18 teams start their EHF EURO 2026 mission on Wednesday
Qualifiers phase 2, the final qualifying phase for the Men’s EHF EURO 2026, starts with nine matches on Wednesday, with the first throw-off in Chalkida, Greece at 16:30 CET, where the hosts will duel with Georgia in their opening leg. Overall, 11 EHF EURO 2024 participants will be on court on Wednesday, including two-time EHF EURO champions Spain, who host Italy. Meanwhile, the first two matches of the EHF EURO Cup 2026 will take place in Herning and Orleans.
We try out different hybrid variations in training that we can use when needed. However, we can’t invent too many new things in this time, and above all, we need to pay attention to our timing and agreements.
Our team will play for the first time since the matches in Paris, and it will also be at stake in our two matches this week, so we must definitely be disciplined. This time we will have a few players missing, but the core of the team that has been together in recent years will be with us in the matches against Slovakia and Finland. We take the match in Győr seriously, because there is no question - we want to win with the support of our fans!
Our group is open, with the exception of Iceland, which will probably win the first place. We know Georgia, we have played friendly matches against them. Several of their players compete abroad, they have evolved as a country in the sport, they have made great strides forward, this was also evident from their presence at EHF EURO 2024. The game will not be easy. But we believe in our capabilities, we know our strengths and we will try to exploit them.
Seven years ago, in November, we were in Spain with the National team for a training camp with a Liga Asobal club, and today we are here to play against the masters of contemporary handball. Spain will not fear us, but will certainly respect us in light of the recent results of our national team and, on Wednesday, we will have to earn this respect again.
It will be a special match also because of the tragedy that occurred in this very area; on behalf of all the guys I express solidarity and affection to the Spanish people.
We understand the difficulty of the challenge in the Czechia. I expect my team to perform as a united front and as a cohesive team, striving to achieve the best possible result. As a young team, we want to use this experience to learn and to continue developing ourselves.
The EHF EURO 2024 in Germany was a fantastic experience for us and we are hungry for more. We will fight for every goal, every moment as a team and continue this history.
Two great personalities have left the national team. So, of course, others need to step up, both socially and on the field, as well as in the locker room. It’ll be interesting to see how we manage that. But I feel confident that we’ll perform well and that others will step into those roles.
We are looking forward playing against two world class teams and we will do everything we can to beat them, even though we are humble for the task.
We want to perform well, but most important for us is to meet again for the first time under my management and to find ways together for the upcoming World Championships and the future.
