Men's EHF EURO 2026 post-match flash quotes: 21 January

HERNING – Comments from players and coaches matches in preliminary round group E at the Men's EHF EURO 2026 on Wednesday.

SWEDEN vs CROATIA 33:25 (17:13)

Michael Apelgren (SWE) – Sweden head coach

On the win against Croatia:

“We were really playing good today and when you do that at home court and you start to be in the lead it’s difficult to beat us. I am very proud of the boys today, and let’s see what the future brings.”

On Andreas Palicka’s performance:

“We did a lot of good things out there but there were also some personal performances that was something extra. Mikael (Appelgren) was starting the game very well, and then Palicka came in in the second half where maybe they can come back and just killed everything. It felt like he took every shot that was possible to take.

“It was an amazing feeling and he is our captain and he’s showing the way for us. We’re having a lot of youngsters also so it’s good for them to feel that we are on our way.”

On the atmosphere:

“The arena was boiling. This is how we want handball to be. Everybody enjoyed it who were playing, I think, everybody who was in the arena. I really thought it was an amazing game. It’s a nice feeling.”

Felix Claar (SWE) – centre back

On the rivalry with Croatia and this victory:

“It’s always a tough game, to play against Croatia. They are a strong team, a physical team, but our plan today was to run as much as possible, and I think we did it.

“We had a lot of fast break goals which was the key in this game. I think we had a good plan and delivery today.”

On the Croatia defence:

“We talked about it a lot before, because we knew it was going to come. Sometimes it’s really tough to play against a 5-1, and sometimes today it was tough, but overall we did it good.”

Dagur Sigurdsson (ISL) – Croatia head coach

On the defeat:

“From my side it was a one-way game. I think Sweden was the better team to win this game, and we were not strong enough.”

On the main round:

“We are of course going to the main round to win games. It’s not the main thing to be there, it’s the main thing to win games, so we’ll really try to do that.”

Dominik Kuzmanović (CRO) – goalkeeper

On the start of the game:

“The first opening 20 minutes were really good for us, we played really good defence, I could take some easier shots. It was really functioning really well for 20 minutes.

“But throughout the whole game we made a lot of mistakes, we made it easier for them to just score counterattacks. We didn’t manage to put them under pressure.”

On the second half:

“The half-time it was minus four, and we expected we should go back into the game, but it went the other way. A lot of beginners’ mistakes, I think we made, and that was because in that time when we also lost a man, two men, we weren’t really the team that we wanted to be.”

NETHERLANDS vs GEORGIA 31:26 (18:15)

Staffan Olsson (SWE) – NED head coach

On the win against Georgia:

“I feel really proud of how we performed today and for our circumstances since we had a tough tournament, also that we are playing without Dani Baijens, and that the whole team was showing character. We were hoping and knowing because Georgia was playing fantastic the first 20 minutes, but we were still a little bit calm and we did what we should do.”

Rutger ten Velde (NED) – left wing

On the win:

“It was so important for us to get a good draw for the World Championship. I think how we played this tournament this was maybe the maximum we could do, and that we did that makes me quite satisfied.”

On the match:

“We were patient. We knew it was going to be a tight game, they showed that also against Croatia and even against Sweden the first 40 minutes. So we knew we had to fight until the end. I think we have a bit more strength in the depth of the team to win in the end, and we did that.”

Tite Kalandadze (GEO) – Georgia head coach

On the defeat:

“Everyone said that our fighting spirit was very good. We never left it, so our performance was better. Unfortunately we lost all the games.”

On what he told his players at half-time:

“We went to the locker room and I asked my players just to fight for each ball. We came to the second half, but with their physicality – and this is the huge difference – we couldn’t go to the end. But we tried our best and the game was very close to the end because we were fighting to the end."

Giorgi Tskhovrebadze (GEO) – right back

On the tournament:

“Of course it is disappointing to lose all three games, but I think we showed character, we were energetic.

“The first game I think we should have won, even if it’s Croatia who are one of the best teams here, it doesn’t matter, we were plus-six. We have to find something for the future games, not to lose these kinds of games. It doesn’t matter who we play, it can be Sweden, it can be France, it doesn’t matter, when you win like this in the start you have to keep going and don’t stop.

“In the second game against Sweden we played 25 minutes like a draw, they did like plus five. Of course it’s disappointing, but we have to take this experience, we have to take all the mistakes we did, discuss it together and take it into future games.

“We have to of course learn more how to play in the critical moments, more precision.

“Overall I think it was a good tournament from us. Of course we didn’t win, it’s really disappointing because I wanted to win and surprise again the whole of European handball, because we are kind of underdogs and I want to break this circle.

“Overall I’m proud of the boys, I think we give it our all, we’re all dead.”

On the defeat to the Netherlands:

“We were really playing like a draw, and there was a small moment that they went through.

“It’s unfortunate. We came here to win, even if it’s the last game and we lost the last two games. We gave it our all and I guess today they were the better team and they deserved to win.”

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