Kristopans: “We have nothing to lose as no pressure is on us”

Having proceeded from the quarter-finals in an EHF club competition only for the first time does not mean that MT Melsungen have no clue about winning European trophies. In 2019, head coach Roberto Garcia Parrondo, line player Rogerio Moraes, and right back Dainis Kristopans stood on top of the EHF FINAL4 podium with Vardar.

The trio has been reunited since the summer of 2023 — at Melsungen, where Kristopans arrived from Paris Saint-Germain Handball.

“Roberto Garcia Parrondo was obviously one of the most important reasons for me to join Melsungen. I like working with Spanish coaches and their style of play. That is why I tried Germany again,” says Kristopans, adding he “actually didn't want to play in the Bundesliga anymore” after his brief stint at Füchse Berlin in 2020.

“Things weren't going well for me when I was in Berlin. I transferred mid-season, basically jumping on a moving train. It wasn't ideal. But when Roberto approached me, I was convinced,” Kristopans says.

After going all the way from the qualification round  to Maschinensucher EHF Finals on 24/25 May, Melsungen are set to face their Bundesliga opponents and defending EHF European League champions SG Flensburg-Handewitt in the first semi-final.

It will be Melsungen’s second final tournament in a few weeks’ time, after they competed in the domestic cup event where they lost the final to THW Kiel — who are the third team competing at the EHF Finals in Hamburg and meet Montpellier Handball in the other semi-final.

“When I came to Melsungen in the summer of 2023, everything was just coming together here,” says Kristopans, at 2.15 metres the tallest player at the EHF Finals.

“It was a great experience for me. The team kept getting better, we have a great coach, and last season went well. Starting this season, we felt an incredible energy in the team, we realised we had completely different options. Everything went like a clockwork.”

But at the start of 2025, things changed when Melsungen lost some important matches.

“Once everyone around us started talking about titles, things somehow fell apart. Of course, injuries started to happen, but the fact that we were top of the Bundesliga made us start thinking about what could happen,” Kristopans reflects.

“We still have every chance, but we didn't want to put so much pressure on ourselves. We shouldn't anticipate what might happen at the end of the season before every game. We should just think from game to game.”

With this attitude, Melsungen travel to Hamburg – and Kristopans is sure that the underdog role will fit well to his side.

“All four teams have the same chance to win the trophy. Maybe those are the strongest EHF Finals ever, it looks a bit like the Champions League. We are not the favourites, so we have nothing to lose as no pressure is on us.”

For Kristopans, the situation is similar to 2019 when he won the EHF FINAL4 with Vardar.

“We came to Cologne as underdogs. Given the already difficult situation at the club at the time, we simply wanted to enjoy being part of such a tournament, we just wanted to play,” the Latvian back says.

“When I later played in Cologne with PSG, we always felt the pressure to win, which we didn't have at all with Vardar. And suddenly, in the semi-final against Barcelona, we realised something was possible and we swore to ourselves: We want to be their nightmare. And before the final, we said the same thing to ourselves: If we lose, it's no shame, but let's try. And it worked.”

This EHF European League season, Melsungen eliminated Norwegian runners-up Elverum Håndball in the qualification round, then won their group in the group matches and finished second in their main round group. They edged out fellow German side VfL Gummersbach in the play-offs and downed Irudek Bidasoa Irun in the quarter-finals, mainly thanks to a 9:0 run before half-time of the second leg.

“It was a magic night in Irun. We had won the first leg at home by only one goal, and we did not know what to expect at Irun. When our goalkeeper Adam Morawski saved some important shots, life became easier for us. We could go for more risk,” Kristopans looks back on one of MT’s best performances of the season.

Melsungen currently share the lead in the Bundesliga with Füchse, they played the cup final, and they qualified for the EHF Finals.

“To make it to two final tournaments was one of our major season goals, and we accomplished both,” Kristopans says. “We can continue dreaming of our first ever title. It will be really is exciting to play in Hamburg.”

Semi-final opponents Flensburg are the third German team Melsungen will meet this EHF European League season.

“It is difficult to prepare for this: There are no secrets, you cannot surprise a German opponent. And if we face Kiel on Sunday, that would be our sixth match against them this season,” Kristopans says.

Melsungen will arrive in Hamburg without several injured players, most notably goalkeeper Nebojsa Simic, who has been out with a knee injury.

“He played such an outstanding season, he backed us with many saves, he decided so many matches,” Kristopans says.

“But we should not always talk about those players who are injured, but look ahead. Our rotation is smaller, but in terms of goalkeepers, Adam Morawski is doing a really gob job. And in any case, we still have Carsten Lichtlein,” adds Kristopans, referring to the 44-year-old goalkeeper, who has returned on the players list after Simic got injured.

photos © Alibek Käsler | Werbeagentur Käsler GbR