Flash quotes: EHF FINAL4 Women 2025 semi-finals

BUDAPEST — Comments from Odense Håndbold head coach Ole Gustav Gjekstad (NOR), line player Maren Aardahl (NOR), centre back Helena Elver (DEN); Metz Handball head coach Emmanuel Mayonnade (FRA), centre back Léna Grandveau, left back Tyra Axnér (SWE), and centre back Allison Pineau (FRA) after Odense beat Metz 31:29 after overtime; and from Györi Audi ETO head coach Per Johansson (SWE), line player Kari Brattset dale (NOR), right back Eun Hee Ryu (KOR), and right back Dione Housheer (NED); and Team Esbjerg head coach Tomas Axnér (SWE), left wing Sanna Solberg-Isaksen (NOR), left back Live Deila (NOR) and left back Line Haugsted (DEN) after Györ beat Esbjerg 29:28 in their semi-final at the EHF FINAL4 Women 2025 on Saturday.

 

Metz Handball vs Odense Håndbold 29:31 (16:13, 27:27)

Ole Gustav Gjekstad (NOR) — head coach, Odense Håndbold

On his winning streak in Budapest:

"Let’s hope it continues, but today we were close. We have won against a team that has a fantastic season."

On the winning semi-final against Metz Handball:

"After 45 minutes, we looked like we had no chance. Then suddenly we stepped up and I am really proud of my girls to really believe in it and work all the way in. We are able to win it, it’s fantastic. I think perhaps from the start we were a little taken by the moment and the situations since the first time here. But after a while we really stepped up, so it’s fantastic."

Maren Aardahl (NOR) — line player, Odense Håndbold

On their comeback during the second half:

"Mentally, we are quite exhausted. It isn't easy to take the pressure being seven goals behind. It's not easy to believe that we could come back, but it shows the moral strength of the team. We had Katrine, who was better and better in the second half and during overtime. But it's not just her, it was the whole team. Creating opportunities for each other, having great defence, these were all key factors. When we were down by seven goals, I had a bit of doubt in my mind if we still have a chance, but I didn't lose hope. Taking a time-out was essential, so we agreed to keep pushing and running. Then we created this win step by step. Of course, now it sounds easy, but with us becoming stronger, they made more and more mistakes, and we could score goals from these. "

On the final:

"I expect the crowd to go crazy and cheer for Györ, a lot of Hungarian fans are here. Our fans are also here, it's good to have them on our side. We had some pretty good games against Györ, although it is a totally different situation. I think it will be a tight match, but I hope that we can win it."

Helena Elver (DEN) — centre back, Odense Håndbold

On what their coach said when they were down by 7 goals:

"He actually said that we have to focus on ourselves. I think we didn’t do what we were supposed to do and I think he has a lot of expectations for us as we have for ourselves also, we have to be better. But of course it’s difficult when it’s a good team on the other side. I think the most important thing was that we should believe in ourselves and focus on what we’re good at and then we tried to do that."

 

Emmanuel Mayonnade (FRA) — head coach, Metz Handball

On losing the semi-final for the fourth time in Budapest:

"They were very good, Odense deserved the win. Everything was fine for us during 38 minutes and then everything changed for us. We missed almost everything. We are very sad about my team, my staff and for myself. We really wanted to win the first semi-final of the history of the club. We didn’t do it. Maybe next year."

Léna Grandveau (FRA) — centre back, Metz Handball

On her feelings about the match:

"We have lost the game. In the last five, ten minutes we couldn't play well, our defence wasn't the best we can do. We couldn't score, we lost the ball, one against one wasn't strong. Their goalkeeper could really make a difference, and even though we tried we couldn't find a solution to solve our problem."

On the possible reason of the defeat and their motivation for the bronze medal match:

"We had a solution for every problem during the season that now we couldn't find. Tomorrow we have to find our motivation to win the bronze medal. We have to get over the fact that it is not possible to be the champions anymore, but we can still win a medal."

Tyra Axnér (SWE) — left back, Metz Handball

On losing in the overtime against Odense:

"It's hard to say anything right now. We have to look into the details, but now we're stuck with this feeling of disappointment."

On leading by seven goals during the match:

"We didn't have the feeling that we will win this game for sure. Of course we got a taste of it, that if we continue to have this performance, our dream can really come true. That is the reason why we feel so empty right now."

On the bronze medal match, after playing overtime:

"It will take some time to overcome this game, but I have no doubt that tomorrow we will come back stronger and give everything we have."

Allison Pineau (FRA) — left back, Metz Handball

On losing after overtime:

"It’s gonna be very difficult to collect and to find the power but we have to do it for the fans actually, who came here to Budapest to support us, 700 fans, this is amazing. We are very sad right now. We played an extratime, so we were mentally and physically impacted. But somehow we have to find the strength for tomorrow again."

 

Györi Audi ETO KC vs Team Esbjerg 29:28 (17:15)

Per Johansson (SWE) — head coach, Györi Audi ETO KC

On the semi-final against Esbjerg:

"I have faced Esbjerg many times also with Györ and it was the absolute toughest game I have experienced. I don’t know what was the key. They came very well-prepared and had a good attack in the first half. I think we were better in the second half but I think we gained the rhythm in 7-against-6. I think we did really well there. I think we were lucky for having the lead all the way and they didn’t come back until the end. Also that we could score against their fantastic goalkeepers. In the first half goalkeepers were nowhere good. We had a high effectivity that we haven’t had in the season. In the end we were stressed, losing two attacks was not what we wanted. And again, it was our toughest game."

Kari Brattset Dale (NOR) — line player, Györi Audi ETO KC

On the match with Esbjerg and the expectations about tomorrow:

"It was a tough fight. Esbjerg played really well, and we were struggling in the defence. Tomorrow we have also a tough fight ahead of us. We have no preferences about the opponent, we have to win against the better team of the two tomorrow, and it is only possible if we do our best."

Eun Hee Ryu (KOR) — right back, Györi Audi ETO KC

On the match against Esbjerg:

"It was not easy to win today and handle everything, but we just kept on doing our job and put all our energy out there. We had many good moments and we could fight till the very end.It was stressful in the last few moments, but I kind of enjoyed the tension."

About the other semi-final and their final opponent:

"I don't know who will play against us in the final, but we will give our best no matter what."

Dione Housheer (NED) — right back, Györi Audi ETO KC

On winning the semi-final against Esbjerg:

"It is amazing to play in this arena in front of all our fans. To be in the final is a really unique feeling, especially with this incredible team. Winning today, playing final tomorrow...it couldn't be a better season so far."

On Esbjerg's experiments on comeback:

"I think we were pretty calm about that. We played how we wanted to and we didn't need to have a perfect game to win the match. We put an emphasis on our defense and it paid off. In the end it was better for us not to have pressure on us to score a goal." 

On being the top-scorer of the match:

"This wasn't my best game in general, but we had many penalties and I could manage to deliver the goals needed from these situations. We needed everyone on the team to have the final win. Tomorrow is a new game, everyone should give their best in the final, as well."

On her former club, Odense being the possible opponent in tomorrow's final:

"It would be fun to face them after playing against them in the group, too. They are a good team, but so is Metz, so it would be exciting to play against them, as well. It's going to be a head-to-head game. No matter what the outcome of the other semi-final will be, we have only one job and it is to win the final."

 

Tomas Axnér (SWE) — head coach, Team Esbjerg

On the semi-final:

"It was a great handball game and a good fight. It was so joyful if you are not an Esbjerg fan. I don’t think my players were nervous. I think we had that good feeling that we kept scoring goals. Maybe at some points we were unexperienced. didn’t have the patience in some attacks: going for the fast solutions and letting the ball run. But overall we scored 28 goals in a match that we played against the best defence in the world and I am very proud of that. We had a plan on how to play the game and my players followed that plan knowing we are facing a very good team. But overall there were small margins and we had great chances to equalise the game a couple of minutes before the end to really put pressure on Györ. But we didn’t quite succeed on that. It’s, of course, emptiness mixed with a little bit of pride that we delivered maybe our best game of the season."

On the goalkeepers' performance:

"The first half was not the goalkeepers’ fight but in the second half they both played up. I also think that there were a lot of duels on the field and the players also got a little bit tired and they started doing shots that the goalkeepers could save a bit more."

Sanna Solberg-Isaksen (NOR) — left wing, Team Esbjerg

On the semi-final against Györ:

"We were not tough enough in the defence in the beginning and we gave the goalkeeper some bad opportunities to start. I think we fought, but they are a good team. We were behind two, three goals for a long time during the match. It is hard, you need to fight and play perfect for the whole match because they are a really good team. I think we fought well, but it was not enough at the end of the match."

On the upcoming third-place game:

"I think we are allowed to be sad today, but then we need to rise and we have to fight for the medal tomorrow because a lot of these girls haven’t played these matches and haven’t had this medal."

Live Deila (NOR) — left back, Team Esbjerg

On looking ahead after semi-final loss:

"Losing a game this close is always tough. It will make us fight even harder tomorrow for the bronze medal. We will need an hour or to two to be sad about this game and then regain focus for the bronze medal match."

Line Haugsted (DEN) — left back, Team Esbjerg

On being on the losing side after last year's success:

"It's not a good feeling to lose a game, especially if the two teams are this close to each other. We were head-to-head in the end, but their goalkeeper really made a difference today.  We should have scored more from our chances." 

On the crucial moments of the game:

"Sako's saves were in crucial moments and they gave us a hard time while trying to come back and equalise the score against Győr. It was a close game, small differences. A lot of our more experienced players are out of the team now, so Győr had an advantage on that side, as well. Of course it is no excuse. We played a good game, and we will give our all tomorrow to win the bronze medal."