Kim Andersson Ends Handball Career with Swedish Championship Gold

Drama was served in the fourth SM final in the fully packed Eriksdalshallen, just like in the three previous tight matches between Hammarby and Ystads IF.

When the match was in the balance in the end – 29–29 with less than three minutes left – the visitors were strongest. Oskar Joelsson (six goals total) scored two straight goals before Linus Fernebrand nailed the winning numbers 32–29 in the final seconds.

3–1 in matches to YIF, who also won the regular season and now only had to wait three years after the club's last gold.

It's damn fantastic, says 21-year-old goalkeeper Alexander Lindén to Handbollsligan Live.

Lindén's 14 saves contributed strongly to securing the SM gold in Stockholm.

The gold also meant the perfect ending to the career of Kim Andersson, the 42-year-old veteran who played a total of 240 A-international matches for Sweden between 2001 and 2019.

I'm extremely grateful to be standing here and very humble about getting to celebrate yet another SM gold, says Kim Andersson, who will become assistant coach to Oscar Carlén in Ystad next season.

This spring, Andersson returned after being out of play for nine months following a shoulder operation.

In the third final, at home earlier in the week, Andersson had the hero role. When the gold was finally secured, the Scanian did not make an impact during his short time on the court – but what did it matter?

Andersson beamed with joy as he hugged his teammates, all wearing gold-glittering caps and shirts with the text "Swedish Champions 2025" on their chests.

He acknowledged that a feeling of emptiness had already set in after a 25-year-long elite career as a player had come to an end. A career that Andersson leaves with many bright memories.