The European Handball Championship will take place in Germany in 2024 – and is getting closer and closer. As the host team, the DHB men are hoping for their third coup after 2004 and 2016. But when does it actually start? What does the game plan look like? And: Who is broadcasting the European Championship tournament on TV? Here is the most important information about the Handball European Championships!
The European Handball Championship finally begins in Germany in January. With the home advantage behind them, the men’s national team of the German Handball Association (DHB) is hoping for a winter fairy tale similar to that of 2007, when Germany were crowned world champions in the final in Cologne.
Here is the most important information about the German home European Championship 2024!
Handball European Championship 2024 in Germany: preliminary round, opening games and mode
The European Handball Championship will take place in Germany for the first time from January 10th to 28th. As with the 2022 European Championships in Hungary and Slovakia, 24 nations are taking part. They are initially divided into six preliminary round groups, each with four teams:
- Group A: France, Germany, North Macedonia, Switzerland (venues: Düsseldorf, Berlin)
- Group B: Spain, Austria, Croatia, Romania (venue: Mannheim)
- Group C: Iceland, Hungary, Serbia, Montenegro (venue: Munich)
- Group D: Norway, Slovenia, Poland, Faroe Islands (venue: Berlin)
- Group E: Sweden, Netherlands, Bosnia/Herzegovina, Georgia (venue: Mannheim)
- Group F: Denmark, Portugal, Czech Republic, Greece (venue: Munich)
The European Championship preliminary round begins with the opening game between France and North Macedonia on Wednesday, January 10th (kick-off 6:00 p.m.) in the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf. The German men’s team will then meet Switzerland there (throw-off at 8:45 p.m.).
The two best in each group qualify for the two main round groups I and II. Whoever takes first and second place in these groups after four games will advance to the European Championship semi-finals. The two third-place teams will play in the game for fifth place.
Handball European Championship 2024 in Germany: venues, main and final rounds
The games at the 2024 European Handball Championship will be shown live in six German cities:
- Düsseldorf (Merkur Spiel-Arena, approx. 50,000 seats)
- Mannheim (SAP Arena, 13,600 seats)
- Munich (Olympic Hall, 12,000 seats)
- Berlin (Mercedes-Benz-Arena, 14,800 seats)
- Hamburg (Barclays Arena, 13,300 seats)
- Cologne (Lanxess Arena, 19,750 seats)
Only the tournament opening with German participation will take place in Düsseldorf on January 10th. The European Handball Federation (EHF) and the DHB want to set the world record for the most spectators at a handball game in the arena, which has a capacity of almost 50,000 spectators.
The four other games in Germany Group A will take place in Berlin. The six games in preliminary round group D will also take place in Berlin. The tournament locations Mannheim and Munich were each awarded two preliminary round groups.
The twelve games of the main round group I (January 18th, 20th, 22nd, 24th) will take place in Cologne, the twelve games of the main round group II (January 17th, 19th, 21st, 23rd) will take place in Hamburg.
The final round will take place from January 26th to 28th in Cologne. This consists of the following games:
- Match for fifth place (January 26th, kick-off at 3:00 p.m.)
- Semi-finals (January 26th, kick-offs at 5:45 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.)
- Game for third place (January 28th, kick-off at 3:00 p.m.)
- Final (January 28th, kick-off at 5:45 p.m.)
Handball European Championship 2024 in Germany: opponents and game dates for the DHB team
The German national team initially has the following games ahead of them at the 2024 European Handball Championship in their own country:
Wednesday, January 10th (throw-off 8:45 p.m.): Germany against Switzerland
Sunday, January 14th (kick-off 8:30 p.m.): Germany against North Macedonia
Tuesday, January 16th (kick-off 8:30 p.m.): Germany against France
If Germany completes the preliminary round as group winners or runners-up, the DHB team will end up in the main round Group I.
There, national coach Alfred Gislason’s team would meet the two best placed teams from preliminary round groups B and C in four more games.
Handball European Championship 2024 in Germany: Who will broadcast the tournament on TV?
The public broadcasters ARD and ZDF as well as the paid streaming provider Dyn have secured the TV rights for the 2024 European Handball Championship in Germany.
ARD and ZDF show all of the German team’s games in the main program. Further games will be broadcast on ARD and ZDF in live streams, for example via the media library.
All 65 games of the 2024 European Handball Championship will only be shown on Dyn. The streaming service will show at least 31 European Championship games exclusively.