Since 2021, Andreas Palicka has been the more or less obvious first choice in the national handball team.
Ahead of the European Championship, which Sweden begins against the Netherlands in Malmö on January 17, the situation is no longer as certain.
After the blue-and-yellow World Cup fiasco in Oslo almost a year ago, Aalborg's Fabian Norsten has started every match. In an interview at the last gathering a couple of months ago, national team captain Michael Apelgren could be interpreted as saying that 25-year-old Norsten is now the national team's declared first-choice goalkeeper.
Now, at the national team's first press conference during the European Championship preparation in Gothenburg, Apelgren says:
Even if I say something once in Sportbladet, it won't apply for ten years... Since the World Cup, Fabian has started every international match, you could call him the first goalkeeper. Then we'll see how we do now.
Back from injury
Since the last meeting, 39-year-old team captain Palicka has made a comeback from injury at Norwegian club Kolstad. And after moving to Hungarian major club Veszprém, the reborn 36-year-old Mikael Appelgren, with seven championships to his credit, has played like in the old days during the autumn season.
Palicka has been a bit injured, but Palicka is Palicka. "Äpplet" has been the first goalkeeper in Veszprém. And then we have Norsten, who we see as the future of Swedish handball, says Apelgren and describes the goalkeeper question as tricky.
We simply have to look at both performance and gut feeling. And look at history. We have to mix in all the parameters.
Meets Brazil
Sweden's European Championship warm-up matches against Brazil are this week, in Jönköping on Monday and Partille on Wednesday. For the goalkeeping trio, the matches will be extra important to show that they deserve the trust for the European Championship.
"Yes, it will be a bit like that, considering the situation we have. On other fronts in the team, it is perhaps a little more settled and clear with all the roles," says Fabian Norsten.
Already in the first match with Brazil, there will be a clear indication of which of the goalkeepers is in the best position with barely two weeks until the European Championship starts.
There will probably be some clues for you to look at. We will probably only have two goalkeepers and then we'll go with the two that we think are at the forefront, says Apelgren.
“Luxury problem”
Once the European Championship gets underway, it is not impossible that all three goalkeepers will be used in one way or another.
Andreas Palicka:
It's an extremely strong trio we have, so if the question is tricky, it's a bit of a luxury problem. I think we'll need all three for various things during the tournament.
Andreas Palicka
Born: July 10, 1986.
Parent club: H43 Lund.
Club: Kolstad.
International matches: 175.
Previous championships: 13 (European Championship silver 2018, World Championship silver 2021, European Championship gold 2022, European Championship bronze 2024).
Mikael Appelgren
Born: September 6, 1989.
Parent club: Physical culture.
Club: Veszprém.
International matches: 101.
Previous championships: 7 (European Championship silver 2018).
Fabian Norsten
Born: July 11, 2000.
Parent club: Tyresö.
Club: Aalborg.
International matches: 17.
Previous championships: 1.
