Handball sensation through the Faroe Islands
A party that never ended
As of: 1:07 p.m. | Reading time: 3 minutes
A point that electrifies – players and fans alike. Faroe Islands coach Peter Bredsdorff-Larsen spoke of a “historic day” for the European Championship debutant
Quelle: picture alliance/Maximilian Koch
The Faroe Islands pull off a huge coup at the European Handball Championships and the team’s fans completely escalate in the stands. The small country from the North Atlantic wrestles a draw from Norway and dreams of more. Ten percent of the population traveled to Germany for this.
The final siren was the starting signal for the biggest party in the history of Faroese handball. After the memorable 26:26 draw against top favorites Norway, thousands of supporters who had traveled with them finally transformed the Berlin hall into a boiling cauldron. Intoxicated by the first European Championship point ever, national players, fans and the coaching team celebrated the huge sensation together.
With a seven-meter penalty at the last second, the handball dwarf from the small island group in the North Atlantic shocked the title candidate and sent the white wall in the stands into ecstasy. “It is the biggest thing in the history of handball in the Faroe Islands,” said backcourt player Oli Mittun to the “handball-world” portal. Coach Peter Bredsdorff-Larsen spoke of a “historic day” for the European Championship debutant.
The party, which climaxed after 60 minutes on Saturday evening, had started well before kick-off. The Faroese people sang warmly in large groups in front of the hall and got in the mood for the duel with the great handball nation Norway. The archipelago has around 53,000 inhabitants – over 5,000 are currently in Berlin and provide goosebumps and a home game atmosphere. Almost everyone wears a blue and white national jersey and waves a flag. The small country is proud to be there.
The Faroe Islands play at home in front of around 1,500 fans
Elias Ellefsen a Skipagotu became the hero of the evening. There were eleven seconds left on the clock when the Bundesliga professional from THW Kiel stole the ball from his league colleague Harald Reinkind. The Faroese would have been free through, but Reinkind held him tight – seven meters. Goal. The hall shook. “We are here to contribute our part to a big handball party,” Bredsdorff-Larsen said before the European Championships. The team delivers.
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The Faroe Islands usually play at home in front of around 1,500 fans. The number has more than tripled in Berlin. “Our fans are crazy. Without our unique fans, this would not have been possible today. We are incredibly grateful to them for their brilliant support over the last few days,” enthused a Skipagotu.
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He celebrated with his teammates long before the fans’ curve; the team seemed to want to leave the floor just as much as the enthusiastic supporters didn’t want to leave their seats in the stands. Mittun spoke of the “eighth man” in the stands, “that’s unique.” The party continued on the bus to the hotel. It is the Faroe Islands’ first ever participation in the European Championship. After the surprise coup against the Scandinavians, progress is still possible. In the last game of Group D, third place will face bottom team Poland on Monday (6 p.m., in the WELT sports ticker). The best two teams in each group qualify for the main round.
“Of course it’s a dream, but it will be hard,” said Mittun, who was carried by the chants of his supporters during the game. After each goal by the 18-year-old, the fans sang the Eurodance classic “No Limit” by the band 2 Unlimited and changed the refrain to “Oli, Oli, Oli – Mittun”.
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On Monday, the white wall in Berlin’s Mercedes-Benz Arena will once again do everything it can to make the impossible possible. “Norway has to lose against Slovenia and we have to win against Poland. It’s going to be another tough game. But we will give 100 percent again,” Mittun announced euphorically.