On Monday, Michael Apelgren was presented as the new national team captain for the men's handball team, following Norwegian Glenn Solberg, who surprisingly announced his resignation in September after four years in the position.
Even before it was clear that he would get the new job, Apelgren, who assisted Solberg for two years, had been in contact with the players.
I got to work a little beforehand, I had a feeling it would turn out like this, he says in connection with his first team presentation two days later.
"Is better"
Apelgren presented the team in Danish Ålborg. Later that Wednesday evening, his Pick Szeged - the Hungarian giant club - will face Ålborg in the Champions League.
From the Danish club, he has selected the 24-year-old goalkeeper Fabian Norsten. Experienced Mikael Appelgren, who was third goalkeeper in the Olympic Games, is left out.
Right now, he (Norsten) is a regular in the reigning Champions League finalists, was born in 2000, and is Swedish. I think he's exciting and it'll be fun to see if he takes that final step, says Apelgren, who will continue to train Pick Szeged.
Middleman Andreas "Stycket" Nilsson was selected for the Olympic Games but declined due to family reasons. The national team door is not closed for Nilsson, who now plays in Önnered in the handball league, but the 34-year-old is rejected now.
I'll be honest and say that I think Felix Möller, Oscar Bergendahl, and Max Darj are better, says Apelgren.
He does not expect star Felix Claar to recover in time for the World Championship at the beginning of next year. The middleman had foot surgery in September.
We're counting on him being out of the World Championship. We believe and work based on that scenario. It makes the middleman position feel a bit exciting.
Not playing "cowboy"
In the middle, the only debutant in the team for the November matches against France and Denmark in the national team tournament EHF Euro Cup is Ludvig Hallbäck, Göppingen.
It feels fresh with Ludvig in an otherwise not so fresh team, says Apelgren with a smile.
By that, Apelgren means that he doesn't see any reason to play "cowboy" and change the entire team.
I became national team captain two days ago. We might not want to shoot everything from right to left, he says.
The handball national team's squad for the matches against France (November 6, away) and Denmark (November 14, in Linköping) in the national team tournament EHF Euro Cup:
Goalkeepers: Andreas Palicka, Paris Saint-Germain, Tobias Thulin, Pick Szeged, Fabian Norsten, Ålborg.
Left back: Hampus Wanne, Barcelona, Lucas Pellas, Montpellier.
Middle back: Max Darj, Füchse Berlin, Oscar Bergendahl, Magdeburg, Felix Möller, Ålborg.
Right back: Sebastian Karlsson, Montpellier, Isak Persson, Magdeburg.
Left wing: Jonathan Carlsbogård, Barcelona, Karl Wallinius, Kiel, Eric Johansson, Kiel.
Middle wing: Jim Gottfridsson, Flensburg-Handewitt, Jonathan Edvardsson, Hannover-Burgdorf, Ludvig Hallbäck, Göppingen.
Right wing: Albin Lagergren, Magdeburg, Lukas Sandell, Veszprem.
