Five talking points after the fiery EHF Finals Women

Ikast finally break their duck in the EHF Finals Women

Since the rebrand of the second-tier European competition into the EHF European League Women three seasons ago, Ikast Handbold were the only side to have clinched a place in the EHF Finals Women in each season.

However, the Danish side fell at the first hurdle each time, losing the first two semi-finals, but they adapted better and better to the conditions. Eventually, they made it through to the final, sealing the title with a dominant 31:24 performance against Nykøbing Falster Håndbold last Sunday in Graz.

Ikast had a perfect season, winning 10 games out of the 10 they played in the competition. They displayed the best attack in the EHF European League Women, scoring at an excellent rate of 32.1 goals per game. That was also to be seen also in the last act of the game in Graz, when they dominated the second half with an excellent comeback against their fellow Danish opposition.

It was the third title won by Ikast in the second-tier European competition, which makes them jointly the most decorated side in history at this level of European competition after their EHF Cup titles in 2002 and 2011 – they have tied another Danish side, Viborg HK, with the number of trophies clinched.

Moreover, this is the seventh European trophy won by Ikast: they also won the Women’s Cup Winners’ Cup in 2004 and 2015, the Women’s Challenge Cup in 1998 and the EHF Champions Trophy in 1998.

Ikast also wrote more history by remaining unbeaten in the European League for 11 games, starting from their bronze-medal victory in the EHF Finals Women 2022.

On the other hand, NFH might have dropped three games, but they were strong when they needed to be and their performance may well fuel their ambitions for the future.

Denmark seal first trophy in eight seasons

With Ikast and Viborg winning three trophies each, Denmark confirmed their status as the country with the largest number of wins in the second-tier European competition. Danish sides have won the second-tier trophy 10 times in 41 seasons – effectively a title in every four seasons.

However, it is the first time in eight years that a Danish team has lifted the trophy, with the last side being Holstebro in 2014/15 in the EHF Cup. Team Esbjerg and Viborg HK lost one final each in 2018/19 and 2021/22.

This year another Danish title was secured after the semi-finals, with Ikast progressing to the final alongside Nykøbing. They were the only two Danish sides in the group phase, therefore making it a 100 per cent result for Denmark.

This was also the first final in the second-tier competition played by two sides from the same country since 2010/11, when Ikast took the title against Holstebro. It was also only the second time in history when two teams from the same country battled it out for the trophy.

Moreover, with Ikast’s win, Denmark sealed their first title since the rebranding of the second-tier European competition, after Les Neptunes de Nantes and SG BBM Bietigheim sealed the trophy in the previous two seasons.

Friis finally clinches silverware with Ikast, adding MVP title

At only 23 years old, left wing Emma Friis has established herself as one of the top players in that position throughout European handball, after earning back-to-back individual awards in the last two European competitions played for club and country. An immense talent since her junior and youth years in handball, Friis was named the All-star left wing at the EHF EURO 2022, where she claimed silver with Denmark, the second medal in her career after bronze at the 2021 IHF Women’s World Championship.

Friis secured the MVP title at the EHF Finals Women with a strong performance in the final against NFH when she scored 11 goals – more than a third of Ikast’s 31 goals in the 31:24 win. She also netted four times in the semi-final.

Friis has been nothing short of amazing throughout the season and her consistency has been key for Ikast, the only club she played for in her career, after making her debut in the senior side in 2016 at the age of just 17.

Lott seals top goal scorer trophy

While Ikast might have been the top attack of the competition, the Danish side also had an outstanding depth, with coach Kasper Christiansen rotating his squad to ensure that he kept all his players fresh in a tightly packed schedule throughout the season.

This left the door open for other players to deliver excellent performances, as the top goal scorer award went to another player, Thüringer HC’s Annika Lott, who had 68 goals in the competition from the start of the group phase. She scored 86 goals including the qualification phase matches.

Twelve of Lott’s goals came in Graz, but failed to help Thüringer to a medal as Herbert Müller’s side ended fourth in the final standings.

Lott resisted a challenge from NFH’s Elma Halilcevic, who scored 64 goals in the competition since the start of the group phase, to clinch her first individual trophy at only 23 years old. A towering left back, Lott has been the fulcrum of Thüringer HC’s challenge, establishing herself as one of the top players in the competition.

Photos © Sasa Pahic Szabo and Uros Hocevar / kolektiff