Defining an entire season in 24 hours

The Danish national team is famous for its powerful and strong line players. FC Barcelona’s Jesper Noddesbo is one of them, Kiel count on Rene Toft Hansen, while Flensburg have Michael Knudsen in their VELUX EHF FINAL4 squad. 33-year-old Noddesbo has won the VELUX EHF FINAL4 already in 2011, but also lost two finals against Kiel (2010) and Hamburg (2013) in Cologne.

Noddesbo, EHF EURO champion and twice silver medallist at the 2013 World Championship and the 2014 EHF EURO, started his professional career at Danish side Holstebro, then transferred to Kolding, before he signed for FC Barcelona in 2007, where he became Spanish champion for the fourth time this season.

In this interview Noddesbo talks about facing five Danes in the semi-final against Flensburg, his divided memories on Cologne and the favourite role of his team.

Is it something special for you as a Dane to face five Danish players in the semi-final?

Jesper Noddesbo: It is always a special feeling to compete with friends, so it is special to face five colleagues from the national team in the semi-final against Flensburg. But when the game starts, friendship ends for 60 minutes and they are just opponents in a semi-final. But thanks to this constellation at least one Danish player will make it to the final.

In the quarter-final another Danish player nearly stopped FC Barcelona on the way to Cologne: Niklas Landin and Rhein Neckar Löwen. Did you expect a thriller like this?

Jesper Noddesbo: When I saw the draw I was a little bit sad and impressed, as I knew that we can expect really tough fights with Rhein Neckar Löwen. They played a brilliant season and I was sure that it would be really difficult to make it to Cologne. We especially knew that if Landin has a day like he had in the first leg, it would be nearly impossible to beat Löwen.

You closed a seven-goal deficit from the first leg in a tense match. When were you sure that Barcelona had made it to the VELUX EHF FINAL4?

Jesper Noddesbo: No earlier than when the final whistle was blown. Löwen had the ball three seconds before the end, and everybody knows what can happen in handball in three seconds. It was one of the most exciting matches I ever played in one of the best atmospheres I’ve recognised. It was a real thriller and in the end we were really lucky to be in Cologne again.

You will be part of the VELUX EHF FINAL4 for the fourth time. What are your main memories when you think about Cologne?

Jesper Noddesbo: Those memories are really mixed and divided. Of course we won the trophy once, but I also remember the first FINAL4 in Cologne, when we were ahead of THW Kiel by six goals in the final and later-on lost, or last year when we were beaten by HSV Hamburg in extra-time. But in general I really have huge expectations for this weekend in Cologne. I will really appreciate the great atmosphere and the absolute professional organisation of this event. And this year we are trying to win again.

The only trophy you grabbed was in 2011, when you faced a German team in the semi-final, not in the final. With this in mind, is it a good omen to face Flensburg first up?

Jesper Noddesbo: I don’t know if this fact has any importance. Flensburg have a well-rehearsed and well-balanced team, but hopefully we can manage to beat them.

The special significance of the FINAL4 is that you can lose a whole season within only 24 hours, or you can crown a season within 24 hours with the most important trophy. So this is a very special weekend with a lot of pressure on all players.

How important is having enough confidence to win this trophy?

Jesper Noddesbo: We are full of confidence regarding our team and our strengths. But I do not think that any team will arrive in Cologne without the confidence needed to be part of this event. Just look at HSV last year. They played a weak season in German Bundesliga, but arrived confident and without pressure in Cologne. They turned a weak season into a brilliant one in only two matches. So it is all a matter of preparation for the pinnacle.

In terms of preparation, do you have a special strategy to cope with the audience of 20,000 in the LANXESS Arena?

Jesper Noddesbo: We will not have any special preparation for the huge audience, as it is a clear advantage of FC Barcelona to have so many players of a certain age with wealth of experience for the situations we will have to deal with at Cologne. All of us have gone through these situations, so the most important preparation will the on Flensburg.

All experts expect Barcelona to raise the trophy this season – do you agree with this role of your team?

Jesper Noddesbo: We are one of the favourites, but all teams in Cologne are somehow in the favourite role, all four can win, all four want to win. It will be difficult for us, although we know that we have a great team. However, you are only a great team, when you win great titles.

Barcelona have faced so many top opponents in all stages of this competition in the previous seasons – but since 2007 there has been no duel with Flensburg. Is it strange to face a “new” opponent?

Jesper Noddesbo: In my whole career I never played against Flensburg and the last time FC Barcelona faced them was in 2007, when they were clearly beaten by ten goals at Flensburg. Personally, it is always a special feeling when you face a team you’ve never faced before. For me it was like the match against Hamburg last year, but hopefully this introduction ends in a different way.