Men's EHF EURO 2026 post-match flash quotes: 18 January
HERNING/OSLO/KRISTIANSTAD – Comments from players and coaches after matches in groups B, D and F at the Men's EHF EURO 2026 on Sunday.
POLAND vs ICELAND 23:31 (10:13)
Jesús González (ESP) – Poland head coach
On the defeat:
“We did good in the first half and we were able to defend quite well with our defence 5-1. In attack we were a little organised, we knew it's going to be difficult with a team like Iceland. But, once again, we lots a lot of balls and we have a lot of work. We need to improve our attack a lot.
“In the second half when we played seven-against-six, we took risk, and they intercepted a lot of balls and scored without a goalkeeper. It is important to improve this situation because our defence works well, but the problem in this match was our attack.
“When you no able to play to try to get pass them playing one-against-one, it's really difficult. I need to think about playing seven-against-six because in the second half we were not able to understand what we want to play.”
On the decisive moment in the game between the 30th and 40th minutes:
“At the beginning of the second half it was a serious problem. We lost a lot of balls, and that was our problem: when they were ahead by eight or nine goals, it was really difficult. They played very calm and smart. We got nervous, it was impossible to practice any of our plays. We now have to be focused to be on the next match. it is important to beat Italy and try to fight for this victory.”
Arkadiusz Moryto (POL) – right wing
On the defeat against Iceland:
“Similar like against Hungary we played well in the first half, especially in the defence. We were strong but when we started playing little bit nervous and seven-against-six, they scored easy goal.
“After that it was difficult to play against Iceland. They have good players and they know how to play in defence, that's why they scored many easy goal to empty net. After our turnovers, we can't compete against teams like that when you're making turnovers.”
On the start of the second half:
“We talked about don't be so nervous. We have an advantage player and we can score the goals, and then they scored two goals, I think. It can't be at this high level.”
Snorri Steinn Guðjónsson (ISL) – head coach
On the second victory at the EHF EURO:
“It was a tough match. We won quite big in the end, but tough start of the game. Like we expected against Poland. With lot of physical and strong players. but, after few minutes we got it going, in defence especially. We are missing too many chances and technical faults also in first half, and then we had a great start to the second half and almost won the game there.”
On what's next for Iceland:
“Try to win the next game. It was our goal to win our group and now we are in a position to do it. We know we are plying really tough game on Tuesday. Now we can relax a bit and try to enjoy it for a couple of hours. Then focus on the next game. We have to take it one game at the time. If we get our game going, we can beat them.”
On Haukur Þrastarson:
“Great performance, especially coming in defence, and also Viggó Kristjánsson. It is important to have players coming from a bench. He played not that much in the first game, but before that game I thought about using other players, but in the end was a good call. He played good today.”
Haukur Þrastarson (ISL) – centre back
On the victory:
“I felt really good. It was good atmosphere. The feeling is like we are playing at home, honestly. So that helps us a lot. So good feeling in general.
“We did well today for 60 minutes. Took some time in the beginning, of course, we're playing against a good team, so took some time. But we kept focus throughout the whole game and did really well.”
On the Icelandic fans:
“It gives us a lot of energy. When it's like this, you it's impossible to not be ready, for the game and in tough moments, and everything, it helps. So we really feel it. We really appreciate it that all these people are here and it's just fantastic support.”
On his role in the team and conversations with the coach:
“It's just about being ready whenever. For everything. You never know what will happen. Every game is different. You can see our first two games, it's completely two different. Different games, two different styles of handball. So it's really simple. You just have to be,, ready for everything in every, every moment.”
Elliði Viðarsson (ISL) – line player
On the key moment in the second half:
“We had a really good moment. We get this two minutes and we go straight up and score. Óðinn Ríkharðsson picks up offensive foul from them. And then you feel like the arena just exploding with all the feelings. It was just extremely loud.
“Then we had an amazing run. We had, I don't know if they scored for 10 minutes or something. That was our feeling, at least in the defence. And then we got a lot of easy goals.”
On what is special about the Icelandic defence:
“A lot of fight. It's a lot of spirit just in the defence. We are ready to fight for each other. If we lose, or we lose one against one, we have always someone helping us. And we are not maybe the strongest physically, but we have a strong spirit and willing to fight.”
NORTH MACEDONIA vs PORTUGAL 29:29 (13:15)
Kiril Lazarov (MKD) – North Macedonia head coach
On the match:
“I want to congratulate to my players, they were excellent today. They deserve, I don’t know what, because we were going against the semi-finalists from the last World Championship, Portugal, and they came here to take the medal, maybe a gold medal. We are very satisfied.
“We lose two important players in the first half, two left wings — we were without left wings 40 minutes or maybe more. Also our best defence player, Nikola Markovski, get a red card.
“I think this was a small miracle for us.”
On the final preliminary round match, against Romania:
“We use a lot of energy today, a lot of emotions, and we have to rest one day to have the same attitude in the next game. Romania’s a very good team, a very hard team, they have a target. Their target was Macedonia, they were not secret.
“I am optimist but knowing our mentality, we have to come down, to sleep a little bit, and to wake up tomorrow and to start with a new day.”
Filip Kuzmanovski (MKD) – centre back
On scoring 15 goals, becoming Player of the Match and taking a point against Portugal:
“I am very happy and very proud of my team, our coaches, our fans and all of whole Macedonia. We were able to trust in our quality.”
On whether they gained a point or lost a point:
“I really don’t know. I’m still in a kind of trance after the match. We’ll have to take a look at it again.”
On the support of their fans:
“They go everywhere, they follow us, they support us wherever we play – in Europe or anywhere in the world. They are outstanding, and all I can say is: thank you very, very much.”
On the next opponents, Romania:
“After the match against Denmark, I said that we needed to stay focused and that we have enough quality in the squad. Now we go into the match against Romania fully focused, even though I don’t know what it will look like if we win. We have to play the same way we did today once again – and then win.”
Paulo Pereira (POR) – Portugal head coach
On the match:
“There’s a moment that we win by five, five goals, and we are not capable of this advantage. That means we lost a little of the rhythm of the game.
“But it’s life. We go to wait until the last moment, we will fight to the last moment like usual.”
On their next opponents, Denmark:
“In all situations playing against Denmark is the most difficult game, ever. It doesn’t matter what happened until then.
“It will be a hard game, so we will prepare this game in the same situation. We will try to score the maximum of the goals, to get something out of the match. We don’t have so big difference with them. Let’s fight and see what happens.”
Victor Iturizza (POR) – line player
On the draw:
“We lost one important point. We did not do a great game today, mainly in the second half our attack did not play good enough. We drew one game which we needed to win. Now we try to beat Denmark to make sure to go to the main round.”
On the Macedonian fighting spirit:
“They fought until the end, their goalkeeper (Martin Tomovski) made some great saves. Today, the difference of both sides was in the goal. We got too many easy goals. We are disappointed as we needed to win this game.”
On the Portuguese attack, which regularly scores more than 30 goals:
“This was our problem today. Our outcome was really smaller than usual. We did not have a good day in attack.”
On their final preliminary round opponents, Denmark:
“We have to try, we have a good team, but we know that Denmark is Denmark. They play an amazing handball. We have to fight for our country and reach our goal.”
Rui Silva (POR) – centre back
On the draw:
"We already knew that since the beginning that North Macedonia would put a lot of difficulties. They make right that. Then, in the beginning of the second half, I think we started really good and then we go a little bit down again. And they had the chance to come back to the game.
“In the end it's really small details that can define this kind of games. We are a little bit disappointed because we wanted to win this game."
On the expectations for the next match, against Denmark:
"It's not easy to describe how difficult can be against them, but it's 60 minutes and we will go in with the same energy and with the same passion to try to get good result. Because it's not the result that we want today, but we still have our chances and we will fight for them with everything that we have."
MONTENEGRO vs FAROE ISLANDS 24:37 (13:19)
Didier Dinart (FRA) – MNE head coach
On the defeat:
“We did not manage to stick to the plan we had offensively and we lacked defensive intensity. Faroe Islands are a very good team and we basically let them play. And at this level of competition, that is just not a possibility.”
On what he said to his players at half-time:
“We tried to tell the players again about what we wanted to do. We asked the players to be more aggressive since we were too passive in the first half. But really, the game was already played at half-time.”
Branko Vujović (MNE) – right back
On the defeat:
“It’s hard, I still don’t know what happened to us. Last game we played really good, tonight, we showed our worst side. We need to learn from this and try to move on for the next game.”
On what he was most disappointed with:
“The most disappointing thing is that we did not fight until the end. That’s what makes me really sad, because we had maybe the chance to come back within four or five goals. In the first half, I think we played good sometimes, but nobody wanted to take responsibilities. That was the main problem.”
Peter Bredsdorff-Larsen (DEN) – Faroe Islands head coach
On the victory:
“We gave a great performance and we played very well. We already played well against Switzerland and today we again did, on both ends of the court. The players played really good in all situations, so I am very happy.”
On what he said to his players at half-time:
“I told them that we had to be focus in each situation. We needed to take a victory as big as we could. If we could beat Montenegro by 13 goals, Switzerland can also do that so we are not secure yet, regarding the qualification. But we tried to push as hard as we could and I am now very happy with our performance.”
Pauli Jacobsen (FAR) – goalkeeper
On his feelings after the victory:
“It’s amazing, unbelievable, especially in front of so many people, we can call that our home ground. We knew that the victory was important for us and we are very happy with the result.”
On remaining focused when the Faroe Islands were ahead by seven at the break:
“That is something we talked about before the game, that if we would get into this situation, either losing or winning we had to have in mind that all the goals count. We were concentrated the whole time because every goal was important.”
Hákun av Teigum (FAR) — right wing
On the meaning of the historic win:
“I think everyone else in the arena present can see how much it means to us. Also to the fans.
“It doesn’t get much better than this.”
On what can be expected next from the Faroe Islands:
“I think we have to calm a little down. Right now, we have the feeling that we can fly, but in two days we meet our strongest opponent in the group, Slovenia, and the group is still wide open. We can advance, Slovenia and also Switzerland.”
Teis Horn (FAR) — line player
On the key to the win:
“The key were our defence. We were well prepared. We knew what they were going to come with and we stood together as the team we are. And it’s just amazing playing handball with all my friends and to win a game at the championship — that’s nice.”
On Montenegro focusing defence on the back court and how that opened space elsewhere:
“We have two incredible players, Óli (Mittún) and Elias (á Skipagøtu). They create a lot of space for all of them around them. We have a world-class wing in Hákun (av Teigum) and Leivur (Mortensen) also, so when we get the chance, we have to score. They create a lot of chances, Elias and Óli, so it’s nice to play on the same team as them.”
On the meaning of the historic win:
“I think if you watched the match, you could see it all around us — not only for us, but the fans also. So it’s fantastic.”
Photo © kolektiff images
