Helene Fauske hopes for “perfect match” in the MOTW

Helene Fauske is, to her own admission, “a little bit tough with herself.” No wonder then, that the Norwegian centre back for Brest Bretagne Handball would qualify her own performance in the first leg of the EHF Champions League play-offs as “not that good.”

But if you look at the statistics sheet, you will find that she finished as top scorer with five goals and played a crucial part in her team bringing a decent result home from Odense — a one-goal loss, 25:24.

“I am the one who always wants everything to be perfect. I set very high goals for myself — that way I can develop better. So, the first game against Odense was OK, no more,” says Fauske.

Fauske arrived in Brittany just last summer after playing four seasons for Danish side Herning-Ikast. “It was tough a first, as I did not speak the language so everything, either on or off the court, was an effort. But it is getting much easier now, as I have made some progress in French,” explains the 25-year-old.

The centre back has definitely found her feet on the court as well. While her first games with Brest were a little shy, Fauske came back roaring in 2022, scoring a combined 24 goals against Podravka and FTC to help her team secure their Champions League play-off spot.

“On the court, everything was a little bit different compared to what I’d known before. Now I know how the girls want to play. I feel like we understand each other better. So, I guess I play better, but also the team, as the results have proven lately,” says Fauske, who has netted 75 times overall and leads Brest in that ranking in what is her second EHF Champions League season.

The 2021/22 recruit had some huge shoes to fill on her arrival at Brest, as she was meant to replace Isabelle Gullden — MVP of the EHF EURO 2014 and key driver in CSM’s shock Champions League 2015/16 title win, among numerous other achievements. In addition, Brest were fresh from a huge season in 2020/21, when they made their first trip to the EHF FINAL4 and even qualified for the final by beating Györ in the semi.

While some players would take the pressure onto their own shoulders and maybe crumble under its weight, Fauske chose to look at things the other way: “For sure, such a big club as Brest expect the best results. But we have to face the reality — this season’s team is much younger, very different.”

But that does not mean that the players do not have high expectations for themselves. The word “FINAL4” is whispered but not openly said, as there are two rounds to make it through before possibly flying to Budapest.

The next game is on Sunday, when Brest face Odense in the second-leg play-off and this round’s Match of the Week at 16:00 CEST (streamed live on EHFTV).

“Odense are a very dangerous team, and we will have to be better in every aspect of the game. One might think that a one-goal defeat away was a good result. But they have an advantage at throw-off and we will have to make a lot less mistakes if we want to get through.”

The home support could be a key factor for the coin to fall on Brest’s side on Sunday. Although Fauske has now played in many arenas around Europe, she confesses she has not played in many atmospheres as uplifting as the one in Arena de Brest.

“It gives us more focus and more determination and more power. This atmosphere is built for Champions League games, and it will be a huge help for us.”