Two trophies, two consolation prizes

The two Scandinavian awardees did not win the VELUX EHF FINAL4, but as a part-way consolation, received the individual trophies handed over at the end of the event in LANXESS arena on Sunday night.

After scoring 141 goals in 18 matches, including 20 in the FINAL4 – which means an average of 7.8 per game – Mikkel Hansen received the golden ball as VELUX EHF Champions League top scorer for the second time since he ranked number one in 2012 playing for AG Kobenhavn.

He follows behind two-time top scorer Momir Ilic, who finished second in this ranking in the 2015/16 season with 120 goals in 20 matches for Veszprém, including seven in the final.

For Mikkel Hansen the individual trophy was not that important compared to the fact that he missed the final with Paris Saint-Germain against title winners Kielce – and finished third after beating Kiel in the 3/4 match.

"The golden ball doesn't mean a lot – it means that I have a lot of good teammates who put me in the right situations. I am very happy about that,” said Hansen.

“We've been a very good team. I actually don't care about who makes the most goals – it's all about winning.”

Afterwards Aron Palmarsson entered the stage in the same way as he did to receive the award in 2014: sad and exhausted.

For the second time the Icelandic playmaker was awarded Most Valuable Player of the VELUX EHF FINAL4, and for the second time he received the trophy after losing the final: In 2014 in the THW Kiel jersey after their defeat against Flensburg, on Sunday in the Veszprém shirt after their tragic defeat against Kielce.

In 2015, the MVP held two trophies, as Nikola Karabatic also became Champions League winner with FC Barcelona.

For Palmarsson, who won the EHF Champions League twice with Kiel in 2010 and 2012, the MVP award was again nothing to change his disappointment into happiness:

"I do not care about this at all at the moment. This situation is simply too sad. Maybe after my career I look at it and will be proud of it. But at this very moment I am just feeling emptiness and sadness, because I am in quite a shock, feeling so mad, so sad.

“I can't believe what happened. We had already won that match and everybody knew we won it. But then – I cannot describe what I feel.”