Norway’s men’s handball team faces a challenging European Championship campaign, taking on France Monday at 8:30 PM amid a shifting landscape for the nation’s top players. While historically a powerhouse-reaching their peak between 2016 and 2020-the team now fields fewer athletes competing at the highest club levels in Europe, prompting questions about expectations for the tournament. As Dagbladet reports, both players and coaches are assessing whether recent shifts in player positioning and a focus on progress can translate to success against formidable opponents.
Norway vs. France, Monday at 8:30 PM
When Norway’s handball team was at its peak between 2016 and 2020, Norwegian players were prevalent in Europe’s top clubs.
Last spring, Christian O’Sullivan, now off the roster, was the only player involved in the Final Four, where his Magdeburg team won the entire tournament. Despite this, media and fans often expect the Norwegian handball team to consistently compete at the highest level.
During Viaplay’s broadcast before the first European Championship game, Stine Oftedal Dahmke suggested expectations might need to be adjusted.
“There are fewer players in the very best clubs than we and Norwegian handball would like to see. Training with the very best players makes you good. Right now, we don’t have as many as when we were at the top,” summarized the former captain of the Norwegian women’s handball team, who is also married to Germany player Rune Dahmke.
In the European Championship, Norway has been drawn into a tough group with Denmark, Spain, Germany, and Portugal in the main round, as well as France in the group stage. Four of these teams are giants in men’s handball, while Portugal reached the semi-finals of the World Championship last year.
“Therefore, perhaps, with such a difficult intermediate round, one should adjust the goals. As it is now, it is difficult to reach that world-class level,” she continued.
The statement aligns with comments from the national team. After some disappointing championships, an explicit goal of reaching the semi-finals has been replaced with a “taking it one game at a time” approach. The initial objective was to qualify for the main round.
Dagbladet presented Oftedal Dahmke’s comments to national team coach Jonas Wille.
“You can measure the level of Norwegian men’s handball in several ways. In championships, we have been between fifth, sixth, and tenth in recent years. That reflects how the players are performing in the Champions League and European League,” admitted national team coach Jonas Wille.
LOOSE: During Norway’s game against the Czech Republic in the Handball European Championship, the floor came loose. Video: Myhrvold Simensen/Skingen/Dagbladet
He believes the handball team should take an aggressive approach and not set the bar at their previous successes.
He pointed out that several of the younger players are now on the rise, with Tobias Grøndahl joining Füchse Berlin last year and Simen Lyse moving to PSG after the European Championship.
“That’s a bit harsh. We’ve had players at a high level. Now we have players in Aalborg, Füchse Berlin, there are players in top clubs across the board. It’s strict, but at the same time I understand that they are not satisfied with what we have achieved, that’s another matter,” responded Tobias Grøndahl to the comments.
Grøndahl has, in a few years, moved from Elverum, via the Danish club GOG, and on to perhaps the world’s best club, Füchse Berlin.
– What’s the difference?
– You notice how high the basic level is at Füchse Berlin. In training, there are no easy duels. That creates a good training culture and everyday life, you are even more on your toes. You can’t afford as many mistakes as in GOG or Elverum. There’s a higher prestige, there are so many good players that if you make a mistake, you can be substituted and sit on the bench for the rest of the game. Some can handle it, others can’t, but for my head, it’s fun.
A few years ago, a number of national team players returned from European leagues to the Kolstad project. For many, reduced match load was part of the reason. Many believed it would give the players more energy in championships for Norway, but unfortunately, that never had a positive effect.
VIKING RAID: There were long lines outside the Carls pub in Oslo before the Faroe Islands’ first game in the Handball European Championship.
In the last year or so, Torbjørn Bergerud, Magnus Abelvik Rød, and Sander Sagosen have all moved back out.
– Do you talk a lot with the players about club choices?
– There are players who ask for advice. We are careful not to say what they should do, but we like to be involved as a sparring partner. There are also several things that play a role. For example, playing time and role,” Wille pointed out.
He highlighted Alexandre Blonz, who moved to the Polish top club Pick Szeged but didn’t succeed. After taking a step down to Danish GOG, he gained confidence and developed into one of the world’s best wingers before moving to Aalborg this summer.
