KOŠICE (VG) Emotions took over when Sebastian Barthold (30) left his nine-day-old daughter to play the European Handball Championship.

– I have done a lot in my life, but it is definitely the worst thing I have done, says the handball boys’ left wing to VG.

Barthold was full of conflicting emotions when he was picked up by saw Kristian Kristiannsnsen at home in Aalborg on January 2 to go to Norway’s European Championship run-up in Copenhagen.

– We have been really looking forward to having Elea. Then I had to go to some of the greatest things I could experience besides having a daughter. It was mixed feelings for a freshly baked long.

– It is special with both the first child and the first championship. When I picked him up, he had a tear in the corner of his eye, describes teammate Kristian Bjørnsen.

– Not just a tear in the corner of the eye. I held her just before I left and then the tears came. I understand what people say when it comes to becoming parents, says Barthold to VG in Slovakia.

Well, he’s been away from his three-week-old daughter for two weeks.

– But the contact with those at home is good. There are many FaceTime and Snapchat. I have ‘forced’ my wife to send pictures when we are not talking and then I call when I have the chance. It has smoked some gigabytes, describes the championship debutant, who has been experienced and became far for the first time on December 24th.

– Now it will be double up on Christmas Eve in the future, he describes with a smile.

The wife had a term on December 22nd. Barthold was infected with corona earlier this month, but just managed to get out of quarantine the day before.

Line Bjørnsen herself has had the flag on her chest in 51 matches for the junior, youth and recruiting national teams.

– We have got a handball baby, says Barthold.

The couple became lovers already in their teens when they met at Norges Toppidrettsgymnas in Bærum. They got married on July 3 last year and have long been established in Aalborg, where Barthold has played for the Danish champions since 2017.

Last summer also saw Kristian Bjørnsen join the club in Jutland. Now Barthold and Bjørnsen play right and left edge on both club and national teams.

– It is very nice, says Kristian Bjørnsen who himself has children of five and one year.

– It is very nice and it makes it easy for us to live in the same city, says Barthold as a year in addition to weddings and children also graduated with a master’s degree in economics. But he has no plans to quit as a handball professional in the next few years.

– I have to win gold with Norway and the Champions League with Aalborg, he says optimistically the day after the big disappointment against Russia.

– I have not invested in the course after my career, but now I at least have something to use, he adds

Barthold has been Norway’s top scorer in the European Championships so far. He has scored five goals and five penalties. Men are not happy with the loss against Russia on Saturday. Monday night, the handball boys will go into battle again.

– I hope I see another version of Norway against Lithuania, Sebastian Barthold.