From Porto to the World: Magnus Andersson on Portuguese Handball’s Evolution
Legendary Swede Magnus Andersson continues his good work on Porto’s bench. The Portuguese team managed to secure a spot in the TOP 12 of the EHF European League by defeating Vojvodina 38:30 in Novi Sad, setting up a clash with French side Toulouse for a place in the quarterfinals, where Montpellier would be waiting. In an interview with Handball-Planet.com, the 59-years old Swedish coach spoke about the club’s ambitions, competition in Portugal, and the rapid development of the national team.
The domestic league is a close race, with Sporting and Benfica as your biggest rivals, while in the European League, you’ve reached the playoff stage behind Kiel and Melsungen. How satisfied are you with the season so far?
I can’t complain. Novi Sad was good for us. I was a bit nervous—we knew Vojvodina is strong in front of their fans in such an atmosphere. They took a point in Melsungen, and we knew we would have to take this match seriously. We expected it to be tough. We were coming off a derby against Sporting, with many injured players, so I’m pleased with the result and our place in the TOP 12.
You’re facing Toulouse in the playoff for the quarterfinals, and if you win, Montpellier awaits in the battle for the Final Four…
I don’t like to speculate—that’s a journalist’s job. Is it Toulouse? I haven’t had time to keep up! Our focus is on the next league match on Saturday, which we need to prepare well for. We’re heading home to Porto, and then we’ll think about Toulouse. The French league is strong, with many good teams. I don’t know much about them yet—I’ve watched some footage, and it won’t be easy, that’s for sure.
You drew against Sporting in the last round of domestic Championship. The league title race in Portugal is thrilling. Is there a clear favorite for the championship?
As you said, the league is getting better and better. We have three strong football clubs backing us. We’ve won five titles, four if you don’t count the season interrupted by COVID. We didn’t win last year, but Sporting has an exceptionally strong team. Don’t forget Benfica—these are three football clubs. Sporting has achieved great results in the Champions League, and everyone talks about them. They have good players, but so do we, and so does Benfica…
How would you explain the rapid rise of Portuguese handball, the progress of the clubs, and the national team’s impressive fourth-place finish at the 2025 World Championship?
It’s hard to say. I arrived in Porto in 2018, and we achieved some great results. Our key match was the victory over Magdeburg in 2019. That was the turning point. We gained a lot of confidence—not just us in Porto, but all of Portugal. We’ve had excellent results for years, taking points off Barcelona and Kielce. Everyone saw it—if we can do it, why can’t other clubs? Other teams have also been performing well in Europe; Benfica won the European League, Sporting is playing great. There’s an “if Porto can, why can’t we?” mentality. There’s optimism in Portuguese handball, and many talented young players. But in Portugal, it’s all about football, football, football. If we can keep working like this, things will continue to improve. Even smaller clubs are doing a great job, but the best players are in the three biggest teams. I’m very proud of the work everyone in Portugal is doing, and the success of the national team is proof of that – Magnus Andersson stated.
PHOTO: RK Vojvodina
