Gabrielsen: "We are humble, but we are in an attacking position"

Perhaps, he is right not to get carried away with so much still to play for, but he is pleased with her position the team finds itself in, "We played the Women's EHF Champions League last season, and when it didn't happen this year, we had a clear desire to reach the EHF Finals this season in the EHF European League. That's where we are now, so we're quite satisfied with that," says the Norwegian head coach.

"I think there have been some good matches and a good tournament. We especially had a couple of close matches against Nykøbing-Falster Handball, which were very decisive for us. So, we had a really good start to the group stage, especially because of the victory in Denmark. We calmed things down. Then we also had a tough away game against HC Podravka Vegeta, which we lost, but I also think that Podravka played a very good game there. Otherwise, I think we have been stable and solid throughout all the games," he adds.

Storhamar finished in first place in group A – this helped give them the starting point that secured them a place in the quarter-finals against Thüringer HC, and now the semi-final place against Neptunes de Nantes.

"We will not give up without a fight"

"We are looking forward to the EHF Finals in Graz. We expect a great event. We are very proud to be involved and are very much looking forward to seeing the whole weekend run smoothly," says Gabrielsen ahead of the big final weekend that awaits in Austria.

"Now we only have four teams left. There is a very high level with all teams. We are mostly focused on Neptunes de Nantes, who we meet in the semi-finals. They have both players and a budget that is far beyond what we have at our disposal. So, we are very humble about the situation and the task. But we will not give up without a fight.”

"It is an interesting team - we have started to look at them. They have many good players at a high, international level. They have players who have tried a lot, as an example, French national team player Tamara Horacek, who was with us for many years – a type of player that is difficult to handle. She is a smart player. At the same time, they have a coach in Helle Thomsen, who has also been involved in a lot. So, it will be a tough opposition for us."

If Storhamar ends up being able to write a success story against the French side and reach the final, it will be a great achievement for the whole team and club. Gabrielsen agrees; “It will be fantastic. If we can reach a final in the EHF Finals, then it will be great for the club, the players and myself. But before that we have actually never been in a semi-final in any of the European tournaments. So, we've already come a long way, but who knows if we'll be in the final on 12 May? It's possible".

The prelude to the important weekend

Gabrielsen and his troops can look forward to building up to the EHF Finals with crunch matches in the Norwegian league, where there is a bit of everything at stake - something that the head coach views positively.

"We have two games left in the series, and these are two games that have no bearing on the result. Because we have already taken the silver medal in the series. Once those games are over, the real playoffs begin. Here I hope and expect that we will be able to play both the quarter-final and semi-final before we travel to Graz. So, I hope we get 6 games before we leave. So, we should get a really good start before we travel to the EHF Finals Women 2024.”

Photos © christian heilwagen, Storhamar Handball Elite