In January, the men’s handball team won the EC final over Spain.
Tonight, the little ones will repeat this feat.
We fight and toil like hell, says Axel Munson, the best player on the team.
This weekend, Sportbladet wrote about the Faroe Islands’ small handball prodigy and the Skiapgötu-Mittún family with super talents Elias Elefsen á Skipagötu, 20, and Eli Mittún, 17, with the latter dominant in U18 EC.
But the Månsson handball family is not far behind.
At the European Under-20 Championships in July, older brother Albert, 20, was the engine of play in Sweden which reached the semi-finals.
In the ongoing U18 EC Championship, it is the little brother who rules the game – Axel, 17, Sweden’s most brilliant star in the national team is the one who reached the final tonight.
Father’s name is First MansonSHE’s top coach H65 Höör for many years and former U-leader, there is a 14-year-old younger sister, Majken, who is also a very promising handball player.
Anton Manson, Ola’s cousin, won SM gold with Ystads IF last spring and has played for both the national team and the Bundesliga.
Axel isn’t too keen on comparing his family to the Sciagoto-Mitton in the Faroe Islands.
– I do not know what to say. You have to keep going, says the 17-year-old.
Scored 41 goals
He then prefers to talk about what lies behind his team’s success at U18 EC with new Malmö coach Björn Sätherström at the helm.
– We fight and toil like hell. We have fun together, stick to the game plan, and believe in each other and the leaders.
Sounds like a classic Swedish recipe for success?
– Yes, it is somewhat similar. But we haven’t won anything yet. There is only one match left!
But you don’t go to the EC final just by “fighting like hell” and having fun together – what has worked in terms of gameplay?
– No, that’s how it is. We played well in defence. We had problems initially in the pre-UEFA tournament, we got so busy playing offensively that we couldn’t get the ball out. We’ve achieved longer gameplay sequences, better ball shooting and a different in-game view, says Månsson at EC.
He himself was the best player on the team. Månsson controls the game as a center nine, provides assists, scores the most goals in the team (41 – fifth in the overall shooting league), and despite his size (usually the lowest on the field), plays second in defense.
– I’m satisfied so far. I scored quite a few goals, but I tended to make a lot of technical errors and throw balls away in some matches, says my self-critic.
– But I am very satisfied with my defensive game. It’s fun to play in defense and I really want to do that.
“Spain is disgusting there”
Månsson played at home at parent club Lödde until this summer, but is now moving to Lugi in the Handball League where he can start playing adult handball.
Ready to take the plunge?
– I want to believe it. I hope that. It will be a lot of fun. I’m missing a bit of prep now, but if it’s a U18 EC, you can take it (laughs).
Månsson & Co. wants to. Of course coming home with a gold medal around their neck. But then you must first play the role of the first team in the European Commission in January – defeating Spain in the final.
Spain, who won the EC U20 title earlier this summer, are the favorites in the final as they are undefeated during the tournament after, among other things, defeating Sweden in the group stage.
Just as in the larger aspect, the defensive game is the strongest weapon of the Spanish rookies.
– This will be the key for us. They are disgusting there. They cut corners, reverse, lock and release.
But Blågult’s desire for revenge is great after the loss at the start of the tournament.
– Of course! truly! of the entire team, says Månsson.