EHF EURO 2012 Dress Rehearsal

With less than three months remaining until the start of the EHF EURO 2012 in Serbia, the host nation will stage what its Handball Federation (RSS) President Velimir Marjanovic called a multi-purpose dress rehearsal.

The Four Nations Cup, featuring Serbia, Croatia, the Czech Republic and Hungary, will be held in three of the four EHF EURO 2012 host cities and the event is aimed at testing the quality of the venues as much as the fitness level of the teams taking part. "The Four Nations Cup will be a dress rehearsal for EHF EURO 2012 in more ways than one – primarily to test the facilities and show the visitors that we are ready to host the European Championship," Marjanovic told www.ehf-euro.com.

"Of course we will focus on spotting any shortcomings that we might need to eradicate in time for EHF EURO 2012, because we want to be fully prepared and avoid last-minute interventions. It goes without saying that we will show our traditional hospitality and make it an enjoyable tournament for all the visiting teams and their staff," he added.

Serbia will also be keen to do well in the Four Nations Cup to give their fans a boost ahead of the EURO, but they face a stiff challenge from their opponents – especially against traditional Balkan rivals and EHF EURO 2010 runners-up Croatia. The host nation’s coach Veselin Vukovic has named an experimental squad for the tournament, having left out stalwart playmaker Mladen Bojinovic in order to give several youngsters a chance to impress.

Speaking to the Belgrade media in the build-up to the tournament, Vukovic said he would try a specific game plan in the Four Nations Cup to test Serbia’s resolve. "The idea is to play strong defence because that’s the basic prerequisite to do well in any team sport and handball is no exception," he said.

"We want to try out some new players and see how well they can fit in and that’s the only reason I left out Bojinovic," added former international pivot Vukovic, who won the gold medal for the former Yugoslavia in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles as well as successive Champions League titles with the once mighty Serbian team Metaloplastika Sabac in 1985 and 1986.

"The team playing in the Four Nations Cup constitutes 90 percent of the side I will pick for the EHF EURO 2012, unless last-minute injuries force me to call up replacements," he said.

Vukovic’s Croatian counterpart Slavko Goluza, himself a former pivot who captured Olympic gold medals with Croatia in 1996 and 2004, sees the Four Nations Cup as an ideal build-up to test his team’s abilities ahead of EHF EURO 2012, notably how well they can adapt to a raucous atmosphere in the acoustic venues known for generating passionate home support. "There is no pressure in terms of getting results but we do want to play our best handball and see where we stand with a few players," Goluza told the Croatian media as he named his 19-man squad for the November 3-6 tournament to be held in Nis (Cair Arena), Belgrade (Pinoir Arena) and Vrsac (Millennium Hall).

"We have a lot of work to do in a relatively short period of time but we are optimistic that the injured players will recover in time for EHF EURO 2012 so that we can be at full strength when it matters," said Goluza.

RSS President Velimir Marjanovic left no room for doubt as he expected a competitive Four Nations Cup which should turn out to be a feast for fans expected to throng the terraces. "I believe it will produce excellent handball and the quality of the four teams taking part will entice the fans to flock the venues in droves. I am sure they will appreciate seeing some of the world’s best teams in action," Marjanovic said.

Serbia take on Hungary in the Four Nations Cup opening match in the Nis Cair Arena on November 3, followed by an intriguing clash between Croatia and the Czech Republic at the same venue. The teams will then move to Belgrade’s Pionir Arena, where Serbia play Croatia in a mouth-watering contest before the Czechs meet the Hungarians on November 5. The final two games will be played the following day in the Millennium Hall of Vrsac, with Serbia up against the Czech Republic while the Croatians lock horns with Hungary.

Further information

Download the Official EHF EURO 2012 Playing Schedule (pdf)

Buy your EHF EURO 2012 tickets HERE.

Ticketing is managed by the Serbian Organising Committees. Should you need further assistance for buying your tickets, please contact via email: tickets@rss.org.rs

Find more information on the tournament on the official website www.ehf-euro.com/SRB2012/

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