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NATIONAL TEAM COACH: Glenn Solberg had to wait a long time to lead Sweden into battle, but in Egypt he has fared brilliantly for the Norwegian. Photo: KHALED ELFIQI / EPA
(France – Sweden 26–32) The Norwegian national team has been eliminated, but there may still be Norwegian cheers at the World Handball Championship. On Friday, Glenn Solberg (48) led the Swedes to the World Cup final.
With tonight’s victory, Sweden is ready for a World Cup final for the first time since 2001, and that with a Norwegian on the coaching staff.
– Absolutely crazy. For a team, that is. For a team, for a team. It seems that we have control of the game from the first moment to the end. It’s crazy. Final of the World Cup. It’s crazy, in fact, Solberg told TV3 after the game.
Solberg is aware that it is very special to reach a World Cup final on the first attempt as coach of the Swedish national team.
– We have never talked about gold or medals. We have talked about how we want to appear and how we want to play handball. So we have a good, long-term plan for how we will be nominated for medals in each championship, but this came a little earlier, he says.
The great player of the match, goalkeeper Andreas Palicka, is also very happy with the new coach of the national team.
– You meant a lot sick. We appreciate that you gave us a Norwegian, says Palicka to TV3.
Swedish men’s handball in 2001 was the end of an era of greatness, which from 1990 to 2002 included two World Cup gold medals, two World Cup silver medals, two World Cup bronze medals. , three Olympic silver medals and four European Championship gold medals.
Since 2002, there has been no championship gold for the Swedes, but on Sunday they get the chance again. There, Denmark, who won 35-33 in a stressful match against Spain on Friday night.
After the game, Swedish commentator Johan Flinck boasts a lot about the team Solberg has built.
– One must wonder if a handball team has ever maximized its conditions better than this at this level, writes Flinck in Aftonbladet.
– I will not say that Sweden is the favorite in the World Cup final, it does not matter who you play against, but it is no longer a sensation if you win it, writes Flinck.
Interestingly, Sweden’s last World Cup gold in 1999 also came in Egypt and so far it seems to be a happy country for Swedish handball masters.
In the 2001 World Cup final, the Swedes lost to France and the Swedish team has battled France for the past 20 years. In the semifinal on Friday it was even the first quarter, but from then on the Swedes were always in control.
At halftime, Sweden led 16-13 and in the second half remained ahead of France. In the end, Sweden won by six goals, 32-26.
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Solberg with advantage as Sweden coach: – I’m proud
As early as 2019, it became clear that former Norwegian national team captain Glenn Solberg would take over the Swedish men’s national team in handball, but it was only after the European Championships in 2020. Due to the corona pandemic and matches Postponed, Solberg had only led the team in two European Championship qualifiers before this year’s World Cup, a championship that has so far been the only major success.
The Swedes came without a number of their biggest stars, but Solberg led Sweden in group play with three wins and remained undefeated from the middle game.
The quarter-finals ended with a great victory, 35-23, against Qatar and now the Swedes are ready for the World Cup final after Friday’s victory against France.
