Lasse Andersson: “Such a hard way to be back”

While Gidsel has only played two EHF Champions League seasons with his former side GOG before he joined Berlin, 30-year-old Andersson already has his eighth year ahead. He has previously played in the premier competition from 2013 until 2016 with KIF Kolding and then for four years for mighty FC Barcelona. Andersson made it to the EHF FINAL4 with Barça twice, but both times missed to qualify for the final. In 2020, the Danish shooter joined Füchse Berlin – and now made his dream come true to return to the EHF Champions League.

“It was such a hard way for us to make it to the EHF Champions League. Of course, we wanted to become German champions for the first time, but finishing second meant we qualified for the Machineseeker EHF Champions League. And there is no league where it is harder to make it happen. Just looking at clubs such as THW Kiel and SG Flensburg-Handewitt, who did not make it, shows the strength and the balance of the German league. It is really tough to compete, as five or six teams can make it to the top. So we are really happy to play in this competition,” says Andersson.

For the “Foxes” from the German capital, an 11-year-long absence came to an end. They qualified for the EHF FINAL4 in Cologne right in their first EHF Champions League season in 2011/12, one year later they lost in the quarter-finals against Atletico Madrid, and in 2013 they missed the qualification for the top-flight competition by a single goal, against the defending champions at that time, HSV Hamburg.

In between, Füchse Berlin became the most successful team in the second-tier club competition, winning the EHF Cup twice in 2015 and 2018 and the EHF European League once in 2023. Besides, they made it to the finals of those competitions in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2024.

“We played many years in the EHF European League now, which is getting stronger and stronger, but the EHF Champions League is different, more attractive, the biggest competition for a club. You face the best teams, it is legendary. And therefore, it is really fun to be part of it with Füchse Berlin. The EHF Champions League is the competition we all aim for”, says Lasse Andersson.

His side will restart in the EHF Champions League with a real bang, a home match against four-time finalists HC Veszprém on Thursday, 12 September – but for Lasse Andersson, the whole group phase will be an adventure: “Playing Veszprém right at the start does not mean that much to me, as we only face great teams in our group. And for all of them we have respect, of course. I am looking forward to playing all those teams.”

Besides Veszprém, Füchse Berlin will duel with PSG, debutants Fredericia, Plock, Eurofarm Pelister, Sporting CP and Dinamo Bucuresti in group A.

And right from the start, it is Füchse’s dream to go all the way to Cologne. Despite those high ambitions, left back Andersson remains humble: “We have not talked about the goals for the next season, but of course, we aim for all potential titles and trophies – this is always the intention of Füchse Berlin. And of course, it is also my goal.”

His last trophy was the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Paris/Lille after winning silver four years ago in Tokyo. But in 2024, Andersson did not have that much playing time in the star-studded Danish squad as in the previous events: “The Olympic Games were different to me, as I did not play the same role as in Tokyo or at the previous World and European championships. For me, the gold medal at Egypt 2021 stands out, but the whole experience with the team at the Olympic Games is different. But I do not want to compare one gold medal with the other, as I do not want to rate this one higher than others.”

Regardless of who was on the court for the treble world champions in Paris and Lille, the final outcome was incredible for Andersson: “The Danish dominance at the Olympic Games was no surprise for me, as we know what we are able to do. We have a great team with great players. But to play a tournament this way, like we did in Paris and Lille, is something different. To remain undefeated at the Olympic Games or World Championship is really tough, facing the top teams in the world. This was really hard work.”

After the celebrations in France and some days of holiday, Lasse Andersson and Mathias Gidsel returned to Berlin last week – and there, the next tasks were already waiting: “Coming home as an Olympic champion is top of the tops, but it is a bit hard that right after ten days off, you restart your season. On Wednesday I returned to Berlin, on Friday we left for the last preparation tournament, facing Nantes and Veszprem, and next Saturday we play for the first trophy, the German Super Cup, against SC Magdeburg. So sometimes it is really hard to enjoy the moment when the next target is already waiting. We already have the next focus now.”

In the previous season, Andersson was Berlin’s second-best scorer in the EHF European League (78 goals) and Bundesliga (209 strikes) – below his country-fellow Mathias Gidsel: “It is similar to play with Mathias in the national team and in Berlin, but in the national team my role is different compared to the club level, so it is hard to compare even though we are the same players.”

In general, Andersson hopes to continue the way he played in 2023/24: “Last season was incredible for me, scoring so many goals in all competitions. The seasons before, I had a different role in the team, but when Jacob Holm left, I was supposed to score more. But I didn’t expect to score so many goals last season, so I am absolutely happy with my role here. I have a good relationship with all my teammates and there is no competition between me and Mathias Gidsel, who scores more often.”

Photos © 2024 Anze Malovrh / kolektiff images