Men's EHF EURO 2026 flash quotes: 25 January
HERNING – Comments from players and coaches at media calls in Men's EHF EURO 2026 main round group I.
FRANCE
Guillaume Gille (FRA) – France head coach
On how to remain focused after the victory against Portugal:
“There is a danger that we might fall asleep after winning easily yesterday. We need to stay on our dynamic, to keep our momentum so we avoid the calculations. Of course, our opponent tomorrow saw its dreams of the final weekend vanish, but they still remain dangerous, perhaps even more so. Spain are much younger that before, with new configurations as well. They did not lose by much when they lost, so they are still a dangerous opponent.”
On why Spain are dangerous opponents:
“Their play is really different from the other ones. They are able to change the systems, especially in defence. All the Spanish teams, from the youth national teams to the A one, play the same. They set a lot of traps to their opponents, you always think that you have won but in fact, you have not.
“It’s the same offensively, you always think that you have caught them and they always manage to release the ball. They are an upsetting team to play. Someone is always running, someone is always offering a solution coming out of the blue.”
On how his team adapts to having more defensive possessions to handle:
“If there are more possessions, it also means we score more goals, so it’s never a problem. We are really efficient offensively, and if we score 45 goals, I don’t care if we have to defend more. I think that these transition phases are where we excel. There is always a defender late, or making the change or whatever, and we take advantage of that.
“Putting the pressure this way is also a mental advantage that we are taking. Because if you recover the ball, score a fast break, then 10 seconds later, the offence is back. And we are like, you did not manage to score 10 seconds ago, and now you are back. And if they don’t score again, five or six times in a row, even if we don’t score ourselves, it’s still hard for them, mentally. It’s like putting constant pressure on them.”
Melvyn Richardson (FRA) – right back
On how they celebrated the victory on Saturday:
“We had a nice victory and we ate out all together with the team. It’s good to get out of the tournament, sometimes, even if it’s just for a few hours. We went and ate some burgers next door from the hotel, just to be together and out of the hotel.”
On the importance of the victory against Portugal:
“It definitely was, we wanted to have our fate in our hands. The first step was against Portugal, and we have still two more. We played very well, we performed right from throw-off and that was the best thing that we could do. It’s pretty cool that we are able to knock our opponents right away. It’s easier for us.”
On how France became the most efficient offence of the tournament:
“This is an area of the game that we worked a lot on during the preparation. We worked a lot on how to play fast, how to find solutions before the opponent is able to defend properly. It’s really one of our strengths.
“When we perform defensively, with our qualities, we are able to run and score quickly. Elohim (Prandi) and Dika (Mem) can shoot from 10 metres when they arrive running, our line players can catch bad passes, our wingers are able to score in small angles. All of this combined makes us a really efficient offensive team.”
On whether he likes this way of playing:
“It really suits me, it’s something that I learnt to do in my clubs, especially in Montpellier and Barcelona. We play fast but that’s also what we do best. We have the players to be able to play that way.”
On the game on Monday against Spain:
“Spain will have nothing to lose, but the full focus will be on us. We have to play the same way we did yesterday, we have to be as serious as we were yesterday. Spain have got a really great team, with young players. They can defend differently than the other teams, they also try to steal the ball, maybe less physical but more tactical. We have everything to lose, they will have nothing to lose, so that’s really a dangerous situation. But the warning sign is on now.”
Karl Konan (FRA) – line player
On the victory on Saturday against Portugal:
“We took the corner the right way, we showed our best face after the game against Denmark. I am really proud of what we did, especially since the game was really good. There are always details that we can work on, but we move on, and the context is not really different tomorrow compared to the one before. We still have to win.”
On wanting to progress:
“We have our backs against the wall, we don’t want to depend on the other results. There are so many other teams that are in the same position as us, and also so many surprises. We don’t want to be negatively surprised, and in order to be there, we have to win. As long as we win, we should be out of trouble.”
On the way Spain play:
“They play slowly, more slowly than most of the other teams. There is a lot of induction game, they circulate the ball quite fast. We will have to stop that, but also not to let them set the rhythm of the game.”
On the evolution of handball to a quicker game:
“It comes with the evolution of the sport. I try to serve the team as best as I can, but of course, it can be quite frustrating for a defender. I always try to see the bright side of life, and if we can score so many, it’s also because we are able to recover balls and turn them into fast breaks.
“There are many more defensive sequences, but it does not change much for me. I think it’s a good thing for a bad thing. Yes, we take more goals, we set records every game or almost, but we also score more. The most important thing is that we keep winning.”
On how France implemented the 3-3 defence:
“We changed many systems over the last two years. We moved from the 0-6 defence, we turned into the 1-5 and then the 3-3. It’s important that we have more solutions, especially when we play teams as varied as Denmark and Spain, for example.
“We players pushed for this, especially after the semi-final against Croatia at the last World Championship. Ludovic Fabregas and myself pushed so we could change something. Even if we did not win that game, it was kind of efficient and we decided to keep going with it. It’s good because we can defend against our opponents really far out and we have the qualities to recover balls far away from our goal.”
PORTUGAL
Rui Silva (POR) – centre back
On the mood within the team:
“It’s not the best, of course. Yesterday, the game against France was really tough, we played far from our best handball. We hope tomorrow against Norway will not be the same, we have to be more ready than we were yesterday.”
On the progress Portugal made within the last six years:
“I am one of the players that have been on the team for the longer time, with António Areia, and when I made my first steps in the national team, we would not even qualify for the EURO. And now, we beat Denmark in Denmark and we end up disappointed because we will probably not qualify for the semi-finals. It’s fantastic that we have been able to make so much progress, to change our mindset. The journey has been a crazy one.”
On Portugal’s change of status:
“When we first beat France at the Euro in 2020, it was a massive surprise. Nobody saw it coming, really. And now, we beat Norway, we beat Sweden, Denmark last week, and of course, people take it seriously. We were always aware of our abilities, it’s just the view from the outside that is different now.”
On the last two main round games against Norway and Spain:
“It’s still important for us to deliver two good performances. Of course, we will probably not be able to qualify, but we want to play two better games than we did yesterday against France. The legs are sore, the mind is a little bit hurt after our loss yesterday, but we really have to bounce back now.”
Martim Costa (POR) – left back
On the mood within the team:
“We are disappointed, of course, and it was not easy to get out of bed this morning. But we have to go to work again. Of course, we would like to have some days to recover, but we only have hours. Our game yesterday against France was pretty terrible, to tell the truth. I don’t quite know what happened, but it is what it is. We have to put this game behind us now.”
On believing, six years ago, whether Portugal could be favourites in such a tournament:
“I was dreaming of those moments at that point, in front of my TV. To be able to be among the favourites is a privilege, but I think we were always our own favourite. We always thought that we were good, that we had potential, but then it happened and that’s great. Being here is a dream, to play with my friends and my brother and my family – because I consider these guys to be family – it’s crazy.”
On their main round results:
“Not so long ago, we would have been happy to be among all those crazy teams, some of them the best in the world. But we are not happy at the moment, we are indeed very disappointed because we will not qualify (for the final weekend). I guess it’s about always looking forward, not being happy with what you’ve got and always wanting more.”
On the importance of coach Paulo Pereira:
“Paulo has always said that no-one will give anything to us, that we have to go and get it. And he made us work, and it’s not always been fun, but I think that the people look at us a different way. Now it is about making the next step. We made it last year, at the World Championship, but it’s about being more constant at that level now.”
On the game against Norway on Monday:
“They are a very tough team that play high-speed handball and they can put us in trouble. It’s hard to bounce back after the game we had yesterday against France. We will have to be more precise in everything we do, be better in defence, because we won’t be able to have another performance as the one we had yesterday in the first half.”
GERMANY
Alfred Gislason (ISL) – Germany head coach
On the week after the defeat against Serbia:
“This week has gone very well. Even though we didn’t march through in outstanding fashion, it was a good week. The team have presented themselves superbly since the match against Serbia. We now have a lot of games in our legs, so it’s important that good players come off the bench and that our goalkeepers perform quite solidly.”
On their tactics against Denmark:
“As far as preparation is concerned, we approach the game like any other. We have to bring our strengths – defence and goalkeeping – into play and apply a lot of pressure going forward if we want to have even the slightest chance. In attack, we mustn’t put ourselves under too much pressure or start timidly; instead, we have to enjoy the game.
“We will definitely enjoy being booed. Last year, at the World Championship in Herning, we kept up very well for 50 minutes before, and my hope is that we can keep the match tight for a long time.”
On the lack of flow in attack:
“If we knew why it always takes so long for us to find that flow, it would only have happened once. It has to do with different combinations in the starting line-up, and against Norway I noticed a certain level of fatigue – some players were lacking freshness. But if we always play a good second half, that is also a strength of the team and shows the depth of the squad.”
Andreas Wolff (GER) – goalkeeper
On his match preparation:
“I work intensively with our goalkeeping coach Mattias Andersson, using video analysis and long meetings, and then in the morning I have to do a lot of bench press in the gym. Preparation is important, but in the game you need feeling and intuition. You have to get a feeling for the individual shooters, and that only works if you don’t overthink things.
“In general, though, our coaching staff with Mattias and our athletic coach Simon Overkamp is excellently set up. Simon puts my training plans together, and that’s where my physical presence on the court comes from.”
On the duel with Emil Nielsen:
“His style of play is outstanding. For me, he is the best goalkeeper in the world, with incredible consistency, a calm and composed goalkeeping style, and an unbelievable sense of where the ball is going. Emil is explosive, really fast, and has excellent positioning.”
On the match against Denmark:
“This is one of the best teams in the history of handball. To beat them, a lot of things have to come together. The potential is there, but we have to perform differently than in the last two encounters. We’ll see whether the atmosphere in the arena is an advantage or a disadvantage for the Danes.”
Juri Knorr (GER) – centre back
On the fact that he plays for the Danish club Aalborg:
“For me and for all of us, this is a special match. Everyone knows everyone, and we’re facing the best team of the world, perhaps one of the best teams of all time. It will be enormously difficult, but we want to take our chance.”
On Germany’s deep squad:
“The depth of the squad shows in every match. There’s always someone who steps up and pulls us out of trouble. Against Norway, that was Franz Semper, Nils Lichtlein and Marko Grgić. We can spread the load, we need every player, and we can rely on everyone because we have that quality.”
On the lack of consistency in Germany’s attack:
“It really annoys me. I’m not satisfied and I don’t have an explanation for it. But that’s sport. We think about what we can do; sometimes it’s easier, sometimes it’s harder. I hope we manage that better – that I manage it better.”
DENMARK
Mathias Gidsel (DEN) – right back
On the duel with Andreas Wolff:
“We always have the greatest respect for Andreas Wolff, especially for what he has delivered here at this tournament. Against Norway he played a perfect game, but we also have a superb goalkeeper. The goalkeeping duel between Emil (Nielsen) and Andi will definitely be one of the decisive factors in our match. These are the two best goalkeepers in the world.”
On the differences between Emil Nielsen and Andreas Wolff:
“The differences are not big – they are both the best goalkeepers in the world. Against Andi Wolff, we have to create chances of such high quality that his save percentage stays low. Andi doesn’t have many weaknesses; you need to create 100 per cent chances. Even so, Emil Nielsen is the better one.”
On the anticipation ahead of the do-or-die match:
“The excitement on our side is huge; everyone is looking forward to this game. All the players know each other very well from the Bundesliga. Everyone is ready for this little final – players, coaches, journalists and fans alike. Everyone is excited about it.”
On the pressure on Denmark:
“There is enormous pressure on our shoulders. We are playing at home in front of our fans. After the defeat against Portugal, we were under extreme pressure and we still are. We have to win the last two main round matches, but we all play for top clubs. We know what pressure is, and we are never allowed to lose. That is our everyday reality.”
On the tactics against Germany:
“The tournament has gone differently compared to last year, but it is also a European championship and not a world championship. At this stage, there are no weak opponents anymore. Against France, our defence was very strong; against Spain, our attack was good.
“Now I hope we can combine that against Germany. We know it always becomes extremely physical against Germany – with (Johannes) Golla and (Tom) Kiesler they have an incredibly strong defence. We have to try to make the game extremely fast.”
On the fact that Denmark have won all matches against Germany over the past 10 years:
“We had a lot of problems with Germany in the EURO 2024 semi-final in Cologne. Recently, the results have been clearer than the actual course of the games. We have great respect for Germany because they know exactly what Simon Pytlick and I – and all the others as well – are doing.”
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