Serious allegations against a co-organizer of the European Handball Championship. Before the last game of Group B, the Slovenian team is said to have spied on opponents Serbia during the final training session. Those affected posted pictures on social media that allegedly prove the espionage.
Did the Slovenian handball players spy on their last preliminary round opponent during the final training session and thus gain an illegal advantage? This is exactly the allegation made by the Serbian team, which in the person of association president Milena Delic posted pictures on Instagram on Tuesday that allegedly prove the espionage.
The images show several boxes stacked high and positioned on a camera platform. In one of these boxes there is a smartphone taped to the inside, the camera of which has a clear view of the field thanks to a small hole. Another box contains a tablet that was able to film the other half of the hall in a similar way.
The head of the Serbian association wrote in capital letters about the recordings: “TODAY IN TRAINING!”
After the game, which the Slovenians won 27:24, the Serbs reiterated their allegations of espionage. The player Jelena Lavko explained: “It’s sad when the opposing team records training sessions with smartphones and tablets because they are afraid of losing to us.”
Slovenia makes dubious statement
And what do the Slovenians say about the accusation? To date, there has been no official statement from the association, but there is an unofficial statement, the content of which Milena Delic shared with the public.
Accordingly, the Slovenian camp claimed that the cameras were set up to secretly film a birthday surprise for one of their players. But there is a not inconsiderable catch to this story. A look at the squad reveals: For the time being, there will be no birthday within the Slovenian team and backcourt player Tjasa Stanko celebrated her 25th birthday last Saturday.
The Serbian association president reacted correspondingly angrily to the half-baked statement and said: “This is an insult to our intelligence. It would be better if they apologized publicly.” It is not yet known whether the espionage scandal will have an aftermath for the co-hosts. The official complaint has already been received by the European Handball Federation.