Ahead of both the 2017 IHF Women’s World Championship semi-finals, all four team head coaches faced the world’s media at the Barclaycard Arena, Hamburg. 

IHF.info was there and brings you all what was said in advance of the two big clashes on Friday 15 December between Netherlands and Norway (17:30) and Sweden and France (20:45).

Here, Sweden coach Henrik Signell gives his views on the game against France.

 

Media question: This is the furthest-ever a Swedish team has gone in an IHF Women’s World Championship. Did you expect to come so far?

Henrik Signell: You always believe in your team. We are getting better and better this year having worked together [over the past 12 months] with almost the same team and the same players.

We have a lot of players who have been doing good in their clubs – these are big clubs where they have a big role. We also have no injuries. We believed we can reach the semi-finals.

 

Media question: Are you the underdog?

Henrik Signell: You have to say France are the favourites, they have been here [at the semi-final stage] many, many times. 

Their team looks very strong, in both ways; in attack and especially in defence. Probably the best in the world. 

 

Media question: Is there any pressure on your team?

There is no pressure, but of course we want to win, if we have reached this far already we want to reach further and go to the final. I think the pressure is on France.

 

IHF.info: How important has the work off the court been for you as a coach, to get that team spirit?

Henrik Signell: To me this is very important. We work a lot on these kind of things – to not be 16 individuals. We work hard to be one group, but we are 16 players, and everybody is good in different things, so we want to use them outside the court, but especially on the court. 

We’ve worked a lot with it and I think you can see there are different players doing different things all the time. In the quarter-finals it was Hanna Blomstrand who was the player of the match and I don’t think many people believed that before the game.

Everybody has their role and they feel comfortable in the team. They feel very good – we have a good feeling with everybody working in the same direction.