Gossé dreams of first Champions League adventure

Norwegian international Linn Gossé has never played in the Champions League before. The Tertnes Bergen winger has a great opportunity to change that in qualification this weekend (7-8 September). ehfCL.com spoke to Gossé ahead of the crucial matches.

Linn Gossé has experienced a lot with the Norwegian national team. She was part of the team who took the silver medal at the EHF EURO 2012 in Serbia. When it comes to club handball, however, the left winger has never appeared on the finest stage of women´s club handball.

“Actually, I have never played in the Champions League before, so it would really mean a lot to me to reach the group matches.

“That would give me the chance to measure myself with some of the best players in the world and to try myself out in the toughest possible competition,” Gossé told ehfCL.com.

This weekend, she and her team-mates from Tertnes will be trying to take the big step into the competition proper, as they go to Trondheim to play in Qualification Group 1.

Their first opponent will be Norwegian league rivals Byasen Trondheim. If Tertnes manage to conquer the hosts, either Leipzig or Minsk will be waiting in the deciding match.

“We have relatively few players in our squad, but still I think our chances are good. Our first match against Byasen will be interesting, as we are used to having some tight battles with them. I do think we have a chance to beat them, and if we do, we will meet either Leipzig or Minsk.

“They are both good teams, but I expect Leipzig to win that duel. I know they have got a couple of new players, so I am not quite sure about their strength, but under all circumstances I think we will have a chance there too,” said the 27-year-old.

No extra pressure

Considering the facts that the Tertnes squad is rather small and that Gossé, being an international player, is key to the team, there is the assumption that she feels some extra pressure ahead of the weekend.

“Of course I feel the pressure, but I think we all do. The fact that we are so few means that we all depend a lot on each other.

“I do not feel that there any extra pressure on me, but there is a pressure on all of us, as we will all have to be at our best in order to get through,” said Gossé.

The winner of the qualification group in Trondheim will proceed to Group C, where RK Krim Mercator, Metz Handball and IK Sävehof will be waiting.

The group in Norway is the only group to be carried out this weekend. The three remaining qualification groups will be played next weekend.