The European Championship in women’s handball has existed since 1994. The German team was only able to win a medal once – silver was awarded at the premiere. In the 15th edition, the DHB selection starts again.
The “German Press Agency” answers the most important questions about the tournament.
Where does the EM take place?
For the first time, three countries will be played. The hosts of the final round are Slovenia with the venues Ljubljana and Celje, North Macedonia with Skopje and Montenegro with Podgorica. There, the DHB selection in the Morača Arena, which was modernized in 2018 for 4.5 million euros and offers space for 6000 spectators, from their preliminary round games. The venue for the medal round is Ljubljana.
Who are the German group opponents?
The team of national coach Markus Gaugisch has to deal with Poland, World Cup fourth-placed Spain and co-hosts Montenegro in Group D. “We want to finish in such a way that the main round is about something for us and we have the chance to go to Ljubljana for the final weekend,” Gaugisch formulated the first goal of the tournament.
How is the EM mode?
There are 16 teams at the start, which initially play in four preliminary round groups with four teams each. The top three in each group will advance to the main round, where it will be divided into two groups of six teams each. The preliminary round results against the teams that also advance are taken with them. The first and second place winners in each of the two main round groups advance to the semi-finals. The two third-place finishers will play for 5th place.
Who are the favourites?
The hottest contender for the title is defending champion Norway. The Scandinavians are record European champions with eight triumphs so far and were also world champions last year. Olympic champions France are also given good chances. Denmark, third in the World Cup, is one of the extended favorites. Of the top teams, only Olympic bronze medalist Russia is missing, who is currently excluded from all international competitions due to the war of aggression in Ukraine.
What are the prospects for the German team?
The last medal in a major tournament was for DHB selection 15 years ago. Germany won bronze at the 2007 World Cup. A year later, at the European Championships, they reached the semi-finals for the last time at a major event, which they had narrowly missed in each of the past three years. “We have had some good results in recent years. The goal is to go one better and reach the semi-finals,” said co-captain Emily Bölk.
Where can you watch the EM games?
This time, too, there will be no broadcast on traditional television. Fans can follow the final round games, including of course all the German team’s games, online at Sportdeutschland.tv.