The breakthrough came in 2014 when Helge Freiman was named “Comet of the Year” and also made his debut in the national team.
– It was a few years ago, I can hardly remember it myself, says Freiman.
He started playing in Lidingö SK, continued in IFK Tumba where he made his debut in the elite series in 2009.
Guif in Eskilstuna was the next step.
When Guif met Hammarby in Eriksdalshallen, he got to feel what it is like to have Bajen fans against him.
– There are not many wingers in the handball league who like to play in Eriksdalshallen when on a Friday you have a Hammarby heel standing and screaming in your ear.
Now he gets the crazy fans with him and after September 29, Hammarby gets the opportunity to fill the entire hall again.
It was fun to try and play in the Bundesliga, somewhere it was probably a childhood dream.
The 2016–2017 season moved he to play in German GWD Minden with former national team players such as Dalibor Doder and Magnus Jernemyr.
– It was fun to try and play in the Bundesliga, somewhere it was probably a childhood dream. It was admittedly only a year for various reasons, but it was an educational year.
He was attracted to big-betting IFK Kristianstad where he won Swedish Championship gold in 2018. After a season in Alingsås, Freiman is back in Stockholm.
– I had decided to move home and Bajen is a cool club. And I have wanted to play in Hammarby since childhood. It was a combination of the two things.
Helge Freiman was part of the youth national team that won World Cup gold in 2013 together with, among others, Josef Pujol who left Hammarby in 2016.
– Now he is in France and living life, Freiman says with a laugh.
In the Allsvenskan, Hammarby lived a lot on a high and aggressive defensive game. Coach Patrick Fahlgren wants to see that even sharper in the handball league.
– I think it’s really fun. We rub on and expect the defensive game to be our strongest weapon, says Freiman.
– Freiman and Hammarby look forward to having a full audience again. Stock Photography from 2019.
Photo: Kenta Jönsson / Bildbyrån
Hammarby has won four of five training matches. When there was high-class opposition in the form of IFK Skövde, it was a real loss, 23-30.
– Skövde drove over us, it was a real blunder. On top of that, I think we played okay. It has not been glamorous but also not totally useless.
Freiman will play left or middle nine in the premiere against Lugi.
– I do not have many thoughts about Lugi, I hope that we can have a very good premiere match and set the standard that Hammarby is back and belongs in the handball league.
Coach Patrik Fahlgren sees Helge Freiman as a key player.
– He is very important, states Fahlgren.
There has been a lot of talk about Hammarby’s high defensive play, inspired by the Spanish national team, before the start of the series.
– It has been a lot of repetition. It is about making the new ones as safe as those who have now done so for a couple of seasons, says Fahlgren.
As long as you let in a few pieces, it became wow, damn what fun it is.
Just like so many Fahlgren is looking forward to September 29 when Hammarby will once again be able to fill Eriksdalshallen.
– For a while they had almost got used to the fact that there were no one in the hall. As long as you let in a few pieces, it became wow, damn what fun it is. The whole soul of sports is that people are there and care, says Fahlgren.