Paris
After three wins in four matches, Les Rouge et Bleu hit a bump in the road at the start of their final summer tour in Denmark, losing to a high-flying Skjern side spearheaded by a heroic goalkeeper (35–29). After the match, the Parisian coach called on his squad to regroup for their final friendly before the return of competitive fixtures. They are set to face a top-class opponent, Aalborg.
By a twist of fate, the Danish club will be Paris Saint-Germain’s first opponent under the new EHF Champions League format, with the first leg scheduled for 9 September. This friendly match therefore serves as a dress rehearsal for the capital club’s players, who must also prepare for their first major fixture of the season on 29 August: the Trophée des Champions against Montpellier.
The young Danish club has very quickly become a force to be reckoned with on the highly competitive national scene. Seven of Denmark’s last ten league titles have been won by Aalborg, including the last three on offer. With an increasingly impressive record in Denmark, the objective is clear: to secure their first title in Europe's most prestigious competition, the Champions League.
Under the guidance of Stefan Madsen, the current Paris coach, Aalborg came close to achieving this on two occasions, in 2021 and 2024. But on both occasions, the Red and Whites fell short against a ruthless Barcelona side. Last season, with Simon Dahl as their new head coach, the Danish club once again reached the Final4, but were knocked out in the semi-finals - once again by the Blaugrana - despite taking the match to extra time (32–37 a.e.t.).
Aalborg's squad boasts a host of talented players, notably our former Parisian Sander Sagosen, who in the winter of 2025 returned to the club where he first made his name. In goal, at the age of 37, Niklas Landin continues to be a key asset for his club. The goalkeeper, voted Handballer of the Year in 2019 and 2021, had a fine season, finishing fifth on the Champions League saves chart (136), and has just been appointed team captain following René Antonsen’s departure for Nantes.
It will also be worth keeping a close eye on the formidable Juri Knorr, a German international voted best centre-half at Euro 2024 and then at the Paris Olympics that same year. A creative playmaker, Knorr has been a star for Aalborg since 2025, when he enjoyed his first full European campaign (64 goals, 33 assists). In attack, Les Rouge et Bleu will need to be wary of Danish internationals Thomas Sommer Arnoldsen and Mads Hoxer Hangaard, both of whom were crowned European champions with the national team in 2026.
The match will take place at the Gigantium in Aalborg at 19:30 on Friday 21 August.
