After the loss to France, Sweden can at best become fifth in the European Championship.
The fact that the dream of a medal was crushed once again means that the 30-plus players do not give up on the national team. Because they want revenge.
As long as the body feels good and it's fun, and I still think it's really fun, says Linn Blohm about continuing to reach the medal goal.
I still think we have a chance, there is potential in this national team that we didn't get out of this championship. That's where we want to be. Our dream is to take a medal, that dream lives on.
"There is a desire for revenge"
Goalkeeper Johanna Bundsen says she still has the motivation to keep going and Nathalie Hagman says just like Jamina Roberts that she will play handball even next season and therefore there is a great chance that she will also play in the World Championship next year.
It's clear that there is a desire for revenge, says Hagman after the loss to France, which meant that there will be no semifinal play in the European Championship this year.
Captain Jamina Roberts has now played 18 championships and is thus equal to Magnus Wislander, who has played the most championships for Sweden on the men's side. She does not rule out a 19th, primarily because the goal of a new medal, the first since the European Championship in 2014 (bronze), is still not fulfilled.
Too high a load
But then it requires, she means, that something is done about the load on the players.
We have had three tough championships in one year. Nowadays, we also have many tough matches every week and play in the Champions League, so I think we might be more tired than we think, says Roberts.
It's not unique to just us, but we are new to this, says she about the national team now going far in championships while many players have a high load in their club teams.
Hopefully, we can learn from it, maybe it needs to be adjusted from the association's side with regard to the load. We have a year to sort it out.
National team coach Tomas Axnér does not want to talk about the future of the national team, but says:
I have a year left on my contract and will do everything I can to promote handball.
Sweden has one match left in the intermediate round, which is played in Debrecen, Hungary, against Montenegro on Tuesday at 20.30.
Sweden must win against Montenegro by three goals to become third in the group after France and Hungary and thus get to play the match for fifth and sixth place.
The winner of the match gets a direct spot in the World Championship in the Netherlands and Germany in November-December next year if the Netherlands takes a spot in the semifinal. Otherwise, the World Championship qualification awaits in March.
