Flash quotes: group D media calls 10 January
BERLIN - Comments from Slovenia head coach Uros Zorman (SLO), line player Blaz Blagotinsek (SLO), Faroe Islands head coach Peter Bredsdorff-Larsen (DEN), Faroe Islands right wing Hákun West av Teigum (FAR), Poland head coach Marcin Lijewski (POL), Poland line player Kamil Syprzak (POL), Norway head coach Jonas Wille (NOR) and Norway centre back Christian O'Sullivan (NOR) at media calls on Wednesday.
SLOVENIA
Uros Zorman (SLO) - head coach
On missing several players through injury:
"We are a little bit in fear, but we have also our quality players who are here. They have energy. In the end I will cry for who is not here, but we will do the best with the team which we have here."
On how the squad is feeling ahead of the opening match:
"On paper we are favourites, and we are not running from this. The Faroe Islands they are, in the last years, they are in a big progression. They play very good, very fast handball. They have not so tall players, but they are very explosive, very smart with a good knowledge of handball.
"Tomorrow is the first game. You're always a little bit nervous, you don't know where you are for the main matches. It will be for us of course important. We will go match by match and tomorrow for us is the first key match. We need to be good, very good, and do our best if we want to think about two points."
On what would constitute success for Slovenia:
"This year is a very long year - the European tournament, then qualification for the Olympic Games, then qualification for the world championship, then the Olympic Games and then again qualification for the European championship. But this year is Olympic year and for us, however many players are missing, the first [aim] is to go to the second round."
Blaz Blagotinsek (SLO) - line player
On his expectations for the opening match:
"The first game in the tournament is always tricky, always sometimes happens surprises. We have to be 120 per cent to be there, to fight, to be more focused and try to take two points."
On whether the opening game is a 'must-win' for Slovenia:
"The Faroe Islands have a really good team, good players, they play in good clubs. They play fast handball, they play a lot of one against one. They're a good group of people together.
"We put a lot of focus on this in preparation. We have a really tough group, every point is really important."
FAROE ISLANDS
Peter Bredsdorff-Larsen (DEN) – head coach
On the importance of securing a place at the Men's EHF EURO 2024:
"We are very happy to be here for the first time at a European championship, we have been very fortunate that we have qualified in April and had a period to enjoy and celebrate from April until now the big success for a small country such as the Faroe Islands is.
“It's a big milestone for the Faroe Islands and the handball culture in the country, a milestone for continuously strong work and culture around the islands and the clubs, a milestone that we are very happy for."
On their expectations:
"We are not here only to be just part of the European championship, we also want to make a difference and we have been preparing ourselves to make a difference. We will try our best to make amazing performances and of course, our dreams are to get big results for us, that would the first victory at a championship."
Hákun West av Teigum (FAR) - right wing
On the expectations ahead of Thursday’s opening match against Slovenia:
"We've heard that they are physical, they like crosses and they are 10 to 15 cm taller than us, so it's going to be a mountain to climb, that's for sure.
“But we prepared good and well on them, and we believe if we play at our top level and they don't have their best day, then we have a chance of course. But that's like finding a needle in the haystack and that's what we are going to try to achieve and all of us are looking forward to it."
POLAND
Marcin Lijewski (POL) - head coach
On the expectations ahead of Thursday’s opening match against Norway:
"We want to play good, we want to realize our tactic as long as we can, as good as we can and of course, we want to reach a good start at the tournament. We know that we start from the high sea, and this is a very difficult thing, but we don't look like this. We have our chance, and we want to try to use it."
On how difficult it will be to achieve Poland's goals without Arkadiusz Moryto:
"Of course it will be difficult to realise our goals, but sometimes it's like this, he's unlucky and that can be luck for someone else and we tried to look at it this way. Arek is not there, it's a shame, but we have another one. When Arek was there, another one probably wouldn't have get the chance. But of course, if I could choose, to have Arek or not to have Arek, you know the answer."
On if he is confident in right wings Jakub Szyszko and Mateusz Kormala:
"They are young, they are not experienced, and I don't think they have 10 international matches both together. But they are hungry, and they are crazy and this is most important for me. I love hungry and crazy players."
Kamil Syprzak (POL) - line player
On the expectations ahead of Thursday's opening match against Norway:
"For us it will be the match of the opening and I could hear some voices saying that it will be our most important game of the group. Maybe it will be nice to start, but as you all probably know, our group is quite equal and I would say that is one of the groups where the level is equal. So, for that, it will be really interesting to play all the three games and for us, the goal is to start the championship really good, to win against Norway. I'm pretty sure that our self-confidence will grow up, but we don't have to think about this game like it's our last game as we have two more games and everything can happen."
On how far he thinks that Poland can go at the Men's EHF EURO 2024:
"Everybody starts from zero points in the group, so it doesn't look like we are far away from Norway, Slovenia or the Faroe Islands. Everybody is starting in the group with zero points and we are supposed to think like this, that should be our mentality."
NORWAY
Jonas Wille (NOR) - head coach
On their preparation matches ahead of the start of the Men's EHF EURO 2024:
"Against Denmark we had a draw and that's a better result than we usually have against Denmark, so if we are looking at the results, we also beat the Netherlands and we had quite bad second half against Egypt. We were leading by three goals before the second half, but we are mostly focusing on the different kind of topics that we are going to develop we are quite satisfied with the way we are developing our concept."
On the expectations ahead of the opening match against Poland:
"I think it will be quite an even match, a lot of physique as both teams are fighting hard. Poland has developed positively in the last couple of years, so they are better team than when we met them the last time. So, we are really looking forward to get it started so we can see the results."
On setting a goal among the squad ahead of the Men's EHF EURO 2024:
"We have not set a result goal because we are focusing on the tasks and how to perform, how to solve different issues, how to meet this and that team tactically. Everyone is confident and motivated for winning matches so we are not talking about if we are going to win or not which is talking how to win."
Christian O'Sullivan (NOR) - centre back
On Poland:
"They have a really good team and they are a younger team than we played last couple of years. They have been through some changes in the team and from what I have seen now in the test games, they have looked really, really good. Some big names like [Szymon] Sicko who still plays at Kielce and they have a really good team, so we need to be well prepared and have a good game tomorrow to have a chance to win."
