Team Esbjerg

Team Esbjerg
Full nameTeam Esbjerg Elitehåndbold A/S
Short nameEsbjerg
Founded1991
ArenaBlue Water Dokken
Capacity2,996
PresidentBjarne Pedersen
Head CoachTomas Axnér
LeagueBambusa Kvindeligaen
2025–261st
Club colours   
Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
Home
Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
Away
Website
Official site
Location of Team Esbjerg
Team Esbjerg
Team Esbjerg
Location of Team Esbjerg

Team Esbjerg is a professional women's handball team based in Esbjerg, Denmark, that competes in the Bambusa Kvindeligaen and the 2025–26 Women's EHF Champions League. They play their home matches in Blue Water Dokken, which have capacity for 2,996 spectators. They play games in red shirts and black shorts.

The coaching team consists of Swedish international Tomas Axnér and Christian Køhler.

History

Team Esbjerg was founded in 1991, as a cooperation between KVIK Esbjerg and Esbjerg Håndboldklub (EHK). They competed in the Danish Handball League for the first time in 1999, but they relegated the following year. They have been part of the league since 2004.

They won the Danish Championship for the first time in 2016, after beating FC Midtjylland Håndbold in the final. They lost the first final match 20–17, but won the second 24–19, after a dramatic penalty shootout. They won their second title in 2019, they also beat Herning-Ikast Håndbold, in two matches, with the scores 28–20 and 19–20. They also won the Danish Women's Handball Cup in 2017, after beating København Håndbold, with the score 31–20.

In the 2021-22 season they reached the Final Four of the EHF Women's Champions League for the first time. They did however only manage to get a fourth place, and they also lost the Danish Championship final to Odense Håndbold.

Over time, the club has had many notable and significant players, like Rikke Zachariassen, Ulrika Toft Hansen, Lotte Grigel, Gøril Snorroeggen, Maibritt Kviesgaard, Kari Aalvik Grimsbø, Emily Stang Sando, Marta Mangué, Laura van der Heijden, Angelica Wallén, Ida Bjørndalen and Sandra Toft Galsgaard.

Kits

Honours

Arena

Team

Current squad

Squad for the 2026–27 season.
Squad information
No. Nat. Player Position Date of Birth In Contract until
2 Denmark Line Haugsted Left back 11 November 1994 2024 2028
7 Switzerland Tabea Schmid Line Player 14 August 2003 2025 2030
8 Norway Live Rushfeldt Deila Centre Back 15 January 2000 2023 2028
9 Norway Nora Mørk Right Back 5 April 1991 2022 2028
11 Denmark Rikke Iversen Line Player 18 May 1993 2023 2028
17 Sweden Elin Hansson Left Wing 7 August 1996 2024 2028
18 Sweden Olivia Löfqvist Line Player 13 July 1998 2025 2030
20 Norway Marit Røsberg-Torgersen Right Wing 25 February 1994 2018 2028
21 Denmark Helene Kindberg Right Back 13 January 1998 2025 2027
24 Norway Sanna Solberg-Isaksen Left Wing 16 June 1990 2017 2028
25 Norway Henny Reistad Left Back 9 February 1999 2021 2027
38 Switzerland Mia Emmenegger Right Wing 17 January 2005 2025 2030
42 Germany Katharina Filter Goalkeeper 4 February 1999 2025 2030

Transfers

Transfers for the season 2027–28

Technical staff

Former notable players

Statistics

Head coach history

Denmark Thomas Hylle 1997–2002
Denmark Jan Leslie 2004–2006
Denmark Thomas Hørlyk 2006–2007
Denmark Teddy Barrett 2007–2008
Denmark Jan Paulsen 2008–2011
Denmark Lars Frederiksen 2011–2017
Denmark Jesper Jensen 2017–2024
Sweden Tomas Axnér 2024–2027

European record

Champions League

Season Competition Round Club 1st leg 2nd leg Aggregate
2015–16 EHF Champions League Qualification tournament Turkey Yenimahalle Bld. SK 32–28
Romania HCM Baia Mare 21–32
2016–17 EHF Champions League Group Stage
Group D		 Slovenia RK Krim 35–25 22–27 3rd place
Norway Larvik HK 29–30 24–31
Sweden IK Sävehof 29–18 25–20
Main Round
Group 2		 Romania CSM București 20–25 25–33 6th place
Hungary Győri ETO KC 26–32 22–33
Denmark Midtjylland 22–21 26–38
2019–20 EHF Champions League Group Stage
Group B		 Russia Rostov-Don 31–26 26–34 2nd place
Romania CSM București 22–24 25–21
Poland MKS Perła Lublin 35–22 28–22
Main Round
Group 1		 France Metz Handball 30–29 31–31 2nd place
Norway Vipers Kristiansand 35–30 35–31
Hungary Ferencvárosi TC 29–27 25–26
Quarterfinals Montenegro Budućnost Podgorica Cancelled
2020–21 Champions League Group Stage
Group A		 France Metz Handball 25–28 29–31 6th place
Russia Rostov-Don 24–25 24–28
Norway Vipers Kristiansand 27–27 28–28
Hungary Ferencvárosi TC 21–24 28–24
Romania CSM București 29–30 26–28
Germany SG BBM Bietigheim 37–29 33–26
Slovenia RK Krim 33–23 10–0
Round of 16 France Brest Bretagne Handball 27–33 27–30 54–63
2021–22 Champions League Group stage
Group A		 France Brest Bretagne Handball 28–28 23–26 1st place
Hungary FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria 33–27 31–31
Montenegro Budućnost BEMAX 35–20 36–25
Romania CSM București 22–21 29–29
Germany BV Borussia 09 Dortmund 34–24 32–29
Russia Rostov-Don 25–18 27–25
Croatia HC Podravka Vegeta 30–17 27–26
Quarterfinals Romania CSM București 27–27 26–25 53–52
Semifinal Hungary Győri Audi ETO KC 27–32
Bronze match France Metz Handball 26–32
2022–23 EHF Champions League Group stage
Group B		 Hungary Győri Audi ETO KC 29–31 28–29 3rd
France Metz Handball 35–28 24–26
Romania CS Rapid București 32–34 35–30
Montenegro ŽRK Budućnost Podgorica 28–23 30–20
Norway Storhamar HE 35–25 34–25
Turkey Kastamonu Bld. GSK 43–27 39–31
Croatia RK Lokomotiva Zagreb 30–18 33–20
Playoffs France Brest Bretagne 28–25 27–24 55–49
Quarterfinals Romania CSM București 32–28 33–31 65–59
Semifinal Hungary Ferencvárosi TC 29–30
Bronze match Hungary Győri Audi ETO KC 27–28
2023–24 EHF Champions League Group stage
Group B		 France Metz Handball 29–27 31–36 2nd
Norway Vipers Kristiansand 38–37 32–37
Romania CS Rapid București 30–28 33–24
Hungary FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria 27–23 33–28
Poland Zagłębie Lubin 36–24 32–26
Slovenia RK Krim Mercator 27–33 29–21
Denmark Ikast Håndbold 35–34 37–34
Quarterfinals Hungary Ferencvárosi TC 29–24 26–25 55–49
Semifinal Hungary Győri ETO KC 23–24
Bronze match France Metz Handball 37–33
2024–25 EHF Champions League Group B Norway Vipers Kristiansand 30–29 10–0 2nd
Montenegro ŽRK Budućnost Podgorica 27–23 26–19
Germany HB Ludwigsburg 36–31 30–30
Hungary Győri Audi ETO KC 26–28 23–29
France Brest Bretagne Handball 32–33 36–27
Romania CS Rapid București 39–32 28–26
Denmark Odense Håndbold 39–30 32–23
Quarterfinals Romania CSM București 26–22 29–30 55–52
Semifinal Hungary Győri Audi ETO KC 28–29
Bronze match France Metz Handball 30–27
2025–26 EHF Champions League Group A Hungary Győri ETO KC 30–31 33–28 3rd
France Metz Handball 29–30 26–40
Norway Storhamar HE 30–24 39–33
Romania Gloria Bistrița-Năsăud 35–38 32–28
Germany Borussia Dortmund 36–29 31–24
Montenegro OTP Group Budućnost 36–24 34–34
Hungary DVSC Schaeffler 32–29 39–30
Playoffs Croatia HC Podravka Vegeta 37–26 31–29 68–55
Quarterfinals Romania CSM București 26–25 27–37 53–62
2026–27 EHF Champions League Group stage
Group A		 Germany Borussia Dortmund 33–24
Norway Sola HK 28–25
Slovenia RK Krim Mercator 37–31
Montenegro OTP Group Budućnost 27–21
Romania CSM București 31–34
France Brest Bretagne Handball 35–26
Hungary FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria

European League (EHF Cup)

Season Competition Round Club 1st leg 2nd leg Aggregate
2010–11 EHF Cup Round 3 Germany Buxtehuder SV 28–23 25–29 53–52
Last 16 Romania HC Dunărea Brăila 25–22 21–20 46–42
Quarterfinals Denmark FC Midtjylland 21–27 29–24 50–51
2011–12 EHF Cup Round 3 Greece Anagennisi Arta 31–15 36–14 67–29
Last 16 Denmark Team Tvis Holstebro 28–27 24–27 52–54
2013–14 EHF Cup Round 3 Serbia RK Radnički Kragujevac 26–26 28–24 54–50
Last 16 Czech Republic DHK Baník Most 28–26 28–21 56–47
Quarterfinals Russia Dinamo Volgograd 36–27 30–26 66–63
Semifinals Hungary Alba Fehérvár KC 24–25 27–26 51–51 (a)
Final Russia HC Lada 32–32 25–36 57–68
2014–15 EHF Cup Round 3 Slovenia RŽK Zagorje 35–26 33–22 68–48
Last 16 Sweden H 65 Höör 33–25 33–28 66–53
Quarterfinals Hungary Érd NK 28–29 20–28 48–57
2018–19 EHF Cup Round 3 France Paris 92 29–28 31–25 60–53
Group A Norway Storhamar HE 25–20 28–28 1st place
Germany SG BBM Bietigheim 28–27 32–27
Romania CS Măgura Cisnădie 41–18 32–19
Quarterfinals Russia HC Kuban Krasnodar 37–24 37–31 74–55
Semifinals Denmark Herning-Ikast Håndbold 30–16 23–20 53–36
Final Hungary Siófok KC 21–21 21–26 42–47

EHF Cup Winners' Cup

Season Competition Round Club 1st leg 2nd leg Aggregate
EHF Cup Winners' Cup 2012–13 Round 3 Netherlands Quintus 36–25 26–23 62–48
Last 16 Russia Rostov-Don 28–31 28–29 56–60
EHF Cup Winners' Cup 2015–16 Round 3 Turkey Ardeşen GSK 30–26 22–31 52–57

References

  1. ↑ Sportslig ledelse - Team Esbjerg
  2. ↑ "Historie" (in Danish). Team Esbjerg. Retrieved 6 June 2025.
  3. ↑ Lars Bruun-Mortensen (5 May 2016). "Team Esbjerg vinder DM" (in Danish). TV2 Danmark. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  4. ↑ "Team Esbjerg er dansk mester". TV2 Sport. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  5. ↑ "Team Esbjerg skriver historie - pokalmestre efter stor ydmygelse". TV2 Sport. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  6. ↑ "Tårerne trillede efter en trist afslutning på sæsonen ved Final4". teamesbjerg.dk. 5 May 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  7. ↑ "Team Esbjerg". European Handball Federation.
  8. ↑ "New All-Star Team features three fresh names and returning Neagu". eurohandball.com. 24 August 2021.
  9. ↑ "Győr quintet headline EHF Champions League All-Star Team". eurohandball.com. 3 June 2022.