The shock for European handball champion Sweden runs deep: playmaker Jim Gottfridsson broke his hand in the World Cup quarterfinals against Egypt and is no longer available to the co-host. Against Germany conqueror France the “Tre Kronen” has to do without the superstar. However, the player who caused the injury was deeply affected.
After the 22:26 against Sweden on Wednesday evening, Ibrahim El-Masry, national player of Egypt, was sad not only about the lost game and the shattered dream of the World Cup semifinals. El-Masry was the one who injured Jim Gottfridsson in a duel in such a way that for him not only the game but the entire tournament is prematurely history.
“I feel sorry for Jim, I’m sorry for him,” the Egyptian then told the Swedish “Expressen”. “I really don’t know what happened. All I know is that I went to the ball.”
El-Masry hopes that Gottfridsson is doing “well”. “Of course I feel for him and I feel sorry for him. I didn’t mean to hurt him,” he repeated.
El-Masry meets Germany with Egypt
On Thursday, the Swedish association had already confirmed that the 30-year-old is expected to be out for two months. A finger injury was initially assumed, but an X-ray examination during the night revealed the serious diagnosis.
“I think I got stuck in an opponent’s jersey,” the Swede described the situation, but he did not make any reproaches.
But: “It’s terribly frustrating because I dreamed of playing a World Cup final at home,” said the backcourt player from Bundesliga club SG Flensburg-Handewitt.
In the semifinals on Friday, Sweden will face Olympic champions and record world champions France, who defeated the German team 35:28 in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Germany will play the first of two placement duels against Ibrahim El-Masry’s Egyptian on Friday evening.