Barcelona European Champions for the 12th Time, Berlin Again Left Dreaming

In Cologne, at the Final Four, Barcelona won its 12th title in the Champions League with a 37:34 win over Füchse Berlin. The Germans dreamed of a first trophy, but bounced off Danish goalkeeper Emil Nielsen, who in the first 24 minutes had eight saves at a 42 percent rate and practically kick-started the Spanish side. Tellingly, the season's top scorer Mathias Gidsel scored his first goal only in the 25th minute, when Barça was already up by five. Berlin came within two goals at times, but the equalizer never came. The Spaniards played fast, efficient handball and closed it out.

Gidsel Broke the Goals Record, but the Trophy Eluded Him Again

Defeat hurts twice as much when you're the best and you don't have the gold. Mathias Gidsel finished as the Champions League's top scorer for the second season in a row, this time with 161 goals - a new record, breaking the previous 141 set by his compatriot Mikkel Hansen. Still, Berlin lost the final for the second year running. „I'm sad we lost, that's the only feeling right now. I'd rather swap this award for the big trophy," Gidsel said. The Final Four MVP went to someone else - Barça's Slovenian playmaker Domen Makuc, who leaves with a fourth title before moving to Kiel. Personal numbers fill a résumé; trophies fill a cabinet.

Magdeburg Took Third Place With a Balkan Signature in Goal

In the third-place match, Magdeburg outplayed Aalborg 32:26 and ended the season on a high. The hero was Croatian goalkeeper Matej Mandić, who arrived at the club at the last minute last year and in Cologne racked up 13 saves, nine of them in the first half alone. Coach Bennet Wiegert could have featured Sergey Hernández in his last match for the club, but chose to give Mandić minutes for the experience - and the move paid off. Balkan handball is often exactly that: a man from the region who makes the difference where no one expects it.

Macedonia to Host the EHF EURO 2028 for Men Under 18

At home, news worth more than a single match - Macedonia has been awarded the hosting of the EHF EURO 2028 for men under 18. The tournament will be held from August 2 to 13, 2028. Hosting a European championship, even a cadet one, is no small thing for a country that, in handball, lives mostly off the past glories of Vardar and Kometal. Hosting brings young players, infrastructure, and attention - if it's used properly. The question, as always, is whether it'll be organized for development, or just for the photos from the opening. We have two years to find out.

The Youth National Team Began Preparations for the Europeans in Romania

A second piece of home news - Macedonia's youth national team has begun preparations for the European championship in Romania. These generations are exactly the ones who would be playing in front of a home crowd at EURO 2028 in two years, so every minute now is built into the later result. Macedonian handball has for years leaned on enthusiasm instead of a system; the youth teams are the place where that will either change or stay the same. Romania is the first test - not for a medal at any cost, but for whether there's continuity behind the nice announcements.