Flash quotes: EHF FINAL4 Women 2025 media calls
BUDAPEST — Comments from Odense Håndbold head coach Ole Gustav Gjekstad (NOR), left back Mie Højlund (DEN), and line player Maren Aardahl (NOR); Team Esbjerg head coach Tomas Axnér (SWE), right back Mette Tranborg (DEN), and left back Line Haugsted (DEN); Györi Audi ETO KC head coach Per Johansson (SWE), goalkeeper Sandra Toft (DEN), and line player Kari Brattset Dale (NOR); Metz Handball head coach Emmanuel Mayonnade (FRA) and line player Sarah Bouktit (FRA) at the media calls on Friday ahead of the EHF FINAL4 Women 2025.
Odense Håndbold
Ole Gustav Gjekstad (NOR) — head coach
On coming back to Budapest:
“I have been here couple of times more and done well. I like it here. Now I'm here with the new club and my girls are really eager to show that we can play with the best, and, hopefully we will succeed.”
On coming as a three-time winner:
“It is different. But also, with Vipers, I think we were not favourites in any of those three years when we won. And Odense aren't either. Let's take that underdog situation and take the best of it.”
On the expectations against Metz Handball:
“There is pressure. However, we want to go in there and challenge them. We think that we can beat their routine. It requires that we hit the level in every position on the court, but why not? We can do it.”
On their attack and what could be decisive:
“The combination of good attack and defence is important. But we have seen here before that you can win the Champions League being the best attacking team. You can always say that mostly you need goalkeepers and you need defence, but assume that you can as long as you produce goals, then you can also win it by being the best attacking team.”
On what it would mean to go to the final:
“I'm here for the club, for the team and for the girls, and my experience is what it is. We are a team and want to produce something for them and with them.”
Mie Højlund (DEN) — left back
On welcoming their first EHF FINAL4 Women:
“It feels amazing to be here. I feel it in my whole body. We fought for this for so many years with Odense. And that's also part of the reason that I've stayed in the club. For me it's such a big experience being in the club who didn't have it in the cards to be here, but we ended up being in Budapest. Now we are here and it's just a dream for me to have been a part of that journey.”
On the semi-final game against Metz Handball:
“They are strong opponents. I have huge respect for Metz and what they have accomplished this season. It will be a tough game, but I also believe that our chances are there and we will for sure try and take it.”
On the intense schedule:
“There has sure been a lot of games this season and a lot of tough games also leading up to this. But that's part of the game and you know that you've played a long season, but now the fun games are finally here. So, I think that we're just enjoying being here and I think that when we are on the court and playing, it will be an incredible feeling to stand there.”
Maren Aardahl (NOR) — line player
On coming to the EHF FINAL4 Women:
“We have been waiting for it and now we are finally here. It's about enjoying and being in the moment. And of course, about performing good in the semi-final. I have high expectations. I believe that we can win, but we are definitely the underdogs and we like that stamp.”
On the underdog status:
“Don't be fooled in thinking we can't do it. We believe that we can go all the way. I think we have the team for it. I think that we have the experience for it, maybe not as a team, per se, but individually. And our characters. From, Katherine Lunde being a historic player, of course, and also from national team players.”
On the semi-final opponents, Metz Handball:
“I think in a lot of ways we are the same. We play both with high speed and have good dual players. It will be about the team that runs the most and have most success in the second phase. Of course, I believe that we can win. And I will bet on us any day of the week but it will be a hard game. So anything can happen, but we will give everything to win.”
Team Esbjerg
Tomas Axnér (SWE) — head coach
On his first EHF FINAL4 Women:
“Amazing and a fantastic experience. I've been here many times when I worked on television and as a handball fan one time here, but a lot of times in Cologne. I'm looking forward to being on the playing court this time.”
On the team's expectations:
"We know what all four teams have possibilities to win this tournament. It's about being in the best possible mental and physical shape for these two games.And we of course, see our opportunity but we also know when we're facing a very strong team. We will take our chances and we will try to enjoy it. And also feel a little pride that we are here, and with that said, we're going to go all in, try to win.”
On playing against Györi Audi ETO KC and their fans:
“I think we are kind of used to playing this kind of games. And our many experienced players who played a lot of the big games in the Olympics and the Euros, and also for the club. So of course, we are happy that there are many people in the audience. And if they're cheering for Györ, it doesn't matter. We know we're going to have a red corner in one of in the arena, and they will give us a boost.”
Mette Tranborg (DEN) — right back
On being in Budapest again:
“It's so nice. It's an event we have been to for several times now and it's always a special feeling to be here. We feel we belong here.”
On playing against Györi Audi ETO KC:
“We don't have very good statistics against them. They have won against us every time we have played. It's a tough team to play against, but I feel like we are we are on the same level. It's the small details that will make the final result in this game. So hopefully it will be on our side this time. I'm just looking forward to playing in the arena with a lot of spectators and have a good game.”
On what it takes to finally get to the finals:
“Our defence.It's so important that we are strong and we fight a lot in our defence and make them not score too many goals. Because then I think we can score enough goals in the other end to finally beat them. So I think it's important to get the physics into this game.”
Line Haugsted (DEN) — left back
On another EHF FINAL4 participation:
“It's nice to be back. It's so much fun to play these games and I'm so excited.”
On her facing her former teammates from Györi Audi ETO KC:
“It's a special. We were winning the title last year together and, now I'm the opponent. I, of course, hope to take the title for Esbjerg this year.”
On the Hungarian fans:
“I really like the fans here. They are creating such an amazing atmosphere and I'm looking forward to seeing them again. Of course, it's going to be hard to play against this pressure, but I think it's what the final four is. It's a special atmosphere.”
On what could be crucial to win against Györi Audi ETO KC for the first time:
“I would say we have to put up a very good defence. We have a little something I think we can bring to the game to stop their good individual players and to get through their defence.”
Györi Audi ETO KC
Per Johansson (SWE) — head coach
About the pressure in front of home fans at the EHF FINAL4:
"I think it would be a dream for me personally to win it back-to-back because then you put yourself in a really good position for the history. We are here as favourites and we can carry that burden and the pressure will come in the end, but not now, but we also know that we have the capacity to win. So I'm not sure that we will win, but we have the capacity and we have done everything. So pressure, we live with every day."
About facing Team Esbjerg in the semi-finals, and the fact that the opponents know each other very well:
"I think everything you do, win or losing, you carry on, like in the backpack, and I think it's about us to be very humble to the fact that we have never lost to Esbjerg, but also that I can do it. And of course, Esbjerg knows that I have never won, but this is their job to be humble and believe in a victory. So history doesn't mean so much. If you can handle it, we need to handle it by being humble, and I have to believe that I can."
About the comparison with the previous encounters:
"Of course, we want this game to be like in their away game when we were there, where I think we played maybe one of the best games. The first game in Györ was a little bit like pre-season game because it was so short, we were strong there also, but the away game is for us a role model in many ways how to act to them."
Sandra Toft (DEN) — goalkeeper
On the feeling of being back at the EHF FINAL4:
"It feels great to be back here again. EHF FINAL4 is the big thing for the season, the thing you fight for the whole year to be part of the best four teams in Europe, when you come from Györ you somehow have to be here, so we are of course happy that we got the first goal in, but now we have to look even further."
About the semi-final match against Esbjerg:
"I think Györ and Esbjerg played against each other a lot the last three years, my three years here. And tomorrow, it's a new game, of course. Everything in the past is erased and 60 minutes and there's two really, really tough teams, so it's going to be a tough game."
About the feeling of playing against the Danish side:
"It's always special when you play against the team from your own country, but it's my, I don't know, nine, 10 years away from Denmark, so it happened a lot, of course, because Denmark always have good teams, but I don't want to lose."
Expectations from the EHF FINAL4:
"First of all, I expect a big handball party again here in Budapest, the full MVM Dome. It's amazing. Especially when you're play in a club in Hungary also. My prediction is that it's going to be four really, really tight games, and it's going to be in the last moment that the game is decided."
About who she sees in the final:
"No, I don't know, I don't care, I want to play against the team who's also in the final. It's two teams who play with a lot of speed, a lot of fast break and move the ball really fast, so it's going to be a high pace speed again there."
Thoughts if the goalkeepers could play decisive role:
"I don't remember any final where the goalkeeper is not decisive. It could be."
Kari Brattset Dale (NOR) — line player
About the feeling ahead of the EHF FINAL4:
"It is really amazing to be here. It's a great atmosphere from the start. I really love to be here with my team and we know that you go into this performance kind of bubble where we know what we are here for and the goals and everything is just aligning to working for it."
About the expectations and pressure for the semi-final match:
"Of course it's pressure and it will always be, I think no matter who we meet also. But yeah, meeting Esbjerg, they are a really tough team. I think they are super strong. They will fight to the end. We see that many times if we are up against them, they always come back and make it a tough fight. So we are really prepared for that. We will give everything. And we know that they also will be strong and yeah, I just hope that we can win in the end."
About Györ's overall performance this season:
"Well, it has been in an up-and-down season, same like last year, actually, but at least this time we could take the league and that was really important for the club. But we are also a lot of new players this year and I think that we had to kind of grow into this new team. Stine Oftedal being the playmaker for seven years before this season and trying to figure it out together. I think that (Kristina) Jørgensen really stepped up and took this role during the season. And I think that we also learned a lot from our downs this season, and I think that we stand like stronger longer what we did in the beginning."
Metz Handball
Emmanuel Mayonnade (FRA) — head coach
About the semi-final against Odense Håndbold:
"I think Odense have, more or less, the same profile (as us). They play fast, they play good, tough one-against-one, so I really hope that it will be the way to defend against all the good players they have. But then you also know you have to score and they have three good goalkeepers — Lunde is maybe the best one, so we have to deal with it, with her, but you know, it's 50-50. The coach won three times the Champions League, Lunde seven times, more than Metz played the EHF FINAL4, so it's just unbelievable. Only respect for them, but we will see, as I said, it's 50-50."
About learnings from last year:
"If we didn't do it, we are stupid, we will see tomorrow at 8 p.m. probably, but I really hope we will be ready, we lost three semi-finals in three EHF FINAL4s, so I hope the next one will be the best. But, of course, you never know. As you say, Odense are a really strong team, they play well in the Danish league, they play good in the Champions League, so I will see, but I hope we will be ready tomorrow."
Sarah Bouktit (FRA) — line player
On coming to Budapest:
“We are very happy to be here. We are also very focused, because this is the fourth time we have been here and we want to do better than in previous years. We have been on a big European campaign since the start of the season, so we are keen to put in a good performance in tomorrow's semi-final.”
On semi-final opponents Odense Håndbold:
“I think they are an excellent team who have had a great season right from the start, who had a great European campaign in the group stage, who also beat FTC in the quarter-finals. So, obviously, they are a very, very big team, with a good level of handball, very good players and good goalkeepers. It's going to be a big match, and we are going to have to make very few mistakes to beat them.”
On her being Metz's top scorer:
“I'm satisfied, being the club's top scorer is cool. After that, I'm also a penalty taker, so that obviously adds a bit to my statistics. But I don't think that's the most important thing. In any case, you can score a lot of goals and not necessarily perform well in other areas of the court. For me the most important thing is the team and what I can bring to the big games. What's done is done, but now we're going to have to do even better for the EHF FINAL4."
photo © Saša Pahič Szabó / kolektiff
