3/4 placement match: CS Minaur vs Herning-Ikast
Viborg — Sunday 15 May. Quotes from Herning-Ikast Handbold coach Kasper Christensen (DEN) and left wing Emma Cecilie Uhrskov Friis (DEN) and from CS Minaur Baia Mare coach, Raul Fotonea (ROU) and centre back Cristina Laslo (ROU) after Herning-Ikast Handbold won the 3/4 placement match at the Energi Viborg EHF Finals against CS Minaur Baia Mare, 29:28, after a penalty shootout.
Kasper Christensen (DEN) —Herning-Ikast Handbold coach
On their win against Baia Mare:
“I am glad. It was a tough match. We created a lot of chances, but they [his players] had issues in scoring against a great, great goalkeeper in Amra Pandžic. This is why the game was so balanced.”
On their progress from last season:
“We are way better than last year. We see a great future in front of us. We need to take just that extra step to be better, irrespective if we play in this competition or in the Champions League.”
Emma Cecilie Uhrskov Friis (DEN) — Herning-Ikast Handbold right wing
On winning the bronze medal:
“It means a lot for us as a team to win — that we go home with this bronze medal. It is very nice.”
Raul Fotonea (ROU) — CS Minaur Baia Mare coach
On the loss against Herning-Ikast Handbold:
“In moments like this, it is very hard to find your words. Our team played two good teams in the last two days — two Danish teams. Our start was not so good, but we bounced back and proved that we have a good team.”
Cristina Laslo (ROU) — CS Minaur Baia Mare centre back
On the loss against Herning-Ikast Handbold
“We played two games against two Danish teams in two days and I think we did very good. No matter about the results, I am proud about how we fought, what we did on the court and the way we played. This is an amazing group. We gave each other the strength we need and we are truly happy for our last weeks together. We win and lose as a team.”
On the penalty shootout:
“When I found out that the game would be decided on penalties, I felt this morning that this is how the winner is going to be determined. I even told my teammate, Andreea Popa, that this is how everything will unfold. Unfortunately, we lost, but I am very proud of my team.”
Semi-final two: Viborg vs CS Minaur
Viborg — Saturday 14 May. Quotes from Viborg HK coach Jakob Vestergaard (DEN) and line player Camilla Fangel (DEN) and CS Minaur Baia Mare coach Raul Fotonea (ROU) and centre back Cristina Laslo (ROU) after Viborg HK won the semi-final of the Energi Viborg EHF Finals against CS Minaur Baia Mare, 28:24.
Jakob Vestergaard (DEN) — coach Viborg HK
On their win against Baia Mare:
“It was a very tough game. We are truly happy about the win. They gave us a lot of trouble. We had to work a lot.”
On the final against SG BBM Bietigheim:
“They have a very strong team. They play very well. They are a good team that can also feature in the Champions League. As a former German national coach, I know plenty of their players. We have been practising a lot. Hopefully we will do a great match tomorrow.”
Camilla Fangel (DEN) — Viborg HK line player
On the win against Baia Mare:
“It was a great experience. They never gave up. We had to work for this win and it is an amazing feeling to be in the final.”
Raul Fotonea (ROU) — CS Minaur Baia Mare coach
On the loss against Viborg HK:
“We started the game very bad. After 10 to 12 minutes we fixed the issues in the defence and we made the game much harder for them. After the break, the difference between us and Viborg was only one goal, but another series of mistakes cost us. My players did everything to win. They missed a few passes, a few shots, and this cost us the win.”
Cristina Laslo (ROU) — CS Minaur Baia Mare centre back
On the loss against Viborg:
“The game was a lot of fun. We made some mistakes which cost us a lost. Unfortunately, we lost, but we will try to do better in the next match.”
On the next match against Herning-Ikast Handbold:
“We have heard what they said about us — that we did not stand a chance against Viborg. We proved them wrong. We will meet them now, because they failed to qualify for the final. Tough luck. They should be prepared, because we were better than them last year.”
Semi-final one: Herning-Ikast vs Bietigheim
Viborg — Saturday 14 May. Quotes from SG BBM Bietigheim coach Markus Gaugsich (GER) and centre back Inger Smits (NED) and from Herning-Ikast Handbold coach Kasper Christensen (DEN) and line player Vilde Johansen (NOR) after SG BBM Bietigheim beat Herning-Ikast in the semi-final of the Energi Viborg EHF Finals, 34:33.
Markus Gaugisch (GER) — SG BBM Bietigheim coach
On the win against Herning-Ikast Handbold:
“In the end, we had the better finish, just before the final whistle. We prepared fantastic for this game. We knew what we were up against. We defended great for 45 minutes, but they constantly got closer with goals scored by the wings. It was a game on a high level, but I am proud of my team. We worked hard and we are happy to be in the final tomorrow.”
On their 49-game winning streak in all competitions:
“I do not care about the numbers — if we have five wins or 50 wins this season. It is just the end of a fantastic work throughout the year. It is not normal to win 50 games in a row. But when I see the players coming to the training sessions, I know that we are great. They could have some days off, but they prepare very hard every day.”
On the preparations for the semi-final:
“This style from Herning-Ikast, seven-on-six, is not usually seen in women’s handball. I will talk to Filip Jicha, THW Kiel’s coach, who deploys this kind of tactic. Playing against Herning-Ikast is like a game of chess — you always need to anticipate their move.”
Inger Smits (NED) — SG BBM Bietigheim centre back
On their win against Herning-Ikast Handbold:
“I think we played very well for the first 45 minutes and then they came back and did a very good game. It was really a tough game, but we won it because we prepared very well. We need to focus on tomorrow.”
Kasper Christensen (DEN) — Herning-Ikast Handbold coach
On the loss against Bietigheim:
“We played a great match. The girls fought very well. Bietgheim are one of the strongest teams we played this season. Herning-Ikast and Bietigheim are two of the best teams of the competition, that could play even in the Champions League.”
On their feelings after the game:
“It feels pretty bad to lose this game. It was a top, top match between the two sides. We have to digest this loss, unfortunately.”
Vilde Johansen (NOR) — Herning-Ikast Handbold line player
On the loss against Bietigheim:
“I am super disappointed. It is hard to find the words. We showed that we never give up — it showed in the last 15 minutes, even if we were down by seven goals. We had some fantastic fans in the arena and we are sorry that we could not deliver the win.”
