Flash quotes: Maschinensucher EHF Finals 2025 media calls
HAMBURG - Comments from Montpellier head coach Érick Mathé (FRA), right back Valentin Porte (FRA) and centre back Stas Skube (SLO); SG Flensburg-Handewitt head coach Aleš Pajovič (SLO), line player Johannes Golla (GER) and left wing Agust Pedersen (NOR); THW Kiel head coach Filip Jicha (CZE), centre back Domagoj Duvnjak (CRO) and left wing Rune Dahmke (GER); and MT Melsungen head coach Roberto Parrondo (ESP), right wing Timo Kastening (GER) and line player Adrian Sipos (HUN) at media calls on Friday.
MT Melsungen
Roberto Parrondo (ESP) – head coach
On facing his former Ciudad Real teammate Ales Pajovic, coach of SG Flensburg-Handewitt:
“I did not think about that before how it is like to play against Pajo. He is my friend and it was really nice when he was my teammate. I can only say good things about him. I wish him the best, but after the match tomorrow, I hope to be happier than him.”
On facing Flensburg for the fourth time this season:
“The last match was already a long time ago, but it is always good to re-watch the matches to learn something. But I have no preference whether I face a team for the first of the fourth time, if we played before or not. We know them from the (German) league and the cup, maybe we can use the knowledge from the last matches.”
On the importance of goalkeepers, as Melsungen’s regular number 1 Nebojsa Simic is ruled out through injury:
“Goalkeepers are a key position. You can play amazing handball, but in the last moment the goalkeeper saves and you have nothing in your hands. If your goalkeeper is on fire, you have many more options to win, so we try to help Adam Morawski with our defence to provide him with a good performance.”
Timo Kastening (GER) – right wing
On how to keep the focus high at the end of the season:
“We have to keep the same focus as in the last weeks. And we have to have same attitude like before the final tournament of the German Cup – not talking about the final before you have played the semi. We face a world-class opponent, and I hope we are well-prepared to win this match.”
On how the club has developed in the last months and years:
“A lot of things have changed, but in the end, your reputation is always connected with results. If we had the same results as before, we would have the same reputation. It all counts on the court, all depends on your performance.
“But we have a calmness and continuity in our club now, the coach gets time to develop his ideas and philosophy. I think it is like at Berlin or Magdeburg, when the process took some time to be successful.”
On whether all teams are equal favourites:
“I don’t care about any percentage. We play the semi-final tomorrow, and we have 50:50 chances to win. Of course we want to win the trophy, otherwise we do not need to travel to Hamburg. Everything can happen in this format, all teams are good, so there will definitely be positive and negative surprises.”
Adrian Sipos (HUN) – line player
On the power left at the end of the season:
“It was really a long season with a lot of games and not many free days. But I feel well, I am physically good and I am happy to help the team.”
THW Kiel
Filip Jicha (CZE) – head coach
On THW Kiel’s track record in second-tier European club competitions:
“Those statistics are only four journalists. We have a final already in the semi-final and we only talk about this match. We need a top performance to beat Montpellier, and we will not get disturbed by statistics.”
Domagoj Duvnjak (CRO) – centre back and team captain
On losing the first leg of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2023/24 quarter-final 30:39 to Montpellier in France:
“The match at Montpellier was a good lesson for us. Now we have a new match on neutral ground, and tomorrow’s match will be completely different to last year.”
Rune Dahmke (GER) – left wing
On the importance of having many THW Kiel fans in the arena:
“The role of the fans is extremely important. All these final 4 tournaments are characterised by the four fan corners in the arenas. And we all know from previous events that we can fly on the wings of our ‘white wall’. We really count on this support.”
On the favourites for the Maschinensucher EHF Finals 2025:
“If Montpellier say they are the little duck in the German pond, then we want to be the sibling. To be serious: it is absolutely normal ahead of such tournaments not to build up the favourites that much. Quite often, the team which had the role of favourite at the start did not win the tournament in the end.
“It all depends on us, how we get into the games. We knew about the strengths of Montpellier, we are warned from last season and we have to give 100 per cent.”
SG Flensburg-Handewitt
Aleš Pajovič (SLO) – head coach
On the favourites for the Maschinensucher EHF Finals:
“All four teams are favourites in the same way, this is a final 4, and if you make it there, you are always a favourite.
“We have played really close league matches this season against Kiel and Melsungen; and Montpellier are strong too, playing this typical French handball, the squad is rehearsed and they have two strong playmakers. They are favourites in the same way as the three German teams. But our main focus is on Melsungen, we go all-in to win it. But it will not be that easy.”
On his personal expectations in Hamburg:
“It is my first final tournament as a coach, I am quite new in Flensburg. We had some ups and downs since I arrived, but I hope that our last league defeat against Löwen was a wake-up call for us.
“I want to win this trophy, and we have the quality to do so. I expect two really close semi-finals, and I also hope to have some luck on our side.”
Johannes Golla (GER) – line player and team captain
On knowing they are out of the race for the German league trophy:
“After our league defeat against Rhein-Neckar Löwen, we sat together and everybody gave his input on what we need to change. We were self-critical, and I am sure everybody knows what we need to do better.”
On facing MT Melsungen for the third time this year following the German league and Cup:
“We have a lot of video material to analyse, we could take some things from those matches, but still, it will be a different game. Melsungen constantly changed little things in all matches, and both sides played with different line-ups due to injuries.
“So you cannot compare the upcoming semi-final with those games already played. And I am sure Melsungen’s coach Roberto (Parrondo) will have his ideas how to surprise us.”
On whether they are motivated by a potential final against their northern rivals THW Kiel:
“We only focus on our upcoming, extremely tough opponent. We have no thoughts about what might wait on Sunday. Both potential opponents are top teams.”
Agust Pedersen (NOR) – left wing
On the chance of becoming the first team to defend the EHF European League Men trophy:
“Last year, winning this trophy was a huge moment for me. And of course we want to repeat it. We will do everything to raise the trophy again.”
On his last big matches, as he will leave SG Flensburg-Handewitt after this season:
“The time is ticking, it is not that long for me in Flensburg. Therefore I really hope to win this title, this would mean really much to me.”
Montpellier Handball
Érick Mathé (FRA) – head coach
On facing German teams again as in the EHF Finals 2023 in Flensburg:
“I was not there two years ago, but what I can say: we like playing the underdog role, and having the whole of the arena against us, this is a source of motivation for us.”
Valentin Porte (FRA) – right back
On Montpellier being “the little duck” among three German teams:
“It was the joke to explain the role we play in Hamburg, and we like playing this role. Therefore the duck is the perfect definition.
On Montpellier’s loss in the second leg of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2023/24 quarter-finals to THW Kiel:
“We played a good first leg, but in the return leg we lacked mental experience. Now, we have learnt from that experience, from the mistakes we made. It will be complicated, but our team is better prepared to face the challenge we have ahead.”
Stas Skube (SLO) – centre back
On winning the French Cup last weekend:
“It was a big victory for the club to win this title last weekend. We celebrated a bit, but then took the full focus on Hamburg, where we fight for the next trophy.
“If you want to win this trophy you have to beat the best teams, and it is normal to face three German teams in this competition. The best four teams are in Hamburg, and everybody has the same chances to win. Everything can happen in one match, we hope to stay focused in both matches.”
Photo © Ingrid Anderson-Jensen
