COLOGNE - Comments from France head coach Guillaume Gille (FRA) and line player Luka Karabatic (FRA), and Sweden head coach Glenn Solberg (NOR) and goalkeeper Andreas Palicka (SWE); and Germany head coach Alfred Gislason (ISL) and left wing Rune Dahmke (GER), and Denmark head coach Nikolaj Jacobsen (DEN) and line player Henrik Møllgaard (DEN) at a press conference at the LANXESS arena on Thursday.

FRANCE vs SWEDEN

Guillaume Gille (FRA) - head coach

On playing the semi-final against Sweden:
“It is quite exciting to reach this stage, and for the fourth time in a row to compete against Sweden. It’s going to a real fight. We are also very confident, we had a great tournament until now.

“Against a very strong opponent, we will have to give our best performance. It’s going to be very close, very tight, as usual against Sweden. We live to feel this kind of pressure and to play this kind of games. We know we can make history.”

On France at the EHF EURO 2024 being different from the previous EUROs, results-wise:
“We don’t think about the Olympics, it’s really far away and we only focus on the next fight at the moment. It will be tough enough. We had a great history with the Olympics with France. We will try to be there tomorrow, to play at our best level against such a strong team and we will talk about the rest after the EURO.”

On the atmosphere during the EHF EURO 2024:
“It’s been amazing, the experience has been incredible to live. To see the crowds being so passionate is something very special. I am proud of our sport for being able to deliver this kind of tournament. This tournament has been impressive from the German side. I experienced something very nice, as we were pushed by the German fans the other day.”

Luka Karabatic (FRA) – line player

On France being the only unbeaten team at the EURO:
“This statistic is not very relevant, we know that Sweden and Denmark played their last game without pressure. Sweden lost by 10 against Norway and we will definitely not watch this game to prepare the semi-final.

“We’ve been pushing each other for this last game, we wanted to win again and to play at our full potential. Every tournament has its own story, we’ll find out tomorrow which team had the best approach.”

On big tournaments being decided on details:
“It can be a lot of different details, a save or a goal you score at the right moment or taking advantage of a momentum you have during five or six minutes. We’ve been working a lot to be in a good position, we built up a lot of confidence during this EURO, we are ready for this battle. We will need our confidence to be at the top to play against some of the best players in the world.”

On what will be decisive on Friday:
“I foresee a game with great defences and goalkeepers, I think Sweden have a great 0-6 defence and they are really fast on fastbreaks as well. Often, when we lost against them, they scored easy goals because we made some technical mistakes, we will try to give them as few as possible tomorrow.”

Glenn Solberg (NOR) - head coach, Sweden

On the recent history between France and Sweden:
“I think that every game is special, but also that we play at a different level than last year. Both teams know each other very well, this will be the fourth semi-final between us. We meet one of the best teams in the word. But we are a very strong team, we believe in ourselves a lot and I’m sure we will have a say in this game.”

On self-responsibility being one of the new things for Sweden:
“I think it pays off, that’s how I lead my team and I hope this is the best way. Hopefully we can see tomorrow that players take their own responsibilities and our collective choice was the right one.”

On the atmosphere during the EHF EURO 2024:
“It has been a fantastic championship, I’m thankful we can play in these full arenas against so many good teams. It’s a pleasure for us, I’m happy to play here and hopefully we can win tomorrow.”

Andreas Palicka (SWE) – goalkeeper

On playing against some of his Paris Saint-Germain teammates:
“It will be amazing experience to play against France again, I’ve known Niko [Nikola Karabatic] for a couple of years, Luka [Karabatic] is also fantastic person. It’s 50-50 about knowing your club colleagues, with the national teams you always try to give your teammates the knowledge of what you know. This semi-final is the kind of game you dreamt of when you were a kid and you want to play our best when you have the opportunity.”

On his role as one of the most experienced players:
“It’s only a matter of age, to be honest. I’m lucky to have experienced those games, I try to bring the coldness and the experience to every new challenge. It’s how I am daily and how I want to be as a person.”

On the memories of the semi-final lost at last year’s World Championship:
“It still hurts. When you play aa championship at home, you have big expectations. We had some injuries before the game. We beat them twice before, they had made their homework, and I think France played their best game in some years. They gave a really strong performance.

“When you lose a semi-final at home, it’s painful. If you function as I do, this kind of memories be with you for the rest of my life.”

GERMANY vs DENMARK

Alfred Gislason (ISL) — head coach Germany

On an earlier comment regarding needing best performance in decades to beat Denmark:
“The question was quite different, but it is very clear for us that we will have to make one of our best games in the last years if we want to have a chance against Denmark. They are playing extremely well. But we are very happy to be in the semi-final and like Niko [Nikolaj Jacobsen] said, every game is different and we will go into it like that, doing our best.”

On reaching the semi-final:
“We have been talking about it almost a year, that it would be a dream for our team to reach the semi-finals in Cologne. Now we have achieved it.

“We have tested a lot in the last year, players and how to build a new team. We have done that and I’m very satisfied with how they have performed. Up to now, not everything has been perfect but I think we deserve to go to the semi-finals. I’m very pleased with the team up to now and we’ll see what we can do tomorrow.”

Rune Dahmke (GER) — left wing

On similarities between 2016 when they won the title and now:
“It’s a completely different team but one more time I think we’re not the favourites heading into this semi-final, so if you really want you can see some parallels.

“But it’s going to be a completely different game. It’s going to be against a team who were one of the strongest in the world in the past years and we have to play a perfect match to have a chance.”

On the success of the EURO due to the attention in Germany, no matter the results:
“It didn’t matter which player I was talking to, they were all impressed that the arenas were sold out almost. It didn’t matter if Germany was playing or not. That’s the best you can have as a player. To play in front of full crowds, to have the euphoria to play in a European championship.

“It’s clear to see how much our federation worked and everyone involved to make this a great success. That we managed to reach the semi-final is a great success for us as well, so so far it’s been a really good tournament.”

Nikolaj Jacobsen (DEN) — head coach, Denmark

On the difference between the preparation games versus Germany and now:
“It’s very different games. Those were two training games. I tried something, Alfred [Gislason] tried some things and these are not the same teams that are going to play tomorrow. I’m not actually looking at those games. I’ve been looking at the German games until now. It will be a lot different. Tomorrow there will be 20,000 spectators who are cheering for Germany. That will also be a big factor.”

On the long wait for a EURO final:
“It would mean a lot. Not because it’s Germany but because we are chasing finals. As I mentioned to the Danish press a lot in the last three weeks, I actually don’t care which tournaments I win. I just need to win tournaments. So if it’s going to be one or the other, it doesn’t matter for me.

“For me it’s important that we win something. We won three World Championships in a row. That gives us huge confidence and believing in ourselves. That could be a huge factor also tomorrow when we are playing here in Cologne. We will know that we won’t be the favourites on the crowd’s side, so we have to believe in ourselves also.

“But you can’t always choose which finals you want to go into. You have to deserve it. In the last EUROs we didn’t play as well as we wanted. We did that at the world cup. So let’s see if we can turn this.”

On the dominance of teams like Denmark, France, and Sweden:
“These three teams have some of the best players in the world so maybe that’s why. We also have to have Spain in this conversation. Spain have been in a lot of semi-finals and finals. And then there is this group of teams who also play on a high level – Norway, Germany. When we go outside, I think Egypt have an amazing team also.

“So I can’t exactly say why, but the best players in the world also decide matches and I think some of the best players in the world play in these teams.”

Henrik Møllgaard (DEN) — line player

On the importance of Denmark’s defence:
“That will be a huge factor tomorrow. We know that we’re going to be under a lot of pressure both offensively and defensively. And with the goalkeepers who are able to win games on their own. Andi Wolff has been amazing this tournament. Our goalkeepers as well.

“We know it’s going to be difficult, but I strongly believe if we can stay strong in defence and give our goalkeepers an opportunity to be match winners, we have a good chance to be in the final.”

On the atmosphere in the LANXESS arena, following his experience at EHF FINAL4 events:
“I’m really looking forward to being back. This time it’s going to be different. As the coach said, we are going to be outnumbered and we’re really going to feel the pressure. But that’s also what I’m looking forward to it. Playing against the hosts is always amazing. We’ve done it a few times. We know that the atmosphere is going to be hostile.

“I’m really impressed by the German team. They really performed this championship. It's obvious that the huge home crowd are going to carry this team. It’s going to be really difficult for us tomorrow, but I’m really looking forward to it. I love playing at home but this is going to be fun.”