Barcelona Crushed Berlin in Cologne and Won Its 12th European Title

In Cologne, where the biggest handball stories are decided, Barcelona left Füchse Berlin in tears and claimed its 12th title in the Champions League. The Germans reached the final as the first finalist of the Final Four tournament and put up a fight, but the experience and depth of the Catalan squad decided it in the end. Domen Makuc was named MVP of the tournament - another name from the region shining on the biggest stage. When a club wins a twelfth title, it stops being a question of surprise and becomes a question of how long anyone else can even get close.

Gidsel Broke the Final Four Scoring Record

Beyond the trophy, Cologne also brought individual history. Mathias Gidsel broke the record for goals scored at a Final Four tournament, confirming why he's been considered one of the most complete players in handball for years. It isn't like that everywhere - there are sports where the stars shine only in the regular part and go missing when the stakes are highest. Gidsel is the opposite: the bigger the stage, the more dangerous he is. For a young player who wants to learn how to play under pressure, his performance in Cologne is worth more than any training session.

The EHF Opened Voting for the Season's Best

The season officially ends with awards, and the EHF announced the nominees for the best-player awards and opened voting today. Lists like these always carry debate - who deserved it, who was skipped, who turns up again just because of the club they play for. But in a sport where media attention is modest compared to football or basketball, any vote that keeps handball in the conversation is welcome. The question is whether the awards really capture the best, or only the most-watched - the eternal dilemma of every sporting vote.

North Macedonia to Host a European Championship in 2028

The best news for home handball didn't come from the court but from the offices. North Macedonia won the right to organise the EHF EURO 2028 for men under 18, a tournament that will run from 2 to 13 August 2028. For a country that considers handball part of its identity, hosting a European championship is both recognition and obligation. Recognition that the infrastructure and capacity exist; obligation that by 2028 it must deliver an event worthy of a continental showcase. It remains to be seen whether this will be used as a boost for young players, or just as another ceremony for the cameras.

The Junior National Team in Preparation for the Euro in Romania

While we celebrate the future, the present is already at work. North Macedonia's junior national team has begun preparations for the European championship in Romania and will play three warm-up matches before the start. These generations are exactly the ones who, in a few years, will carry the weight of the senior team, and tournaments like this are where confidence is built or lost. If in 2028 we want, as hosts, to have a team that competes rather than just opens the doors, the work with young players has to be serious now, not only once the tournament arrives.