Sweden finished the intermediate round in Malmö with a big 34–21 victory over Switzerland.
Jim Gottfridsson was one who got more playing time than before during the European Championship, after Sweden's semi-final chance had passed earlier in the evening. And "Gotte" took the chance.
When he then summed up Sweden's unsuccessful European Championship (although Friday's match against Portugal for fifth place remains), he called for more of the kind of attacking play he usually contributes.
"We haven't had flow in our attacking play. Many things have gone wrong. We've scored a lot of goals. But I don't think the ball has gone as if on a string, as you're used to in Swedish handball," says Gottfridsson.
“Will ponder over”
National captain Michael Apelgren stated that the Skåne playmaker was "very good" against Switzerland.
Should Gottfridsson have played more in the European Championship?
"You can always discuss that, and it's something you will, of course, ponder as a national team captain. But it's not in attack that we have failed in this tournament. We concede too many goals," says Apelgren.
Gottfridsson himself, named the tournament's "MVP" at both the 2018 (silver) and 2022 (gold) European Championships, believes that his performance on Wednesday night shows that he should have been allowed to play more.
I hope and believe that many see that. I am here to help the national team and play the minutes I can. I am extremely proud and satisfied with my performance. Many always put a big question mark on Jim Gottfridsson - that he is old and maybe on his way out and that there should be a generational change. I am showing today that I have a little more to give at this level, he says.
Aiming for the Olympics in LA
The player from Skåne, who normally plays with national team captain Apelgren at Hungarian club Pick Szeged, has previously said that the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is the ultimate goal of his national team career. That still applies.
Although Felix Claar has been the first-choice centre-back in the European Championship, against Switzerland, 20-year-old talent Axel Månsson also came on at the end and played his first championship minutes.
I have great respect for Axel, he is a future name who will go out and try his wings in Europe next season. We will get a lot of joy from him in Swedish handball, but if the old man himself gets to decide, I would be happy to continue playing for a few more years.
The next championship is the World Cup in Germany in a year.
