Hoxer: “If We Play Our Handball, Others Must Be Great to Beat Us”
After the match, Danish right back Mads Hoxer reflected on a performance that, in his words, had the right direction from start to finish — even if it wasn’t perfect for all 60 minutes.
“It was a good start of the tournament for us,” Hoxer said. “We played a good game. We had some problems in the first half with the defense, but we changed a little bit at the break. It was a good game.”
Denmark looked sharp in attack, but Hoxer admitted the opening stages exposed a few defensive gaps. The response after halftime, however, underlined a key quality of the Danish side: they can adjust quickly, raise intensity, and turn a solid win into a statement.
When asked about the broader EURO picture and the early “campaign” narrative that follows Denmark into every major tournament, Hoxer kept it simple — and confident.
“No, we talk a lot about what to do and how to talk with people about that,” he explained. “The most important is to play good handball, and as we do that, other teams have to play very good to beat us.”
It’s a mindset Denmark have built over years of consistency: focus on execution, block out noise, and trust the system. Still, Hoxer made it clear there will be no easy road at this championship.
“There are a lot of good teams — France, Sweden, Iceland,” he noted. “Also Germany have a really good team. Portugal in our group, that would be also a tough match.”
Denmark’s opening win provides momentum, but the message from the dressing room is clear: the real tests are still ahead — and the margin for error will shrink as the tournament progresses. For now, Denmark have started exactly the way a favorite should: with control, quality, and the feeling that their best is still to come.
