Swedish coach Tomas Ryde is used to having success in women's handball in Denmark - nationally as well as internationally. First he had a successful time with Ikast/Bording, and at present he has even more success with near-by Viborg HK...

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Swedish coach Tomas Ryde is used to having success in women’s handball in Denmark - nationally as well as internationally. First he had a successful time with Ikast/Bording, and at present he has even more success with near-by Viborg HK.

Not only did he win the Danish championship with Viborg on Sunday, but he has also taken the team all the way to the finals in the Champions League, where his girls will be facing Krim Ljubljana away in the first leg Sunday afternoon.

Eurohandball.com talked to the successful Swede.

Eurohandball.com: When meeting Krim in the group matches back in January and February, you lost by six goals at home and five away. What makes you think you can do better in the finals?

Tomas Ryde: We have improved our game in all respects considerably since then. Our defence as well as our attacking play is much better now, and if we can find the right solutions against Krim’s physically strong defence, I believe that we have a very good chance of winning the Champions League.

Eurohandball.com: Winning the Danish championship has of course given the team a lot of self-confidence. However, have the three hard finals against Slagelse not tired the players physically?

Tomas Ryde: No, I don’t think so. The players are all extremely happy and filled with self-confidence after winning the Danish championship, and I think that only good things have come out of that. We are not tired!

Eurohandball.com: You have defeated the previous two year’ Champions League winners Slagelse three times this spring. Do you consider Krim a stronger or weaker team than Slagelse to play against at the moment?

Tomas Ryde: That is very difficult to say, as Slagelse and Krim play in so different ways. While Slagelse were always trying to get Bojana Popovic to shoot when meeting us, Krim is playing much more as a team - and they shoot much less from the distance, but want to shoot from six meters, if they can. The key to beat them, however, is to open their defence, which we cannot allow to stand as well against us, as it did in the first leg of the semifinals away against Aalborg DH, where Krim only let in 16 goals!

Eurohandball.com: What will be a good result for you in the first match in Ljubljana?

Tomas Ryde: It is difficult to say in advance. I think that what has been significant during this year´s Women’s Champions League, is how little home advantage has actually meant. We have seen very often, that it has really not been a handicap to play away. Therefore, you cannot say, for instance, that a narrow defeat away will be a good result before the home match.

Eurohandball.com: So you go after a win in Ljubljana?

Tomas Ryde: Definitely - if possible. If you can win away against Slagelse, then why should you not be able to win away against Krim?


Interview: Peter Bruun