Boldsen out for the rest of the season

It happened after only 46 seconds. When scoring the first goal for AG Kobenhavn against FC Barcelona Intersport in the first leg of the VELUX EHF Champions League AG Kobenhavn (final result 29:23), line player and defensive specialist Joachim Boldsen got injured and sat out the rest of the clash.

The former Danish international and former FC Barcelona player is out for the rest of the season, after it was confirmed by his club that he needs surgery after tearing a tendon and he will be on crutches for a minimum of six weeks. After goalkeeper Steinar Ege (rupture of the achilles) Boldsen is the second AGK key player to miss the crucial part of the season.

"I am very sorry to miss the upcoming matches," he said. "Those matches are the icing of the cake that we have struggled for through the whole season – and now I have to watch them from the stands. I am really sad, but such is life and the season is over for me – and now I have to support my team in a different way."

AGK Head Coach Magnus Andersson added: "It is a shame for Joachim. He is one of the key reasons why we have come so far, a valuable piece of our squad and I know how much he wanted to play those upcoming games."

But Andersson was quick to play down the impact of the latest injury on his team's chances in the second VELUX EHF Champions League quarter-final on Saturday (28 April) at 20:00 hrs (local time) in Barcelona: "We have other cards to play, we have to change our defensive tactics now, but our squad is large enough and we other high quality options, even if one of the world’s best defence players is out."