Romania suffered an emphatic 39-23 defeat to Denmark in their last group match at the Women’s Handball World Cup, with coach Florentin Pera explaining the huge difference in the standings.

>> Women’s World Handball Championship: Romania beats Denmark before main groups

“All Danes play in the Champions League, there are many here who don’t even play for a club,” says Florentin Pera

The Romanian coach expressed his disappointment with the game of the “tricolors”, but explained that this difference is normal, considering that the opponent performs at a very high level in club teams as well.

“The difference, first of all, is that all the players of the Danish national team play in the Champions League. There are many players in our country who do not even play in club teams. It is normal when there is pressure in a match like this, when there are 12,000 fans. Even though we always tried to go back, it never happened.

We started off weak, 1-4 to them, we came back, there was a period where we went one on one. Of course I took the risk. I played 7v6, I also tried to combine 5+1 in defense, I tried my best to get back into the game. The best team was Denmark. I said it from the beginning, the Danes are the main contenders for the world title.

It does not excuse our mistakes and errors. We preferred them, they scored easy goals on counterattacks. A team like Denmark charges you up. After building an important advantage, it was very difficult to get back into the game. We looked good in the second half but missed a lot of clear chances. I missed three times and from seven meters. I had about 10 self-created situations with the keeper that I missed. Today their goal was very good.

We won players for today, players for the future. We need to break ranks after this defeat. We have to be more decisive in the defensive phase. I am not satisfied with the way we showed ourselves in such a match at the group stage” – Florentin Peraquoted by Fanatik.

>> CM women’s handball: composition of the main groups

Florentin Pera: “We will overcome this moment. We have to concentrate and beat Germany”

The selector specified that the match with Denmark was not the most important for Romania and explained that the match with Germany will decide who goes to the “quarters”.

“I believe in the potential of the team and since I have been in the national team, I have had two bad matches: against France and today against Denmark, one of the strongest in the world.

But we have to overcome this moment, focus on the match against Germany. He played exceptionally well with Poland. We’ll see what happens with Germany, but I’m sure we’ll make it.

In this game, the pressure was not the greatest. The pressure was on Serbia and regardless of today’s result we had to beat Germany because it was a battle: us, Denmark and Germany. Even if we had won against Denmark and lost against Germany today, it would not have helped our victory.

I say that the team has the strength to overcome this moment and bring joy to our fans, whom I thank for the atmosphere created in the 12,000-capacity hall.” Florentin Pera.

Results of Romania in Group E:44-19 against Chile, 37-28 against Serbia, 23-39 against Denmark.

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Romania’s program in the main group III

December 7, 19:00 / Romania – Germany

December 9, 16:30 / Romania – Japan

December 11, 19:00 / Poland – Romania.

Main group III

1. Denmark 4p / 64-44

2. Germany 4p / 64-47

3. Romania 2p / 60-67

4. Poland 2p / 49-63

5. Japan 0r / 60-63

6. Serbia 0p/ 49-62.

What will the fourth board look like

1st place in GP1 vs. 2nd place in GP3

1st place in GP2 vs. 2nd place in GP4

1st place in GP3 vs. 2nd place in GP1

1st in GP4 versus 2nd in GP2

Romania’s national team at the 2023 Women’s World Handball Championship

Goalkeepers: Diana Chuke (CS Rapid Bucharest), Yulia Dumanska (CS Gloria 2018 Bistrița-Năsăud), Daciana Hosu (SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea);

Far left: Nicoleta Dinka (CS Gloria 2018 Bistrița-Năsăud), Oleksandra Dindiligan (CSM Bucharest);

Left integers: Bianca Bazaliu (CS Gloria 2018 Bistrița-Năsăud), Cristina Nyagu (CSM Bucharest), Claudia Pascan (SCM “U” Craiova), Diana Lixendrau (CSM Slatina);

Centers: Eliza Buceski (CS Rapid Bucharest), Cristina Laslo (CS Gloria 2018 Bistrița-Năsăud), Andreea Popa (Brăila Danube);

Right: Daria Bukur (Gloria Buzeu), Alicia Gohirle (SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea);

Far right: Alexandra Badia (CS Rapid Bucharest), Sonia Seraficanu (CS Gloria 2018 Bistrița-Năsăud);

Turns: Nicoleta Balogh (Brăila Danube), Lorena Ostase (CS Rapid Bucharest), Crina Pintea (CSM Bucharest).

>> Here you can read a comprehensive presentation of the 2023 Women’s Handball World Cup

Romania’s record at each World Handball Championship in which it participated

World Cup 2021 in Spain – 13th place: 3 wins / 0 draws / 3 losses / 202-146 (goal difference +56)

2019 FIFA World Cup in Japan – 12th place: 3 wins / 0 draws / 5 losses / 181-227 (-46)

World Cup 2017 in Germany – 10th place: 4 wins / 0 draws / two losses / 150-140 (+10)

2015 FIFA World Cup in Denmark – 3rd place: 5 wins / 0 draws / 4 losses / 270-225 (+45)

2013 FIFA World Cup in Serbia – 10th place: 4 wins / one draw / two losses / 161-127 (+34)

2011 FIFA World Cup in Brazil – 13th place: two wins / one draw / 3 losses / 166-183 (-17)

World Championship 2009 in China – 8th place: 5 wins / 1 draw / 3 losses / 306-231 (+75)

World Cup 2007 in France – 4th place: 7 wins / 0 draws / 3 losses / 323-284 (+39)

2005 World Cup in Russia – 2nd place: 9 wins / 0 draws / 1 loss / 322-249 (+73)

2003 World Cup in Croatia – 10th place: 4 wins / 1 draw / 3 losses / 244-206 (+38)

World Championship 2001 in Italy – 17th place: one win / 0 draws / 4 losses / 129-135 (-6)

1999 World Championship in Denmark and Norway – 4th place: 5 wins / 0 draws / 4 losses / 250-196 (+54)

1997 World Cup in Germany – 12th place: 3 wins / 0 draws / 3 losses / 186-161 (+25)

1995 World Championship in Austria and Hungary – 7th place: 6 wins / 0 draws / two losses / 232-175 (+57)

1993 World Championship in Norway – 4th place: 4 wins / 0 draws / 3 losses / 156-129 (+27)

1990 World Cup in South Korea – 7th place: one win / one draw / 3 losses / 90-100 (-10)

1986 World Championship in Holland – 5th place: 5 wins / one draw / one loss / 151-129 (+22)

World Championship 1982 in Hungary – 8th place: 3 wins / 3 draws / one loss / 159-122 (+37)

World Cup 1978 from Czechoslovakia – 7th place: 3 wins / 0 draws / two losses / 78-67 (+11)

USSR World Cup 1975 – 4th place: 4 wins / 0 draws / 3 losses / 102-83 (+19)

World Cup 1973 from Yugoslavia – 2nd place: 4 wins / 0 draws / 1 loss / 67-52 (+15)

World Cup 1971 from the Netherlands – 4th place: 2 wins / one draw / two losses / 51-51 (0)

World Cup 1965 from Germany – 6th place: 0 wins / two draws / one loss / 18-21 (-3)

CM 1962 from Romania – 1st place: 4 wins / 1 draw / 0 losses / 41-17 (+24)

World Cup 1957 from Yugoslavia – 9th place: 0 wins / 0 draws / two losses / goal difference 2-9

Total: 164 matches / 91 wins / 12 draws / 61 losses / goal difference 4037-3465 (+572).

Romania’s best result in the entire history of participation in the Women’s Handball World Cup

Romania’s best results were: the gold won at the 1962 tournament held in our country. 9 teams took part in the competition, and in the grand final, Romania beat Denmark 8-5.

This team included: Liliana Borcha, Ana Starck, Edeltraut Franz, Juliana Nako, Aurelia Soke-Selagianu, Constanta Dumitrascu, Antoineta Ocelea-Vasilie, Felicia Giorgitse, Iryna Nagy, Cornelia Constantinescu, Aurora Leonte-Niculescu, Josefina Ugron, Martina Constantinescu -Shape, Elena Hedesiu, Victoria Dumitrescu and Ana Nemets. Trainers: Constantin Popescu, Nikulae Nedeff.

Romania later won three more medals: silver in 1973 (defeated in the final 16-11 against host nation Yugoslavia), also silver in 2005 (lost in the grand final 28-23 to Russia) and bronze in 2015 ( 31-22 against Poland in the minor final).

The World Cup is being held for the first time in three countries, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, from November 29 to December 17, with 32 national teams taking part. Europe has 16 places at the World Cup, and three of them have been taken directly by the host teams. They were joined by Montenegro, France and the Netherlands after the EC 2022 ranking.