Katrine Lunde: “You have to decide at some point”

When it comes to handball royalty, Katrine Lunde stands on a throne that few can even dream of. At 45, the Norwegian goalkeeper is heading to her sixth EHF FINAL4, chasing what would be her record-extending eighth EHF Champions League title. But this one is different, this one is with Odense, a team she joined just over three months ago. And it might be her last one.

“First of all, I'm very proud that I'm going there again, that the team I'm in now created this good result. And it's really, really fun, you know, to go and play important matches and to be in this great atmosphere in Budapest, in this arena,” Lunde says before travelling to the EHF FINAL4.

Since making her debut at the EHF Champions League Women 2005/06 for Aalborg DH, Lunde has been ever-present in the top-flight for 20 seasons. The Norwegian shot-stopper has made handball history in both club and national team competitions, and she knows what this stage feels like.

“I'm proud of the results I have had and that I'm still playing in amazing teams. And I'm also proud that I have the chance now to go there with Odense, who are also there for the first time. So it's a bit different to do it now. It's a new team for me and a new FINAL4 for them,” adds the Norwegian goalkeeper.

Odense are stacked with talent across all positions, and when it comes to the goalkeepers, Althea Reinhardt and Yara Ten Holte were essential for the club's success, with young prodigy Andrea Jørgensen by their side. Now, they have a star and a role model to support them, a player with "an aura", as coach Ole Erevik explained. But how does Lunde see her role in the team?

“I see it like I'm coming in at the end. And I know that both goalkeepers have been creating really good results. So for me, I just try to take the chance to create something together with them. For me that's important because it's never about one goalkeeper. You have to have a team around you to achieve great things,” explains Lunde.

As Odense prepare for the the semi-finals of the EHF FINAL4 Women 2025, where they will clash with Metz Handball, the only unbeaten team this season, Katrine Lunde shared her thoughts on an opponent she already faced twice in Budapest — in the 2021/22 semi-finals and the 2018/19 third-place match.

“Metz have been really strong this year. I think they have more players now, better rotation, and can have more changes. Of course, I believe that we are really strong as well. We're going in with one goal: to win. That's what we are all fighting for,” says Lunde.

The other semi-final features two teams that have already seen plenty of EHF FINAL4 action. Györ Audi ETO KC and Team Esbjerg both know what this weekend demands, and so does Lunde, perhaps better than anyone.

“What you can say, in the end, is that all teams are very good. Even the quarter-finals were decided by just one or two goals. So it's quite even. It's important that you have a good day as a team. You can't afford not to be there fully focused when it starts.”

The season's pinnacle is what everyone plays for. It's what fans have been waiting for all year. The EHF FINAL4 is more than just a tournament. But Lunde keeps a simple mindset.

“You go in, you do everything, prepare for the first match, and then you give it your all. You know that everything can happen and it's one match. And the next day, you have to do it all over again. So you just say ‘enjoy it’. Also, the people around you are creating a good atmosphere. So it's all about relaxing and enjoying the moments,” says the seven-time EHF Champions League winner.

Lunde won EHF Champions League titles in 2009 and 2010 with Viborg HK, in 2013 and 2014 with Györ, and in 2021, 2022 and 2023 with Vipers Kristiansand. And now, she's doing it again.

This time under a familiar figure on the bench — Ole Gustav Gjekstad, the man who coached Lunde at Vipers Kristiansand during their historic three-peat. This EHF FINAL4 will also be his last with Odense, as he is set to take over the Norwegian national team after the season.

“I don't think it's without reason. The players or coaches who are in Budapest and the teams that are there, I think they have some knowledge and deserve their place there. And of course I know him. And I'm happy that he also wanted to have me in this team now at the end of the season. So I hope we can also create something together this weekend,” says Lunde.

Title or not, whatever happens in Budapest, it will be another chapter in an already remarkable and challenging year for Lunde. From winning her seventh EHF EURO gold in December 2024 to switching clubs mid-season, after her childhood club filed for bankruptcy, it is never easy.

Doing it while balancing life as a mother, with her husband Nikola Trajkovic coaching football abroad, is another level entirely. But for Lunde, the choice was about stepping forward and not stepping back.

“It was a big change suddenly in my life and handball. To just jump into something new. But still, I know the people and the culture. So in this way, it was really, really important and good for me. But it's not always easy from the start. It's important that I have an open mind.”

“I could not have done it without my family. My two sisters, my mother and father, and also my friends. My daughter Atina also sacrificed for this, but she also loves to stay at home with the grandparents more. It's a lot of planning for all of us. But my daughter was willing to see that it's going this way and she knows that the summer will be all around her,” explains Lunde.

Even after everything she's experienced, her motivation remains simple. Watching her between the posts, it seems that she is ready for many more achievements. Lunde still feels good, and she still loves the game.

“I'm grateful and happy that my body is still good. I don't think that I have the most pain in the team for sure, haha. So I can still play and that's really nice. So we will see what the time will bring.”

As the spotlight shines on Budapest once again, one question inevitably comes up — is this the final chapter?

“Actually, I'm not quite sure how it will turn out yet. It's a bit like a puzzle. I haven't made my decision yet, but of course, it will be soon. I have to, though. You have to decide at some point,” concludes Lunde.

Photos © Fredrik Olastuen (main), Nikolett Nasz, Lau Nielsen & Hans Lie Photography (in-text)