Manaskov's goal voted the best of the past Champions League season

After handball Europe got its new ruler in the Champions League, the EHF sat down to pick the best of the season - and at the top ended up a goal by a Macedonian. Kiril Lazarov long ago got us used to the world looking toward our handball, and now Stefan Manaskov continues that with a strike voted the best goal of the entire campaign. From a country of two million people and a perpetually empty sports budget, an accolade like this is no small thing - it's proof that the talent here exists even when the conditions are against it.

The Champions League expands to 24 teams, the draw is on Friday

The biggest club competition is getting a new shape. The men's EHF Champions League from the 2026/27 season expands from 16 to 24 teams, split into six groups of four. On the women's side 16 teams remain in two sections of eight. The joint draw is set for Friday, June 26, in Vienna, and the men's competition returns on September 9 and 10. A bigger league means more matches, more money, and more room for surprises - but also a wider gap between the rich clubs and everyone else who has to chase them.

Barcelona back on the throne, one Balkan player in the team of the season

The season was sealed by Barcelona as Champions League winners, with Füchse Berlin finishing second. In the team of the season chosen by the EHF, the champions have four players, Füchse three, and European champions Denmark are represented as many as four times - among them goalkeeper Emil Nielsen. At the center-back spot was Domen Makuc of Slovenia, a reminder that the Balkans still produce handball brains for the world stage. The selection is shaped by the fans, players, coaches, and media - 25 percent each, which is fairer than having one committee decide for everyone.

Vardar back among the elite - the EHF approved the wild card

There's good news for domestic handball too: Vardar will officially be part of the new Champions League season. The Macedonian champions applied for a wild card, and the EHF approved it - a sign that despite all the financial turbulence over the years, the Vardar name still carries weight in Europe. Now comes the harder part: putting together a team that won't just show up among the elite, but leave a mark in it. The wild card opens the door; the rest depends on who walks through it.

The Vardar - Ohrid Super Cup set for September 3

The domestic season gets its first big duel too. The men's Macedonian Super Cup between Vardar 1961 and Ohrid is scheduled for September 3, as an overture to the new season. The duel between the new champions and their biggest domestic rival always carries more than a trophy - it's a measure of where Macedonian club handball stands before it sets off on the European roads. The start of September, then, won't be dull for those who follow our handball.