The Women’s World Championship
competition has finished and men’s national teams across Europe are preparing
for their next big event – the EHF EURO 2018 in Croatia.
Prior to the 2018 European
championship, which will determine the continental champion as well as three
early places at the 2019 Men’s World Championship in Germany and Denmark, the
teams will enter an intense preparation phase during which many friendly
tournaments and matches will be played. EHF EURO 2016 runners-up Spain will
host a major event, the XLIII Torneo Internacional de España, from January 5 to
7 in Ponteverda and Vigo. The tournament will be attended by Poland, Argentina
and Belarus.
Led by former Brazil coach Jordi
Ribera, Spain will precede the tournament with a training camp in Zaragoza from
December 26 to 30. The 2016 silver medallists therefore announced a list of 19
players to travel to Zaragoza on December 14. The list is comprised of 15 of
the 17 players that took the court at the 25th IHF Men’s World Championship in
France in January 2017, along with young talents such as 2017 IHF Men’s Junior
World Championship gold medallist Antonio Bazan.
Spain previously met their EHF
EURO 2016 final opponents, Germany, in two friendly matches at the end of
October, with each side taking one win each. The defending European champions
Germany won the second encounter 28:24, after Spain were victorious in the
first (26:24). Germany’s preparation for Croatia will include a camp in
Kamen-Kaiserau on December 28 and 29, before two games against Iceland on
January 5 and 7.
As hosts of the event, EHF EURO 2016 bronze medallists Croatia were the only
team automatically qualified. They met 2017 Men’s World Championship bronze
medallists Slovenia for two friendly matches in October. The first game, in
Ljubljana, ended in a 26:26 draw, before Croatia won the second game 21:20 in
Zagreb.
The official 28-player squad
lists for all teams were submitted to the European Handball Federation at the
beginning of December. Once each nation announces their list of 16 immediately
prior to the start of the EURO on January, a limited number of changes are
permitted.