Can superstar signing help Esbjerg find balance?

Having just signed one of the hottest talents in world handball, there will be plenty of attention on the already entertaining Team Esbjerg this season as they search for a more consistent campaign and establish themselves as mainstays in the DELO EHF Champions League.

Main facts

• having been granted an additional place in the competition, Esbjerg are set for their third straight season in Europe’s top tier
• knocked out in the playoffs last season against eventual finalists Brest, bringing a rollercoaster ride of a campaign to an end in which Esbjerg were consistently battling injury problems
• their biggest signing of the summer is last May’s DELO EHF FINAL4 MVP Henny Reistad from Vipers Kristiansand
• while Nerea Pena has gone in the other direction and Sonja Frey has moved to Danish league rivals Herning-Ikast

Most important question: What level should we expect from Esbjerg this season?

Esbjerg have been something of an enigma in the past two seasons. In 2019/20, they stormed into the quarter-finals as one of the genuine surprise packages of the competition, before the pandemic cut their season and any hopes of a place in the DELO EHF FINAL4 short.

With more expectation on their shoulders last season, things did not go to play and club captain Marit Frafjord put it best herself, saying: “Last season we played many good and exciting games, but we did not manage to win enough of them. Therefore, we are looking forward to proving different this season.”

Indeed, Esbjerg can never be accused of being boring but they can be painfully inconsistent. The loss of Estavana Polman through injury was a tough one to overcome but they will have to do it again this season, at least until the second half of the season. So expect plenty of entertainment, drama and surprise results against each and every opponent they face.

Under the spotlight: Henny Reistad

Whoever secured Henny Reistad’s signature in early 2021 deserves to be credited for this stroke of genius. The prodigious talent came on leaps and bounds as the season progressed, culminating in a stunning performance at the DELO EHF FINAL4, where she made the event her own, scoring 22 goals in two games and leading Vipers to the title.

She comes into her new club with a serious amount of external expectation and will be expected to assume a key role immediately, seeing as Sonja Frey has left the club and Polman is out injured. The pressure is undoubtedly there but Reistad has proven to be ice-cool under pressure.

How they rate themselves

Given how last season unfolded, club manager Thomas Hylle is taking the cautiously optimistic approach right now, focusing on establishing Esbjerg as regulars at this level.

“Team Esbjerg wants to be one of the top teams in the national league and to participate in the EHF Champions League as often as possible. It is of great importance for everybody. Our goal is to qualify for the knockout matches.”

A reasonable wish but relatively tame in comparison to what line player Marit Frafjord, who just won Olympic bronze with Norway, wants to achieve.

“We simply want to perform at a higher level and like we did in the competition in 2019/20. be in contention for the spots at the EHF FINAL4.”

Did you know?

Esbjerg have always had a very healthy Norwegian contingent in the squad but with the arrival of Reistad, there are now just as many Norwegians as there are Danes in the first team with six each.

What the numbers say

Numbers were a big issue for the Danish side last season, most specifically the number of players available to play as they were down to as few as 10 players on occasion during the group phase.

The risk remains this season as there are 15 players currently listed, including the injured Polman. A big boost, however, is the return of right back and key defender Line Jørgensen after giving birth earlier this year, so the squad looks a lot more balanced, as long as they stay fit.

Arrivals and departures

Arrivals: Michala Møller (Herning-Ikast Håndbold), Beyza Irem Türkoğlu (Kastamonu Belediyesi GSK), Dinah Eckerle (Metz Handball), Henny Reistad (Vipers Kristiansand) 

Departures: Stella Muir (SønderjyskE), Rikke Marie Granlund (Chambray Touraine), Elma Halilcevic (Nykøbing F. Håndbold), Nerea Pena (Vipers Kristiansand), Sonja Frey (Herning-Ikast Håndbold)

Past achievements

DELO EHF Champions League
Participations (including 2021/22 season): 5
Quarter-finals (1): 2019/20
Playoffs (1): 2020/21
Main Round (1): 2016/17
Qualification (1): 2015/16

Other
EHF Cup: Runners-up: 2013/14, 2018/19; Quarter-finals: 2010/11, 2014/15
Cup Winners’ Cup: Last 16 2012/13

Danish league: 3 titles (2016, 2019, 2020)
Danish cup: 1 title (2018)