Flash quotes from the weekend of the EHF FINAL4 Women 2022 in Budapest, beginning with Friday's media calls.
Sunday 5 June
Final - Györi Audi ETO KC 31:33 Vipers Kristiansand
Györi Audi ETO KC
Vipers Kristiansand
3/4 placement match - Team Esbjerg 26:32 Metz Handball
Team Esbjerg
Metz Handball
Saturday 4 June
Metz Handball 27:33 Vipers Kristiansand
Metz Handball
Vipers Kristiansand
Györi Audi ETO KC 32:27 Team Esbjerg
Györi Audi ETO KC
Team Esbjerg
Friday 3 June
Györi Audi ETO KC
Team Esbjerg
Metz Handball
Vipers Kristiansand
Sunday 5 June
Mixed zone / press conference - Györi Audi ETO KC 31:33 Vipers Kristiansand
Györi Audi ETO KC
Ambros Martin, coach
On why they lost:
“Our team gave everything but it was not enough, because Vipers were an amazing team today. Today was tough.
“We tried everything, but maybe without being crazy in the different way that they were today. Not reading really good their situations. It was not so normal how they play the second half, almost without no mistakes. (Zsuszanna) Tomori is a player that normally never plays in attack, and she goes into attack, seven against six, and she created a lot of problems to us.”
Linn Blohm, line player
On their performance:
“We did a lot of goals, but I also think we did a lot of mistakes on our side, that they could get the ball easily and come up and do their things.
“We tried, and we tried to fix it, and we did 5-1 (defence). They did all of it better than us today.
“Then also when it came to good situations (Katrine) Lunde took the ball in the goal, so it was a mix of both defence and attack.”
Estelle Nze Minko, centre back
On why they lost:
“I think the main difference was in offence especially in the second half when they started to play seven on six and we could not stop them. They scored, then we scored, then them again, and us, it was 15 minutes like this. Then we stopped to score and we still could not stopped them. They were a little bit more patient than us and more strategic somehow. Vipers won two EHF FINAL4 in a row so they are the best in the world now.”
Viktória Lukács, left wing
On the match:
“The first half was not bad. Then in the second period we could not give more extras than yesterday. We had some problem with our defence, Yesterday we did it way better, and of course it did not help for our goalkeepers.”
On the future:
“I want ETO to get back to the shelf where we used to be before. I want that next year everybody talk only about us.”
Amandine Leynaud, goalkeeper
On losing:
“It is not that easy to win the EHF FINAL4. I lose more than what I won, and this makes more beautiful if you win. Tonight they played better than us. This is sport.”
On retiring:
“I won everything. I am really happy. I got so many friends thanks to handball. I had so many nice moments in my career. I am just happy and enjoy the moment.”
Vipers Kristiansand
Ole Gustav Gjekstad, coach
On their performance:
“We were facing a great team, and I’m very proud of my team today. We were standing up to it.
“I think it’s a little bit crazy to take this challenge, and be crazy not to stand there and wait. We know that most of the crowd are cheering for Györ, and we need to step up and be there.
“We didn’t really do it from the start, we were in trouble in the middle of the first half, and then I think we got it. We got more control in the defence, we started to make more goals.
On his emotions:
“I’m very proud of the girls who have worked hard all season, and this is a fantastic feeling for us.”
Jana Knedlikova, right wing
On the win:
“I’m incredibly proud of the team, and have so many emotions inside me. It’s not easy to play Györ for me, I spent a lot of years there.”
Nora Mørk, right back
On the reason for victory, and the most valuable players:
"We sticked to the plan during the whole weekend and this worked. While (MVP Marketa) Jerabkova was amazing and unstoppable, because she seemed like she does not care about stress, (Katrine) Lunde also played at the highest level. For me, both of them are MVPs.”
Lysa Tchaptchet Defo, line player
On winning the title:
"For me it is still unreal that we won the trophy. It is also hard to understand how great (MVP Marketa) Jerabkova was not only at the (EHF) FINAL4 weekend, but during the whole season. Naturally, scoring comes from great defence and we were always one step ahead."
Zsuzsanna Tomori, right back
On the match:
"This was the best match of my life. Playing in front of 15,000 fans was an amazing vibe, and it made us more excited. We are very thankful for the supporters.
“I have never imagined that we could win against Györ. We made lots of mistakes in the first half, but we come back, although we had so much pressure on us. We did what we planned for this weekend, so we are proud.
“The best part of the game for me, was when I scored a goal, and I could help everywhere. We had a three-goal advantage, so we knew we will have the first place."
Isabelle Gulldén, centre back
On the match:
"It was a tough game. At the beginning we started with a high tempo, and other team as well. In the second half, the game went smoother, it was easier than the first half.
“Honestly I barely remember the game because of the excitement, but I know that we kept everything under control. In the last 15 minutes, with three goals up, we knew we will win."
Mixed zone / press conference - Team Esbjerg 26:32 Metz Handball
Team Esbjerg
Jesper Jensen, coach
On the loss against Metz Handball:
“I think we played well in the first minutes, but when we looked at the scoreboard, we were down 5:2. Metz dominated the game, they deserved the win.”
On the future:
“I am proud of being here, we lost two games in a row, but all in all we will learn from this, come back stronger and try to return here next season.”
Sanna Solberg-Isaksen, left wing
On the loss against Metz:
“The atmosphere was amazing, we really want to do it again. We will learn from this and try to do better next season.”
Michala Møller, left back
On their performance at the EHF FINAL4:
“The reason I am happy is that it was a great opportunity for the team and for me to play here.
“I am not so proud of how it ended. We are way better than what we showed today, the first 30 minutes was a bit slow. It is such a bad feeling when you know how to play, but you are not there in mind.
“It hurts because we thought we could change our mistakes in the end, but we did not. This is not what we expected but we have to keep going.”
Metz Handball
Emmanuel Mayonnade, coach
On the win against Esbjerg:
“Esbjerg are a really strong opponent, but we were willing to fight throughout the whole game. Our team is amazing, I do not know what will happen next year, because many players will be leaving.
“But this season has been nothing short of special, there is something with this team. I do not know if we deserved this bronze medal, but we worked a lot this season.”
Ivana Kapitanovic, goalkeeper
On her time in Metz before leaving this summer:
“Leaving is never easy and you cannot be happy for this. I spent four years here, but when I retire from handball, I will not remember the quality of the players, rather the quality of the persons I spent a lot of time with.”
Orlane Kanor, left back
On the win against Esbjerg:
"Today's victory was a real teamwork. Our fantastic goalkeeper and defence played well, thus attacking was much easier. I am very happy how we performed today, this was the real Metz handball."
Grace Zaadi, centre back
On the match:
"The squad was ready for today's challenges. If we would have played like this yesterday, we would be in the finals. Anyhow, I am satisfied with our bronze medal and a huge rest is awaiting for me after a long and tough season. I hope I will return faster and stronger for next season."
Tamara Horacek, centre back
On their performance:
“It is never easy to motivate the team after a game like yesterday. But we did not want to finish with bad game because yesterday we were not a team that could show what we could do in the season.
“I am happy that everybody was motivated and also showed nice faces and smiles so I am really happy about this. And I also thankful for our fans who were here to support us because it is not easy to support in a big arena like this. It is crazy that we have fans like them.”
Astride N’gouan, line player
On the match:
“I don’t really know what was the difference between our two games. Maybe today we had more rage inside. From the beginning we were good in defence not like yesterday when we had difficult moments.
“It is hard to say that we are content because of the first match but I am happy that we won today and it was important to finish with the bronze medal.”
Saturday 4 June
Mixed zone / press conference - Metz Handball 27:33 Vipers Kristiansand
Metz Handball
Emmanuel Mayonnade, coach
On the loss against Vipers:
“Vipers deserve to play the final, I do not know what happened to our team. They had a great goalkeeper in Katrine Lunde, we missed too many shots, we did not run as we wanted.
“I am really sad for my team. We came here three years ago, lost both games, we wanted to win the semi-final, but we failed. Maybe we will be back and eventually win this semi-final that evaded us.”
Grace Zaadi, centre back
On the 3/4 placement match against Team Esbjerg:
“For tomorrow, we need to switch off quickly, to overcome this defeat. We need to have more stability during the game, because we had a lot of ups and downs, and the down periods were very, very down. We need to play with more aggression in the match tomorrow against Esbjerg.”
Ivana Kapitanovic, goalkeeper
On the semi-final:
“It is hard to say anything after a lost semi-final because we wanted to win so badly. We were not accurate in front of the goal and we – goalkeepers – could not help with as many saves as we wanted to. Also, we did not have any luck and we hit the woodwork several times. Despite the result, I am really proud of my teammates as we fought until the very end.”
On the chances in the 3/4 placement match:
“We know that we face a tough challenge against Esbjerg but I think we will be able to overcome any difficulties and beat them because we have the togetherness and the quality to win the bronze medal.”
Vipers Kristiansand
Ole Gustav Gjekstad, coach
On the win against Metz Handball:
“I think we were pretty calm during the whole game, even if it did not go like we wanted at all times. We took control in the first part of the first half and we lost it in the last 10 minutes. We just calmed down, relaxed and in the second half we played really good.”
Silje Waade, right back
On the final against Györi Audi ETO KC:
“We will have this big game tomorrow, looking forward to it. I know there will be a lot of Hungarian fans, but, at the end, we want to win and silence them with our game.”
Ana Debelic, line player
On the win against Metz:
“I was hoping for a third time lucky after our two defeats (this season) against Metz, and fortunately I was right. We had a small blackout after a good start, but we managed to get back from that. I believed in us, and we gave everything in this game. The most important thing is that we reached the final.”
On the lengthy celebrations after the game:
“We really wanted to enjoy the moment that is why we stayed so long on the court to celebrate the win. We just had to let all our emotions out. It was also a way to show our appreciation to our fans for their support, to share this great moment with them.”
Jana Knedlikova, right wing
On the win against Metz Handball:
“We started very well and got a five-goal advantage, then we had a period in which we lost 6:0, but fortunately we played better in the second half.”
On their second consecutive appearance in the final:
“Every year is different even though it is the (EHF) FINAL4. We managed to get into the final last year but behind every game and every team there is a different story and I am very happy we made it again. Compared to last year it is so nice to have fans here, the atmosphere is totally different now.”
Mixed zone / press conference - Györi Audi ETO KC 32:27 Team Esbjerg
Györi Audi ETO KC
Ambros Martin, coach
On the win against Team Esbjerg:
“We played good in the first half, despite the difficult moments in the first minutes. Esbjerg put us to work a lot, only one team can be in the final, they also deserved to be there.
“We controlled our emotions, the situation, their attack. Our attack was very fluid, everything was good. When we play like this, we are very difficult to stop.
“We wanted to end the season on a high, we completed our first challenge, we need to be ready for tomorrow, after a good rest.”
Crina Pintea, line player
On the win against Esbjerg:
“There were some up and down moments in our game, but we finally got the key to unlock Esbjerg’s defence in the second half and we took advantage of it. It was a tough game, but we are so happy of what we achieved.”
On improving through the game:
“I am happy that we could manage our game well as we put our defence together and we saw the opportunities much clearer in attack after the first part of the first half. When we had a chance, we took it almost every time.”
On the key to the victory:
“It was the connection between us players. Of course there are tactics and other aspects of the game, but we prepared for this throughout the whole season. Now, in this moment, the most important thing is to be a team and help each other in every situation.”
On the EHF Champions League Women’s final:
“We qualified and now we have to wait to see who our opponent will be. I do not think about Vipers or Metz, I have no preference, we have met both teams twice. We just need to get back to the hotel, recover and design a gameplan for tomorrow.”
On the MVM Dome and a new record of spectators for a women’s club handball game:
“It is an amazing arena. We did not step on the court before the game and when I did, it was an amazing feeling. It is the biggest arena I have ever played in. The fans were loud, the atmosphere was superb, everything was pretty perfect.”
Viktória Lukács, right wing
On the semi-final:
“To be honest, It is a much better feeling to walk off the court after a winning semi-final. Last year we lost after penalties.
“I still cannot believe that I will play in the final of the (EHF) Champions League. I think we played well in the first half as well but at half-time we talked about the aspects of the game where we could improve and after that we controlled the game in the second period.”
On the final:
“We do not know who our opponents will be but we have already met with both Metz and Vipers during the group stage. But that is the EHF FINAL4 and this is a whole different situation as the stakes are higher.”
Team Esbjerg
Jesper Jensen, coach
On why they lost to Györ:
“I think we had a lot of power during the match, I do not think it was about the power or the bench, the depth, why we lost this game. In the beginning of the second half, we made one or two bad choices.
“We knew that Györ’s goalkeepers are very good and we made the game hard for ourselves. The match tomorrow will also be difficult for us.”
Kristine Breistøl, left back
On what was missing for the victory:
“Of course we stepped on the court with the desire to win the game but our effort was not enough today. I think we were who hardened our own job as we made bad mistakes and we got several two-minute suspensions.
“There were periods during the game when we were able to compete with the quality of Györ but we could not manage to maintain that performance for the whole game.”
On the 3/4 placement match on Sunday:
“We have to recover fast and do whatever we can to win tomorrow. If we cannot fight for the gold medal, we want to fight for the bronze.
“For Team Esbjerg a bronze medal would be also a great achievement and we will do everything to win the bronze match. If we can learn from today’s mistakes and if we will not let our opponent score easy goals then we will have the chance to end the EHF FINAL4 with a great result and a medal for Denmark.”
Sanna Solberg-Isaksen, left wing
On the match:
“In the first half we were head-to-head but we had a lot of two minute-suspensions and it is really difficult to play with one player less in big parts of the game. Györ has a lot of power and they are a really tactical team.
“We both played well but we started to miss our chances in the second half.”
On playing against her sister Silje Solberg:
“Playing against my sister doesn’t happen often, I think this is the third time. Facing her gives a really special feeling, but if you are professional, you don’t think too much about it. We know each other well.”
Friday 3 June
Media call: Vipers Kristiansand
Ole Gustav Gjekstad, head coach
On the previous matches against Metz:
“I do think that we played really great handball on both occasions against Metz but we were not able to win them. That is the past, now we are in the (EHF) FINAL4 which is a totally different situation.
“I think my players are able to overcome any difficulties and they can perform on the highest level during a weekend like this so I am not afraid before the semi-final.”
On being title-holders:
“Maybe we can say that we have bigger pressure on us because we are the title-holders but I do not think it is important. It is a whole different season. We worked hard to reach the (EHF) FINAL4 again and we are well prepared for this challenge.”
Jana Knedlikova, right wing
On her previous EHF FINAL4 experience:
“I think it is always good if you have experience from these types of matches and situations. I do not say that I can be as excited as before my first FINAL4 but my motivation still works inside and I cannot wait to be on court in front of the fans. The Champions League FINAL4 is always one of the best weekends of our seasons.”
On the upcoming challenge against Metz:
“We know Metz and we expect a great battle against them but in the (EHF) FINAL4 there are no easy games. We need to play our best handball in order to be successful but our players are ready to step up in these important games and I think we are able to solve everything on the court. It will be important to be fully focused on our game.”
On her expectations for the weekend:
“We are here to win two matches and lift the trophy but the other three teams are also here for the same reason. We have to perform better than them and we should not take anything for granted. We need to focus until the final whistle and be prepared for everything.”
Katrine Lunde, goalkeeper
On her expectations for the semi-final:
“Last time when we met Metz in the (EHF) FINAL4 (in the 3/4 placement match in 2019) we beat them despite having lost them previously. Now the situation is quite the same as during the group stage we lost twice against them and now we have the opportunity to take revenge.”
On being title-holders this year:
“It is strange to approach this weekend this way. I know that we won last time but I do not feel any special or big pressure. We will do everything as best as we can and we will see if it will be enough this year.”
Ana Debelic, line player
On the semi-final against Metz:
“They have beaten us twice, but I think they cannot do that for the third time. Those two matches against them were our worst performances this season. We are well prepared for the game tomorrow. We analysed everything and are looking for the third time lucky.”
On how to stop Metz’s attack:
“It is important to perform on a very high level in defence. We have to slow their attacks down and prevent them from scoring easy goals from fast breaks.”
On the pressure of being the title-holders:
“I don’t feel the nerves on my teammates, everyone is calm and confident. It is my first (EHF) FINAL4 which gives extra motivation. It is every player’s dream to play in the deciding event of the biggest club competition, and I am happy that my team gave me the opportunity to be here.”
Nora Mørk, right back
On being back at the EHF FINAL4:
“It is an amazing feeling to be here once again and we are ready to play. We will see in two days if we did enough to win the trophy, only handball will decide the level which we are able to play at.”
On facing Metz Handball in the semi-final:
“We played twice this season against them and lost both games. They were simply better than us, we were outplayed, we gave them too many chances to score and they took advantage. This is a different game and we need to up our level if we are to challenge for the title.”
On the EHF FINAL4 being played in the MVM Dome:
“I am eager to play in the new arena, I cannot wait to see how it is and how the fans will cheer. Personally, I also liked playing in the Papp László Arena, I won the title there last season.”
Media call: Metz Handball
Emmanuel Mayonnade, head coach
On their preparation for the weekend:
“To be honest, we have not changed anything in our preparation. We did the same things as we usually did before our matches. Of course we feel that this weekend will be special but we did not want to change our routines.”
On the semi-final against Vipers:
“We have met with Vipers in the group stage and we managed to win on both occasions. Despite that we cannot say that we are the favourites of the semi-final as they have much more experience than us.
“It will be tough to compete with them but we learned a lot from our last (HF) FINAL4 semi-final when we let Rostov win the match in the first 15 minutes. Now we know that we have to concentrate from the very beginning of the match and we should not let them score easy goals.”
Louise Burgaard, right back
On her first EHF FINAL4:
“I am so excited to be here, finally we are in Budapest and I cannot wait for tomorrow’s match against Vipers and hopefully a final on Sunday. This is the first time I can experience the FINAL4 atmosphere and I really like it. But I do have experience from big matches so I will not be nervous.”
On Metz’ chances:
“I think there is great potential in this team. We are full of confidence and we have players who are able to step up in tough situations and I think this can be a key. I think we have already shown this season that we are a great team who can beat any team.”
Grace Zaadi, centre back
On being in Budapest:
"I'm very happy to be here in Budapest with Metz, and to be able to do the (EHF) FINAL4. It's been a while since we knew that we were already qualified, so we waited, we waited for this FINAL4 with impatience."
On returning to Metz from Rostov-Don halfway through the season:
"It's clear that I've had an unusual season. It's not been easy with all that's gone on. I'm happy, I'm lucky to have been able to return to Metz, to return to France, to be close to my family and my friends, but especially to be able to experience this exciting end of season with Metz, where we're playing the (EHF) FINAL4, we played the final of the (French) championship, we played the final of the French cup.
"It's clear that not everything which has happened has been very positive, but the fact of coming back to Metz, I see it as a sign of life."
On Metz having beaten semi-final opponents Vipers twice in this year's group phase:
"In 2019, when we played the (EHF) FINAL4 with Metz, we'd beaten Rostov twice, and we lost to Rostov in the semi-final of the FINAL4.
"So we know that winning twice against an opponent means nothing, that each match has its own history and its own truth. Tomorrow we're expecting a different match.
"For me, the FINAL4 is a bit different. We know our opponents and our opponents know us well too, and we know that tomorrow will be a totally different match to the two others which we've already played."
On how Metz have prepared after qualifying in the play-offs in March, against Dortmund:
"We had the French championships. We've played a lot, we've played every week. We prepare for each match. To start with it was the championships, we had the championship final; once the championship final was finished, we put the focus on the (EHF) FINAL4.
"Even though we knew for a while that we'd be coming to the FINAL4, for us it was important to really respect every competition and to take things step by step."
Meline Nocandy, centre back
On Metz being back in the EHF FINAL4:
“It is an amazing feeling to be back here, I think we have learnt a lot from three years ago, when we lost two games here, in Budapest. We will play against a very good team and we will try to do the best we can in the next two days.”
On playing Vipers in the semi-final:
“It is starting to become a bit of a classic in the Champions League, right? We met them a lot in the last seasons, including twice this season. We won twice against them, but that does not matter now, this is a whole different competition.”
On them winning the French title just a week before the EHF FINAL4:
“We are coming in with a big morale boost, we are feeling very good. But we also reset our minds, we are trying to get in top shape, because the next days will be tough.”
Tamara Horacek, centre back
On the semi-final against Vipers:
“We have played and won twice against them this season, which can be an advantage, but the (EHF) FINAL4 is always different. I hope it will go in our favour on Saturday. We will try to give our best.”
On their main focus in the EHF FINAL4:
“We have to be a team in every way possible, because if we cannot stay together and help each other out in tough situations, there might be problems. We have to play with our heart and our head.
“It is the end of the season and of course our bodies are tired, but if we are a really big team, we can overcome any obstacle.”
On whether winning the French championship can be a deciding factor:
“It was important to win the domestic title, but we should not let it get in our head. I hope it gives us extra motivation, even in the most difficult moments.”
Media call: Team Esbjerg
Jesper Jensen, head coach
On the preparation for the weekend after losing in the Danish league:
“In Denmark we have this expression that is: where we put our light is also where we put our eyes. We just try to put the light on this weekend with two giant matches for us.
“Losing the Danish final was hard and it was tough to get back from it, but the (EHF) FINAL4 is such a huge event, and we will not allow us to take some of the disappointment into Saturday’s game.”
On the semi-final against Györ:
“There is a lot of pressure on Györ tomorrow, which can be in our favour. When we perform, we perform at a high level. If we do our best, Györ has to be very good to beat us.
“However, they have so many great players and almost anyone can be a defining factor in the match. They have an advantage of having three of the six best goalkeepers in the world in their squad. If one of them saves with 50 per cent efficiency tomorrow, then it will be tough. But I fancy our chances if we manage to do our best again.”
On whether their nerves will get the better of them:
“Everybody will be nervous at some point on Saturday, but I think our platform to stand on is pretty stable. What we can do as a team and the way we can help each other have managed to put us in a position where we are today.
“When we beat Bucharest in front of their 5,000 fans, we also got nervous, but we were able to overcome that. Tomorrow it will be 12,000 people or more, but I hope we can copy that performance tomorrow.”
Sanna Solberg-Isaksen, left wing
On Team Esbjerg's debut at the EHF FINAL4:
"We enjoy to be here, we've been working for this the whole season, and it's just fun.
"It's crazy big. It's the hugest thing that the club has been a part of. We've been working like this and taking one step at a time, and we were hoping that we'd be here during some more years, and now already we are here this year."
On being named as All-star Team left wing:
"I'm a little surprised, but it's on of the biggst things you can be a part of, so it's really big for me.
"I didn't expect it."
On playing her sister Silje, goalkeeper for Györ, in the semi-final:
"We've played against each other in the EHF (Cup) final, when she was in Siófok, two games there in the final. That's the only games we've played against each other. We really choose the right games.
"It will be exciting, and I guess I will be a little nervous to play against her.
"We were hoping maybe meet in the final, but that's not the case now. It's big for both of us and our family that both are here."
On the semi-final:
"It will be a tough game, really tough. Györ have the best team on paper and everyone is maybe expecting them to win, but they also have the big pressure by losing this game last year (against Vipers). They really want to win this year.
"Still I think we have a chance, we never met them in several years, so we don't really know how we'll be against each other. It will be so exciting and I hope it will be an exciting game and almost equal in the end."
Marit Malm Frafjord, line player
On their preparation for the weekend:
“We tried to move on from the (Danish) league defeat. Obviously we were a bit disappointed, but it is also good that we have the (EHF) FINAL4 coming up as it is a great challenge. The mood in the dressing room is fine, everyone is enjoying being here. It is a huge weekend for the club.”
On their chances against Györ in the semi-final:
“Györ is probably the best team here on paper. They have a great squad with a lot of good players in every position, which means that they are able to change a lot to keep the team fresh.
“On top of that they have three of the world’s best goalkeepers. But a semi-final is a game of its own, anything can happen, and we are confident of going through.”
On how to stop Györ’s offensive unit:
“Stine Oftedal is the engine behind their attacks. We need to stop her, or at least make it very difficult for her to operate from the middle. Some of us have played with her in the national team so we know how good she is, but we will try our best.
“We have to give our best defence of the season, but if we manage to do that, then it could be a good game for us.”
Media call: Györi Audi ETO KC
Linn Blohm, line player
On her feelings before the EHF FINAL4:
“Everyone is in a good shape and we cannot wait to be on the court and fight for the title. We started the season with the goal to win this competition and we are super motivated now that we are here.”
On being named as All-star Team line player:
“It is a great honour and I am very grateful for being voted into the All-star Team. It was an exciting season as I joined a new team and worked really hard to grow as a player. I think I could improve and that is why I am on that list.”
On Györ’s chances this weekend:
“Last weekend we could not manage to win the Hungarian Cup and it still hurts, but on Monday we had a day off and I am sure that everybody freed their mind. We learned from our mistakes and that can be an advantage this weekend.
“All the four teams here are very strong so there are no underdogs. We will give 100 per cent and we will fight until the end both days and we hope that on Sunday we can lift the trophy.”
Amandine Leynaud, goalkeeper
On their chances of winning:
“I am extremely happy to be here again, as this is what we have worked for the whole season. Everyone is here for the same reason: to win. We will go step by step.
“If you want to achieve final victory, you have to get through the semi-final first. It won’t be easy. There are many different teams with different styles of play, I am sure it will be a great weekend of handball.”
On her upcoming retirement:
“I made this decision and I am in peace with that, but I don’t want to be thinking about retiring now. I just try to enjoy the moment like I have done throughout the year.”
On bouncing back from the defeat in the Hungarian Cup:
“It’s totally different. You cannot compare the Hungarian Cup or the championship with the (EHF) Champions League. We are professionals, we have worked hard to be here. We should only think about the present. If we work as a team, then the results will come.”
Anne Mette Hansen, left back
On their preparation for the weekend:
“Now everything is really good with the team. Despite the defeat in the Hungarian Cup, I think we arrived to the (EHF) FINAL4 in the best possible way. We killed the job in training in the last couple of weeks. We are ready for the challenge.”
On their advantage against Esbjerg in the semi-final:
“We have a lot more players than Esbjerg, and we have also been here as a team before. I hope we can use that to our advantage during the game.
“We are not nervous, obviously there will be a bit of excitement on Saturday, but we need to remain focused and keep calm.”
On their chances of winning the EHF FINAL4:
“It’s 25 per cent, right? It doesn’t matter who comes our way, we have to beat them to lift the trophy. It’s the last weekend of the season, we have to give everything we have in us, we cannot save any energy.”
TEXT:
European Handball Federation