Macedonia Wants to Host the 2034 Handball EURO, While in Struga the Matches Move Indoors Because of Rain

Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia jointly bid to host EHF EURO 2034

The handball federations of Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia have officially submitted a joint bid to host the men's EHF EURO 2034. Our federation confirmed the news, and the president of the Handball Federation of Macedonia, Aleksandar Stefanov, called the move a particular honour. Serbian federation president Božidar Đurković says the bid covers all the necessary infrastructure - halls, hotels and everything else - and that he believes their offer will be the most serious one. He openly admitted it is hard to know at this point whether there will be rival bids. There are eight years until 2034, plenty of time for each of the three countries to demonstrate the difference between a press release and a finished arena. The question isn't whether the region has a handball tradition - nobody disputes that - it's whether the infrastructure will be there when the EHF arrives to count it.

Vardar and Ohrid book the final in Struga

The finalists of the 54th edition of the Struga handball tournament are known. Vardar routinely beat Butel Skopje 36:24 and will face HC Ohrid in the final. The red-and-blacks quickly built a six-goal lead, Butel clawed back to within two, but after Ivan Čupić's timeout Vardar got serious again and led 21:13 at the break. Hosts Struga produced genuine drama and edged Serbia's Dubočica from Leskovac in a tense finish - the matches were moved from the open-air court into the „Timi” hall because of rain. A tournament that has run for more than half a century still depends on the weather forecast. That is an accurate enough description of the state of handball infrastructure in this country.

Eurofarm Pelister learns its European League draw

Macedonian runners-up Eurofarm Pelister will be our representative in the group stage of the EHF European League. The Bitola side face La Rioja, Gummersbach and Gdańsk, with the opening round on 30 September when La Rioja travel to Bitola. Three opponents from Spain, Germany and Poland mean Pelister will travel a lot and measure themselves against clubs operating on entirely different budgets. The team enters the competition in good shape after pre-season. Six European nights in Bitola and away is more than most Macedonian clubs ever get - the question is how many of them will be contests, and how many just visits.

Germany crush Slovenia for gold at the U18 EHF EURO

For the first time since 2021, Germany are European champions at under-18 level. In the final in Belgrade, at the „Aleksandar Nikolić” hall, they beat Slovenia 36:27. The Slovenes, the only unbeaten team at the tournament, led 8:5 in the 15th minute and forced the German coach into a timeout - after which Germany ran off a 12:3 stretch and never looked back. After the break the gap reached nine goals. Vincent Fazijejev scored eight for the winners. Slovenia had never reached this final before, and that is their real result, however the last hour ended. The Balkans are on the podium again, just on the wrong step.

Champions League starts with 24 teams and a new format

The EHF has confirmed the group-stage dates for the Champions League in 2026/27, with the number of teams jumping from 16 to 24, split into six groups of four. The start is 9 September at 18:45 in Veszprém, Aalborg, Zagreb and Kielce. Zagreb host Celje Pivovarna Laško in a regional derby, and Partizan return to the elite after a 13-year absence - immediately against Füchse Berlin, last season's finalists. Barcelona defend their title against Aarhus. The group stage ends on 29 October, with two teams from each group advancing to the main round. More clubs means more European nights for the region, but also earlier elimination for whoever finishes third. After 13 years, Partizan get the hardest possible start.