Klujber looks forward to more special memories in Debrecen

The years have flown by quickly. After the fantastic results achieved by the 1999–2000 Hungarian generation, crowned with the junior world title — the country’s first and only in that competition — the players have made their mark in senior competitions. In addition to Gréta Márton, Petra Füzi-Tóvizi, Dorottya Faluvégi, Gréta Kácsor, Csenge Fodor, Noémi Háfra and Noémi Pásztor, Klujber was a key player for the side when they raised the trophy in 2018. 

At that time, Klujber was still playing for Dunaújváros. Since 2019, she has strengthened FTC and secured her place in the senior national team. Klujber is now considered an experienced player, and has been named in two recent All-star Teams — the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the EHF EURO 2022. The EHF EURO 2024 will be her eighth major championship in a row.

“Honestly, I can say that even as a junior world champion player, I have never thought of participating in my eighth major tournament at the age of 25. All I could think was how nice it would be to win medals among the adults. In 2018, the national team head coach — at the time, Kim Rasmussen — invited me to join the roster, and in 2019 I was able to participate in the World Championship in Japan. Time passed very fast, but I can happily say that by the age of 25, I had already represented my country in 75 national team matches and participated in two Olympics," says Klujber.

Hungary will start their EHF EURO 2024 campaign in group A, playing Türkiye, Sweden and North Macedonia. Should they take one of the group’s two main round spots, they will play the next phase in Debrecen as well — the city that has been such a special place in Klujber’s career.

“My teammate from Ferencvaros, Gréta Márton, always shares a nostalgic post on social media about our success in 2018. Our Junior World Championship title is an unforgettable, lifelong experience. When I visit Debrecen with my club, Ferencváros, or the national team, we pass Főnix Hall. It always dawns on me that this was the place where the gold medals were hung around our necks,” says Klujber.

“I also fondly remember the Olympic qualifier when we won against Sweden. We must repeat that smart, purposeful, and clever game we showed in the qualifiers. Hopefully, we can be successful against them at this year's European Championship, too. It would be nice to take revenge for the defeat we suffered during overtime at the Paris Olympics.”

Despite being only 25, Klujber can already boast about several important trophies and individual awards in her career. She has won the Hungarian championship twice, in 2021 and 2024, and the Hungarian Cup in 2022, 2023 and 2024. In 2023, she played the Champions League final against Vipers. Earlier this year, she and Hungary finished sixth at the Olympics, where Klujber was the third top scorer in the competition, with 38 goals in six games. 

Klujber considers herself a collaborator, who always subordinates her individual goals for the team’s interests.

“We will do our best to make it to the top eight at the European Championship, but secretly hope to finish even higher. I usually do not set individual goals for myself before a major competition. For me, the team comes first. If I can help the girls with my defence, then that could be a great achievement. I would do anything that could be helpful for my team. Sometimes a tight defence could be more beneficial than scoring 10 goals and delivering a few assists. I want to help my fellow players. If I might be selected in the All-star Team of the tournament, that would just be the icing on the cake,” says Klujber, summarising her thoughts before the EURO starts at the end of November.

Good form, focused presence, and a certain maturity are essential for victory, as Füzi-Tóvizi mentioned recently. According to the DVSC line player, something has "clicked" for Hungary lately.

“We also experienced at the Olympics that if we fight for each other and subordinate everything to the interests of team, then we can compete with almost any opponent,” says Klujber. “We played a remarkably close, good match against the France team, who were finalists at the Olympics. There was a little more in that match than a narrow defeat. I noticed that now my fellow players are starting to believe increasingly that we have a chance against each opponent.”

In addition to the belief in success and the inherent healthy self-confidence, the support of the audience can mean a lot to the Hungarians. Klujber emphasises the advantage joy gives to the national team, when they hear the cheers of their enthusiastic fans. 

“I am really looking forward to the European Championship. Playing at home is a special feeling. It is always a pleasure to experience the love and support of the audience. They can help us immensely — fans might even push us through at the time of a worse performance. The presence of the fans is a huge force. When we hear them, we become much more motivated. It is almost indescribable in words what kind of atmosphere they can create in the handball hall,” says Klujber.

Hungary cannot complain about the draw for the EURO. While they will meet Olympic and 2023 World Championship semi-finalists Sweden, Türkiye are major tournament debutants and the current North Macedonia line-up have limited experience at big championships. Klujber does not like hasty statements — she expects maximum concentration from her side even against the two less experienced teams in the group.

“Based on betting, Türkiye and North Macedonia represent a weaker playing force than us. But there is no question we must strive for the best performance against them as well. Daily performance matters a lot in this sport. And of course, you also need luck to achieve success. In front of our fans, we cannot help going into battle with the highest possible level of commitment,” says Klujber, before commenting on the match against Sweden, who were responsible for Hungary’s elimination at Paris 2024. The Scandinavians defeated Hungary 36:32 after overtime in the quarter-final stage, with Klujber scoring 11 goals in the match. 

“The match against the Swedes, as I already mentioned, is a fantastic opportunity to get back at them for the defeat in Paris. Maybe if we were a little more experienced in the endgame, in the Olympic quarter-finals, we would have managed to keep our advantage. Given the circumstances, we are playing more maturely now than a few years ago. I can see improvement in the team.”

Klujber does not want to venture further, because she is not one who likes to make predictions. It is impossible to know which teams Hungary might face later in the EURO. The FTC right back wants to achieve her goals step by step. 

“I don't make predictions. It's not my world. I want to win every single match, and then it will be clear on the pitch whether we can achieve our purpose or not. In terms of competition, the European Championship is always more difficult than a World Championship, because the best teams come from Europe. This year's EURO will not be easy either, but we will try to achieve a good result. We finished the last two European Championships in 10th and 11th place. This year we want much more than that, and I believe we can achieve it,” says Klujber.

“I am optimistic and really looking forward to the start. Let’s go!”

Photos: kolektiff images