EHF EURO 2018 teams get ready for the championship
With the VELUX EHF Champions League taking a break and the first qualifiers for the Men’s World Championship 2019 in Germany and Denmark being played, this week marks the first this season for the teams participating at the Men’s EHF EURO 2018 to test their players.
The vast majority gathers in the next few days and have arranged for text matches later in the week.
EHF EURO 2016 champions Germany play a double-header against Spain (28 and 29 October) whom they beat 24:17 two years ago at the EURO Final in Poland.
German head coach Christian Prokop decided not to nominate 2016 champions Rune Dahmke and Tobias Reichmann. Left wing Yves Kunkel from SC DHfK Leipzig and right wing Tim Hornke (TBV Lemgo) have made the cut instead.
Spain coach also decided to leave some household names out of the squad; he did not nominate FC Barcelona Lassa captain Victor Tomas and PGE Vive Kielce line player Julen Aguinagalde.
Sondergaard announces retirement
The biggest gathering of EHF EURO participants will take place in Denmark where the first stage of the Golden League will be played.
The three regular participants, Denmark, France and Norway, are joined by Poland this season. Matches take place on 26, 28 and 29 October.
For Denmark head coach Nicolaj Jacobsen, the Golden League is the first opportunity to test alternatives for Kaspar Søndergaard.
The right back, who scored 395 goals in 184 matches, announced his retirement from international handball on the weekend.
In the French team, left back Romain Lagarde from HBC Nantes will celebrate his national team debut.
Several other double-headers take place across Europe: In Zagreb and Ljubljana EHF EURO hosts Croatia face with neighbours Slovenia (26 and 28 October).
Sweden travel to Iceland to meet the Icelandic national team (26 and 28 October). Both teams also meet in Group A at the EHF EURO 2018.
Austria play a double-header against Serbia (26 and 28 October) and Belarus play against Switzerland on two occasions (27 and 28 October). On the same day, Montenegro and Czech Republic also face in a double-header.
Notably without test matches are Hungary and FYR Macedonia. New Hungary head coach Ljubomir Vranjes opted for gathering his players in Györ, but no tests are scheduled.
The same goes true for Raul Gonzalez; the FYR Macedonia head coach will gather with his squad in Skopje.
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EHF / ts