This time, the tournament will be hosted by three countries – Hungary, Switzerland and Austria. As many as 24 teams will take part in the competition, divided into 6 groups. The final is scheduled for December 15.
Fans in Lublin can already rub their hands, because an extremely interesting period awaits them. Of course, the most emotional thing is the performance of the Polish national team. The White and Reds were joined in the group by France, Spain and Portugal. They will play their first match on Thursday, when they will face each other at 20.30 with the Tricolors. Two days later, they will face Portugal, and the first group phase will end with a rivalry with Spain scheduled for December 2. All meetings will take place in Basel, Switzerland.
The core of the team are players MKS FunFloor Lublin. Nominated by Arne Senstad were: Sylwia Matuszczyk, Aleksandra Olek, Aleksandra Tomczyk, Aleksandra Rosiak, Magda Balsam and Paulina Wdowiak. Moreover, this is also an important event for the Norwegian, because it has long been said that his job is hanging by a thread. A poor result will most likely result in Senstad saying goodbye to our team. Among the potential successors, the most frequently mentioned is Bożena Karkut, currently managing KGHM MKS Zagłębie Lubin.
– Our team has a chance to get out of the group. The girls definitely have a tough group though. This cannot be hidden. However, there are always chances – says the captain of the team from Lublin, Daria Szynkaruk. She's not in the squad at the moment, which must be quite a disappointment.
– I'm a bit disappointed that I wasn't called up because I think I'm in good shape. However, I must admit that I have quite strong competition in my position. This was the coach's decision and I respect it, admits Daria Szynkaruk.
– We are in a group from which we can definitely advance further. France is a very big favorite in our group. This team has been at the top of the world for many years and I think everyone will agree that it is a rival that wants to gain all the points in the group and then fight for medals. Portugal and Spain, on the other hand, are teams we want to beat and we are going to the championship with that attitude. We have big chances in these matches. Each of the teams mentioned is based on frequent one-on-one play and high defense, so we must keep this in mind. We do not hide the fact that leaving the group is a fundamental task and if we do not complete it, we will be very disappointed. If we advance, we can take advantage of our good streak and win further matches. We can afford it, says Monika Kobylińska, captain of the Polish national team, on the website of the Polish Handball Association.
It is worth mentioning that Stela Posavec and Antonija Mamić will also take part in the European Championships. The first one will fight for Croatia. The task facing Posavec and her friends does not seem difficult, because the group includes Danish, Swiss and the Faroe Islands team. And it is this first opponent that Croatia will play against at the beginning. This match will take place on Friday at 20.30 in Basel.
Mamić will defend the Austrian team's goal. The hosts of the event face a huge challenge, because in their group they compete with Norway, Slovenia and Slovakia. The Austrians will play their first match on Thursday, and their opponent will be Slovakia. All meetings of Mamić and her friends are scheduled in Innsbruck.
The European Championships will now be broadcast on Eurosport.
