PICK Szeged terminate Jim Gottfridsson’s contract, Swede announces legal action
Hungarian runners-up terminate contract with legendary handball star from Sweden
PICK Szeged had pursued Jim Gottfridsson for years, once one of the best handball players in the world and a two-time MVP of the European Championships. After 12 years in Flensburg, he swapped northern Germany for Szeged last summer, joined the Hungarian runners-up, and signed a deal until 2028.
He was expected to be one of the pillars of Michael Apelgren’s team, but he turned out to be a major disappointment, one of the biggest misses in the handball world in recent years. Serbia’s Lazar Kukić and Iceland’s Dadi Smárason simply pushed him aside in the backcourt positions. He had not been in the squad for the last few matches. His absence from the Champions League playoff tie against Kielce was particularly surprising. It was not due to injury. Quite simply, there was no room for him in the 16-man matchday squad.
Even without his help, PICK Szeged reached the quarter-finals, where they will host mighty Magdeburg, the reigning European champions, at the end of April. On Saturday, two days before the derby against Veszprém, the club dismissed Gottfridsson.
“Our club has terminated the contract of 33-year-old Swedish back Jim Gottfridsson. He joined our team on July 1 last year. During that time, he played 31 matches and scored 57 goals in the Szeged shirt. Our goals and ambitions remain unchanged. The team will continue to fight for the highest objectives. We thank Jim Gottfridsson for his work and wish him the best of luck in the rest of his career,” said club president Edvard Pap on PICK Szeged’s official website.
Soon after, a statement from the Swedish star followed, in which he said he was shocked by the club’s decision. He also announced legal action against the Hungarian runners-up.
“Dear fans, friends, and members of the handball community, I confirm that PICK Szeged has unilaterally terminated my three-year contract. They did so without any explanation or prior consultation, thereby seriously violating the written and unwritten rules of the sport I love. They did this despite the fact that I fought for the team with all my heart at every moment and in every match. I wore the shirt of this club, with its rich history, with maximum commitment and pride. I wanted to finish my career here. I had envisioned a near future for myself and my family in this beautiful city, and I intended to devote the final years of my professional career to this club. My disappointment cannot be described in words. I could never have imagined that a club with such a reputation would sacrifice all principles of sporting ethics and the law for reasons unknown to me,” Gottfridsson wrote, before announcing legal action:
“I believe the club’s actions are unlawful and, with the help of my legal team, I will try to prevent something like this from happening to handball players in Hungary in the future. Thank you for your support,” wrote the Swedish ace.
