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IN QUARANTINE: Veronica Kristiansen together with the director of the national team Thorir Hergeirsson during the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Photo: Vidar Ruud / NTB
On Monday, Veronica Kristiansen tested positive for COVID-19. The key player of the national handball team should not have symptoms of illness. The Györ club has had three games in a row canceled. It is becoming increasingly difficult to organize handball matches in Europe.
It is Györ who reports the positive test. The club is home to a total of five players from the Norwegian national team: Stine Bredal Oftedal, Kari Brattset Dale, Amanda Kurtovic and Silje Solberg, as well as Veronica Kristiansen.
The 30-year-old is the first Norwegian national team player to be confirmed infected with the women’s team.
– He had to come. It would be very strange if it did not affect any of our players, says national team manager Thorir Hergeirsson to VG.
On Monday, NHF President Kåre Geir Lio could not rule out that Norway could give up the European Handball Championship at home in December due to strict Norwegian crown rules.
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Veronica Kristiansen must now be in quarantine until November 5. Then she will be examined again. She herself cannot comment on the matter, but refers VG to the club’s media manager, Tamas Szabo.
– You feel fine and have no symptoms. She is surprised by the positive test, says Szabo, who is also Györ’s responsible for the corona cases. The rest of the squad will be tested again on Wednesday. The other players will be out of quarantine in the event of a negative test.
Györ has not played a game since October 17. Last week’s league match was postponed due to a crown case with opponent, MTK Budapest. Before the Champions League match against Buducnost last Saturday, Györ Fodor Csenge tested positive for covid-19. Therefore, 15 players and six leaders had to be quarantined.
It was in the follow-up test on Monday that Veronica Kristiansen, as the only one, tested positive. The club states on the website that it has no signs of illness and is in home quarantine. All the Györ players have been there since Csenge’s positive test on October 22.
Wednesday’s league game against Mosonmagyaróvár is also postponed.
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Kristiansen has had a brilliant fall in the field. He scored on all six shots in the last game, against Valcea in the Champions League. And she showed very good form for Norway when she became a 9-goal scorer: France was defeated 29-28 in early October.
– It’s boring. It never fits optimally. But such are the times. Most importantly, “Vikki” is well and disease-free, Hergeirsson says.
Györ is not alone in some postponed matches. Nor could Vipers Kristiansand play their match against Rostov-Don. The trip to Russia was made impossible due to the quarantine rules of a country outside the Schengen cooperation.
Up to four of the eight games were postponed last weekend in the Women’s Champions League. In total, 39 of the 48 games (81 percent) have been played as planned.
Elverum’s men will not be able to play Wednesday’s Champions League match against Belarusian Meshkov Brest. The away game against Vardar of North Macedonia was also postponed earlier this fall.
Viasat handball expert Ole Erevik believes that the European Handball Federation cannot be criticized for playing international club tournaments during the pandemic.
– If this is going to continue for a long time, handball will have to try to complete the tournaments, says Erevik to VG.
