Handball Coach Steps in to Stop Court Invader After Security Delay

Danish national team coach Nikolaj Jacobsen took matters into his own hands when security failed to stop a court invader during a handball match between Denmark and the Czech Republic. Jacobsen intervened to push away the intruder, highlighting concerns over security at the event.

Danish national team coach Nikolaj Jacobsen took matters into his own hands when security personnel failed to promptly address a court invader during the match between Denmark and the Czech Republic at the Jyske Bank Boxen in Herning on Saturday evening. As the second half got underway, a spectator suddenly ran onto the court, firing confetti across the floor before being swiftly pushed away by Jacobsen just 20 seconds later.

🇩🇰 "Chaos" in Boxen!
A fan interrupted Denmark vs. Czech Republic, throwing confetti on the court. Coach Nikolaj Jacobsen personally removed the intruder, saying, "He got enough attention."

Players even helped clean up! Denmark won 28-22 and now heads to Norway. 🏆 #Handball2025 pic.twitter.com/6I0k5qL7i3

— Hen Livgot (@Hen_Livgot) January 26, 2025

The incident highlighted a concerning lapse in security, as it took guards an alarming amount of time to apprehend the court invader. Jan Kampmann, chairman of the Danish Handball Federation, expressed his disappointment, stating, “First and foremost, it's an unpleasant situation that we're not accustomed to in handball. We've hosted seven final tournaments without incident. We had security personnel in the aisles, but the individual came directly from the stands.”

Kampmann acknowledged that the security response was inadequate, saying, “It took a little too long for us to react. Fortunately, our national coach, Nikolaj Jacobsen, intervened quickly. The individual brought confetti, which is difficult to detect during a search, but it's unacceptable and shouldn't have happened.” The court invader was subsequently arrested by police and charged with trespassing.

Coach Jacobsen, who had stepped in to stop the invader, also felt that the security response was slow, commenting, “I waited for security to arrive, but nobody came, so I decided that the individual had already gotten the attention they sought. We needed to focus on the game, so I took action.” Denmark ultimately emerged victorious, defeating the Czech Republic 28-22.