Hungary waited 32 years for the title - and took it in overtime

Some waits last longer than a whole generation. Hungary won its first title at the junior EHF EURO for handball players under 20, ending a break of 32 years. In the final in Cluj-Napoca, Sweden fell - the only team without a loss until then - and after real drama at that. After a level 21:21, the Swedes led 28:26 three minutes before the end, but the Hungarians didn't give up: Máté Fazekas equalized 30 seconds before the buzzer and took the decision to overtime. There, with key saves in goal, Hungary triumphed 34:32. Péter Gazsó was the top scorer with 14 goals. Sometimes patience is the biggest asset - Hungary proved it in the hardest way possible.

Slovenia to bronze - and next year Macedonia hosts

The Balkans climbed the podium again. Slovenia won bronze at the junior EHF EURO after a 30:28 win over Denmark in the third-place match - already a fourth bronze for the Slovenians in the competition's history. But for us a different number from the same day is more interesting: in Romania the last participants were confirmed for the 26th Junior (under-21) World Championship in 2027, to be held in Macedonia. Fifteen spots were up for grabs, and among those who qualified are Sweden, Hungary, Denmark, Slovenia, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Norway and others. Next year the world's best young handball players come to us - and that's an opportunity Macedonian handball mustn't let slip.

New allocation of European places - the Balkans holds on up top

The EHF confirmed the allocation of places for the club competitions for the 2027/28 season, calculated according to the clubs' results over the last three seasons. At the top of the list for the EHF Champions League is Spain, in the EHF European League Germany leads, and in the EHF European Cup - surprisingly - Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ten federations keep a secure place in the elite, among them Croatia. The system introduced last year splits 24 teams into six groups of four. Each federation from the top ten can request at most two additional promotions from the European League to the Champions League. Balkan handball isn't among the richest, but it knows how to hold its place at the European table - and that's already half the battle.

Macedonia got two places in the European League - but the CL still waits

At home, the best news comes in the form of numbers from the ranking list. Macedonia moved up one place, overtook Slovenia and is now very close to entering the top 10 - which means two representatives in the group stage of the EHF European League next season. In the new season Vardar, as champion, got a wild card for the Champions League, while Eurofarm Pelister will play in the European League. Still, even in 2027/28 Macedonian clubs won't have a guaranteed place in the elite - the last secure Champions League position is currently held by Norway, with Croatia and Romania ahead of it. There's progress, but the road to direct qualification still demands results, not just goodwill.

Vardar fires up the engines for the new season on 27 July

The champion returns to work. RK Vardar begins preparations for the 2026/27 season on 27 July, in which it will again play in the Champions League. Coach Ivan Čupić will hold the first roll call in the „Rasadnik” hall, and after the introductory part the team heads to high-altitude training in Mavrovo from 3 to 10 August. Then come the two traditional summer tournaments - first in Struga (12-15 August), then in Ohrid (18-22 August). The red-and-blacks will play their first official match of the new season on 17 August, when they clash in the regional league with the Serbian runners-up Vojvodina. Summer is ending, the season is knocking at the door - and Vardar knows that in the CL every match is an exam.