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Disagreements with Krickau led Swedish legend to leave Flensburg after 12 seasons

Jim Gottfriedsson will leave Flensburg this summer after 12 seasons
Jim Gottfriedsson will leave Flensburg this summer after 12 seasonsČTK / imago sportfotodienst / Niklas Heiden
Its the end of an era when Jim Gottfriedson will leave Flensburg at the end of this season after having spent no less than 12 seasons in Northern Germany. But now Flensburgs former coach, Nicolej Krickau, who was sacked earlier in the season, says that there were disagreements with the Swedish international which eventually led Gottfriedsson to go looking for another club.

Gottfriedsson is now headed for Pick Szeged even though he was keen on extending the contract with Flensburg but Krickau wasn't happy with the all-important role as key orchestrator which Gottfriedsson had assumed over the years at Flensburg.

"I had several good conversations with the club management about a possible contract extension. But during the talks I had with Nicolej Krickau, I felt that he didn't want to bet on me", says Gottfriedsson to the German handball magazine "Bock auf Handball".

Krickau took over the reigns at Flensburg in the summer of 2023 and it was obvious fro the beginning that Krickau had other ideas than Gottfriedsson in terms of how the team should be playing. 

During Krickau's time at the club Gottfriedsson's role decreased which made him rethink this possible future.  

"Why should I come up with my ideas, if it is only his own that are implemented anyway? Then you feel meaningless", says Gottfriedsson to the German handball magazine, where he also says that he lost motivation along the way.

Ultimately Gottfriedsson instead decided to sign an agreeement with Pick Szeged from the summer of 2025 and today Krickau confirms that there were disagreements between himself and Gottfriedsson.

"Jim has been used to playing all the time and making all the decisions, and I didn't think he had the skills to solve it at the level I wanted. And therefore I deprived him of some of the responsibility that he had enjoyed. I stand by that 100 percent, and I would do it again", Krickau says to TV 2 Sport.

Krickau was sacked in the middle of december last year following a string of disappointing results.