World Championship 2023 is over for Jim Gottfridsson!
Sweden is ready for the semi-finals in the World Cup – but there will be no more games for Jim Gottfridsson in the tournament. Handball-Planet World Player 2022 had to retire early in the quarter-finals after suffering a fractured hand.
– It feels extremely heavy, but now I will do everything I can to support the team in the semi-finals, says Gottfridsson.
Sweden’s game engine Jim Gottfridsson, who was named the tournament’s most valuable player when Sweden became European champions last year, has finished playing in the home World Cup.
He was forced to leave the field already in the first half of the victory match against Egypt and after the match he went to hospital to have his left hand x-rayed.
The verdict: A fracture in the hand, cast and no more games for the next two months.
– I think I got stuck in an opponent’s shirt and felt something hurt. It is terribly frustrating as I feel that both me and the team have done a very good tournament and I have dreamed of playing in the WC final at home. I’m convinced that this team, whether I’m in it or not, can beat any team in the world. It feels incredibly heavy, but I will do everything I can to support the team in the fight for the gold, he says.
Swedish head-coach Glenn Solberg:
– I suffer an awful lot with Jim, who has prepared and done everything he could to come to him as prepared as possible. It is one of the best players in the world and he has had a very good tournament so far so obviously it is difficult for us, but we have a very strong squad that will do everything to win the semi-final.
It has not yet been decided whether Sweden will call in a replacement from the gross squad.
Sweden meets France in the semi-finals on Friday at 21:00.
