the time, I have not played that sport for me is very much about community and about sharing. The sport is a gathering place for many different people, and for me Löwen as to be flat, so I had like helped free. It was an opportunity to help my old friends. I missed not handball – but håndboldfamilien.

today, Kim Ekdahl on a two year contract in Paris.

Above all, I realized that I’m much more ambitious than I thought. Not just with a handball but with everything in life. I found out, I would give handball a chance to.

– Before I joined, I knew that if I was going to get the chance to play in Paris or Barcelona, then I would do it: Go from being a handball pensioner to be a part of the world’s most ambitious club.

——— SPLIT ELEMENT ———

Before the big bang: – most people think well, Denmark has won in advance

The Swedish star Kim Andersson is expecting a close battle between Denmark and Sweden in the crammed Box. He sees Denmark as the favourite to win the match

HERNING, denmark (Ekstra Bladet): the 36-year-old Kim Andersson have great respect for Denmark prior to the dramatic showdown in the Box in the evening.

It will also be a hard reckoning for Sweden, assessing Kim Andersson, but he thinks of course on the Swedish team’s options in the fight.

– Who is the favorite? Denmark or Sweden?

– in Denmark, of course.

– because of the home in the Box?

– after all, They have not lost a match yet in this tournament. They play in front of 15,000 spectators in the Box. 95% of the red shirts on, so it is an advantage for Denmark. We should just try to enjoy it, and so it should be a fun match.

– Will it affect you, that many come to cheer on Denmark?

– When you are the underdog, you don’t have so much to lose. Most people think well that Denmark has already won in advance. We just need to go in and play fight, and then we’ll see how it looks, says Kim Andersson to Ekstra Bladet.

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It didn’t look good against Norway for the swedes on Monday. For many boldtab, and so were the swedes behind with seven goals.

We were a bit naive in the attack. We came to chances, when we came to speed and played wide, but we played too much across the center, said Andersson after the match to Extra Magazine.

Sweden lost 30-27 to Norway, and the match against Denmark will be even harder. The game across the middle and a slow return flow has created the swedes headache, and it must not happen against Denmark.

– We just need to not be afraid to run. It is enough that we have had the most problems with in the tournament so far. It to run on and get the easy targets. We work reasonably hard for our goal in this tournament, Andersson says.

– it Becomes a harder task for you to Denmark than to Norway?

– Yes, it I think. If we look at the skills, as Denmark has, then it becomes very difficult.

– It used to be very close matches between Sweden and Denmark, so we hope that we can deliver a good match.

– What is Denmark’s biggest strengths?

– They have all the superstars. Everything from the goalkeepers, fløjspillere to Mikkel Hansen and the rest of the bagspillerne. It is the comprehensiveness that has made, that they have got the tournament, as they have had until now.

– If it was difficult against Norway for us, so it’s going to be even harder against Denmark, says Andersson.

At the last WORLD cup, Sweden drew the evil against Denmark, when the swedes won with 27-25 in Albertville in 2017 and sent to Denmark, home.

That kept Kim Andersson break from the national team, and is happy to be back.

– I’m on my fourth season in the Swedish league (playing for Ystad IF), red.), and the last year and a half I have played very good handball, and the body has been fine and I have not had damage.

When I got the question from the national coach, I will be with, should I not consider it many hours before I said yes. I am very glad that I took the right decision and came back, says Andersson.

Denmark and Sweden starts 20.30 in Boxen, Herning. You can follow the match via liveopdateringer at dawn.dk.