Niclas Ekberg

{{Infobox handball biography

| name = Niclas Ekberg

| image = Niclas Ekberg 20170118.jpg

| caption = Ekberg in 2017

| nationality = Swedish

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1988|12|23|df=y}}

| birth_place = Ystad, Sweden

| height = 1.91 m

| position = Right wing

| currentclub = Ystads IF

| clubnumber = 18

| years1 = {{0|0000}}–2009

| clubs1 = IFK Ystad HK

| years2 = 2009–2010

| clubs2 = Ystads IF

| years3 = 2010–2012

| clubs3 = AG København

| years4 = 2012–2024

| clubs4 = THW Kiel

| years5 = 2024–

| clubs5 = Ystads IF

| nationalyears1 = 2008–

| nationalteam1 = Sweden

| nationalcaps1 = 210

| nationalgoals1 = 841

| ntupdate = 1 July 2024

| medaltemplates =

}}

Niclas Ekberg (born 23 December 1988) is a Swedish professional handballer for Ystads IF and Sweden men's national handball team.{{cite web|url=http://www.eurohandball.com/player/530733|title=Niclas Ekberg Profile|publisher=European Handball Federation|access-date=16 January 2012}} He is known to be an exceptionally prolific goalscorer and holds many different goalscoring records at his club, THW Kiel.

Career

Ekberg started his career at IFK Ystad. In the 2008-2009 season he scored the second most goals in the Swedish league and was named Årets Komet.{{cite news|url=http://www.ystadsallehanda.se/sport/article736581/Niclas-Ekberg-har-faringtt-sin-stjaumlrnstatus.html |publisher=Ystads Allehanda|title=Niclas Ekberg har fått sin stjärnstatus|date=23 December 2008}} He then joined city rivals Ystads IF. With Ystad IF he played in the EHF Challenge Cup in the 2009-10 season.www.eurohandball.com: [http://history.eurohandball.com/ec/chc/men/2009-10/player/530733/NiclasEkberg Niclas Ekberg.] retrieved 3. January 2010

In the summer of 2010 he joined Danish side AG København{{cite web |url=http://ihf.info/files/CompetitionData/153/pdf/SWE.pdf|title=2015 World Championship Roster|publisher=IHF|access-date=15 January 2015}} Here he won back-to-back Danish league and Danish cup doubles. When the club became insolvent in July 2012 Ekberg was released of his contract.

He then joined THW Kiel in Germany on a contract until 2015, which was extended in 2014 until 2018.{{cite web |url=https://www.handball-world.news/o.red.r/news-1-1-1-64088.html |publisher=handball-world.news|title=Kiel bindet Rechtsaußen langfristig bis 2018|date=2 December 2014|access-date=2 December 2014|language=de}} With Kiel he won the 2013, 2017 and 2019 DHB-Pokal and the 2013, 2014, 2015, 2020 and 2021 German Championships. He also won the 2019-20 EHF Champions League. He scored 15 goals at the final four event, and with 85 goals overall he became the Champions League top scorer.{{cite web |url=http://history.eurohandball.com/ec/cl/men/2019-20/scorers |publisher=European Handball Federation|website=eurohandball.com |title=Top Scorers 2019/20|access-date=30 December 2020}}

In the 2019-20 season Ekberg reached 1000 Bundesliga goals, and replaced Nikolaj Jacobsen as the record holder for most club penalty goals, when he scored no. 390. In the 2020-21 season he became the fourth most scoring player for THW Kiel, when he overtook Uwe Schwenker at 1224 goals.{{cite web |url=https://www.thw-handball.de/de/news/bundesliga/2021/maerz/ekberg-gegen-wetzlar-ein-fall-fuer-die-geschichtsbuecher/ |publisher=THW Kiel|website=www.thw-handball.de |title=Ekberg gegen Wetzlar: Ein Fall für die Geschichtsbücher|access-date=23 March 2021|language=de}}{{cite web |url=https://www.thw-handball.de/news/bundesliga/2021/april/ewige-bundesliga-torschuetzenliste-ekberg-zieht-an-schwenker-vorbei/ |publisher=THW Kiel|website=www.thw-handball.de |title=Ewige Bundesliga-Torschützenliste: Ekberg zieht an Schwenker vorbei|access-date=12 April 2021|language=de}} On the 33rd round he reached the milestone of scoring 2000 goals in all competitions for the club. In the 4th round of the 2021-22 season he overtook the club all time league top scorer second place, beating his own coach Filip Jicha (1319 goals).{{cite web |url=https://www.thw-handball.de/news/bundesliga/2021/september/3020-beim-hc-erlangen-sicherer-kieler-erfolg-in-hitzigem-spiel/ |publisher=THW Kiel|website=www.thw-handball.de |title=30:20 beim HC Erlangen: Sicherer Kieler Erfolg in hitzigem Spiel|access-date=26 September 2021|language=de}} The very next game he scored eleven goals against GWD Minden to overtake Magnus Wislanders record of 1332 league goals and became the club's all time league top scorer. On November 2024 in a Champions League match against Aalborg Håndbold he became the top scorer for the club in all competitions with 2125 goals, 1776 of which were league goals.

In 2023 after twelve years in Kiel, Ekdahl returned to Sweden to join Ystads IF HF on a three year deal.{{cite web |url=https://thw-handball.de/weitere/2023/12/niclas-ekberg-kehrt-am-saisonende-zu-seinem-heimatverein-zurueck/ |title=Niclas Ekberg kehrt am Saisonende zu seinem Heimatverein zurück |publisher=THW Kiel|website=thw-handball.de |date=2023-12-14 |access-date=2023-12-14|language=de}}

= Bundesligatable =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Season	Team	League	Games	Goals	Pen.	Non-pen.
2012/13 \| style="text-align:left"\| THW Kiel \| style="text-align:left"\| Bundesliga \| {{0}}31 \| {{0}}94 \| {{0}}36 \| {{0}}58
2013/14 \| style="text-align:left"\| THW Kiel \| style="text-align:left"\| Bundesliga \| {{0}}34 \| {{0}}98 \| {{0}}19 \| {{0}}79
2014/15 \| style="text-align:left"\| THW Kiel \| style="text-align:left"\| Bundesliga \| {{0}}36 \| 103 \| {{0}}5 \| 98
2015/16 \| style="text-align:left"\| THW Kiel \| style="text-align:left"\| Bundesliga \| {{0}}30 \| 140 \| {{0}}38 \| {{0}}102
2016/17 \| style="text-align:left"\| THW Kiel \| style="text-align:left"\| Bundesliga \| {{0}}31 \| 137 \| {{0}}41 \| {{0}}96
2017/18 \| style="text-align:left"\| THW Kiel \| style="text-align:left"\| Bundesliga \| {{0}}34 \| 171 \| {{0}}84 \| {{0}}87
2018/19 \| style="text-align:left"\| THW Kiel \| style="text-align:left"\| Bundesliga \| {{0}}33 \| 187 \| {{0}}89 \| {{0}}98
2019/20 \| style="text-align:left"\| THW Kiel \| style="text-align:left"\| Bundesliga \| {{0}}26 \| 164 \| 104 \| {{0}}60
2020/21 \| style="text-align:left"\| THW Kiel \| style="text-align:left"\| Bundesliga \| {{0}}33 \| 205 \| {{0}}98 \| 107
2021/22 \| style="text-align:left"\| THW Kiel \| style="text-align:left"\| Bundesliga \| {{0}}34 \| 189 \| {{0}}99 \| {{0}}90
2022/23 \| style="text-align:left"\| THW Kiel \| style="text-align:left"\| Bundesliga \| {{0}}32 \| 137 \| {{0}}73 \| {{0}}64
2023/24 \| style="text-align:left"\| THW Kiel \| style="text-align:left"\| Bundesliga \| {{0}}34 \| 151 \| {{0}}62 \| {{0}}89
style="background:#FFE1C0" \| 2012–2024 \| style="text-align:left" \| Total \| style="text-align:left" \| Bundesliga \| 388 \| 1776 \| 748 \| 1028

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

Season

Team

League

Games

Goals

Pen.

Non-pen.

2012/13

| style="text-align:left"| THW Kiel

| style="text-align:left"| Bundesliga

| {{0}}31

| {{0}}94

| {{0}}36

| {{0}}58

2013/14

| style="text-align:left"| THW Kiel

| style="text-align:left"| Bundesliga

| {{0}}34

| {{0}}98

| {{0}}19

| {{0}}79

2014/15

| style="text-align:left"| THW Kiel

| style="text-align:left"| Bundesliga

| {{0}}36

| 103

| {{0}}5

| 98

2015/16

| style="text-align:left"| THW Kiel

| style="text-align:left"| Bundesliga

| {{0}}30

| 140

| {{0}}38

| {{0}}102

2016/17

| style="text-align:left"| THW Kiel

| style="text-align:left"| Bundesliga

| {{0}}31

| 137

| {{0}}41

| {{0}}96

2017/18

| style="text-align:left"| THW Kiel

| style="text-align:left"| Bundesliga

| {{0}}34

| 171

| {{0}}84

| {{0}}87

2018/19

| style="text-align:left"| THW Kiel

| style="text-align:left"| Bundesliga

| {{0}}33

| 187

| {{0}}89

| {{0}}98

2019/20

| style="text-align:left"| THW Kiel

| style="text-align:left"| Bundesliga

| {{0}}26

| 164

| 104

| {{0}}60

2020/21

| style="text-align:left"| THW Kiel

| style="text-align:left"| Bundesliga

| {{0}}33

| 205

| {{0}}98

| 107

2021/22

| style="text-align:left"| THW Kiel

| style="text-align:left"| Bundesliga

| {{0}}34

| 189

| {{0}}99

| {{0}}90

2022/23

| style="text-align:left"| THW Kiel

| style="text-align:left"| Bundesliga

| {{0}}32

| 137

| {{0}}73

| {{0}}64

2023/24

| style="text-align:left"| THW Kiel

| style="text-align:left"| Bundesliga

| {{0}}34

| 151

| {{0}}62

| {{0}}89

style="background:#FFE1C0"

| 2012–2024

| style="text-align:left" | Total

| style="text-align:left" | Bundesliga

| 388

| 1776

| 748

| 1028

Source: Player profile At the Handball-Bundesliga[https://www.daikin-hbl.de/de/import/spieler/niclas-ekberg/#s1434504=c25c24fc player profile at HBL choose "Statistiken" and "Historisch"], retrieved 1. Juli 2024.

=National team=

Ekdahl played 18 matches for the Swedish U-19 team and 29 matches for the Swedish U-21 team.

His first senior international match was on November 2nd 2008 against Turkey.

He was part of the Swedish team that won silver at the 2012 Summer Olympics.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ek/niclas-ekberg-1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417204714/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ek/niclas-ekberg-1.html|archive-date=17 April 2020|title=Niclas Ekberg Bio, Stats, and Results|website=Olympics at Sports-Reference.com|language=en|access-date=15 October 2017}} With 50 goals he was the topscorer at the tournament.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/results/314000/top_scorers/2?show_zero=false |title=Statistics for the Olympic Handball tournament 2012|access-date=23 March 2021}}

From 2017 to 2019 he was the captain of the Swedish national team. He retired from this responsibility, when he took a small break from the national team due to familial reasons.{{cite news|author=Norberg, Simon. |url=https://www.svt.se/sport/handboll/niclas-ekberg-tar-paus-fran-landslaget-respekterar-beslutet |title=Niclas Ekberg tar paus från landslaget: 'Respekterar beslutet'|publisher=SVT Sport|date=15 May 2019|access-date=19 January 2020|language=sv}}

He represented Sweden at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.[https://www.ihf.info/sites/default/files/competitions/f5a584e9-afc3-4b1a-8f71-a429f73fdbf9/pdf/03FTR.PDF?n=1627110133 ihf.info: Match Team Statistics: Sweden vs. Bahrain], retrieved 24. July 2021

He was also part of the Swedish national team that won the 2022 European Championship. He missed much of the tournament due to a positive covid-19 test, and could only return to the team in the final.{{cite news|url=https://handbollskanalen.se/landslag-herrar/niclas-ekberg-tillbaka-i-matchtruppen-daniel-pettersson-friskforklarad/ |publisher=handbollskanalen.se/|title=Niclas Ekberg tillbaka i matchtruppen – Daniel Pettersson friskförklarad|date=25 January 2022|access-date=26 January 2022|language=sv}} In the final against Spain at the score 26:26, Sweden got a penalty after regulation, which could determine the match if it was scored. Ekberg stepped up to meet Pérez de Vargas in the goal, and Ekberg scored, taking the gold medals with them to.Sweden.{{cite news|url=https://sport.tv2.dk/haandbold/2022-01-30-sverige-vinder-em-guld-efter-scoring-efter-tid|title=Sverige vinder EM-guld efter scoring efter tid|publisher=TV2 Danmark|first=Jacop|last=Qvirin Pedersen|date=30 January 2022|access-date=14 February 2025|language=da}}

At the 2023 World Championship he finished 4th with the Swedish team. He was selected for the All-star team for the tournament.

In October 2023 he announced his retirement from the National team.{{cite web|url=https://www.handbollslandslaget.se/herr/niclas-ekberg-avslutar-landslagskarriaren/ |publisher=Sweden men's national handball team|website=handbollslandslaget.se|title=Niclas Ekberg avslutar landslagskarriären|access-date=5 October 2023|language=sv}} He did however unretire for the 2025 World Championship. Here Sweden did however have a disappointing tournament, where they finished fourteenth, losing to Brazil and Norway and drawing Portugal in the process.{{cite news|url=https://sport.tv2.dk/haandbold/2025-01-24-norge-og-sverige-sendt-ud-af-vm-brasilien-ligner-dansk-modstander|title=Norge og Sverige sendt ud af VM – Brasilien ligner dansk modstander|publisher=TV2 Danmark|first=Christian|last=Kjær|date=24 January 2025|access-date=14 February 2025|language=da}}

Titles

German Bundesliga: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2020, 2021 and 2023
DHB-Supercup: 2014, 2015, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023
DHB-Pokal: 2013, 2017, 2019 and 2022
Danish League: 2011 and 2012
Danish Cup: 2011 and 2012
EHF Cup: 2019
EHF Champions League: 2020
European Champion 2012
Olympics Silver medals 2012

Individual awards

All-Star Right wing of the World Championship: 2023{{Cite web |title=Poland/Sweden 2023 All-Star Team Revealed |url=https://www.ihf.info/competitions/men/308/28th-ihf-mens-world-championship-2023/101253/news/122223 |access-date=30 January 2023 |website=IHF}}
2012 Olympics topscorer
2019-20 EHF Champions League Topscorer
Swedish Handballer of the year 2014/15{{cite news|url=https://www.ystadsallehanda.se/sport/niclas-ekberg-vald-till-arets-spelare/ |publisher=Ystads Allehanda|title=Niclas Ekberg vald till Årets spelarel|language=sv|access-date=3 May 2021}}
Årets Komet in Swedish handball