Vardar returned to the Champions League and fell 33:31 in Kassel

After a five-year break the Macedonian champions are back where they belong - in the elite. The first test came at MT Melsungen, winners of the EHF European League making their Champions League debut, and ended 33:31 to the hosts. Melsungen played without their biggest signing Dani Dujshebaev, and Vardar were a hard nut for a long time: Vukashin Vorkapik scored nine goals, six of them before half time. When Vasil Gogov came into goal midway through the second half, the visitors cut the deficit to 27:28 and the many travelling fans in Kassel were on their feet. Still, Johannes Golla made it 32:29 in the 58th minute and settled it. Coach Ivan Chupik admitted Vardar had their chances. This is the kind of defeat that says more than some wins - a side that had not been here in five years lost by two goals away at the winner of a European competition.

Füchse Berlin crushed Partizan 44:33 - a club record in the Champions League

This is the most emphatic and highest-scoring win in Füchse Berlin's Champions League history. The 2025 and 2026 finalists had no trouble at all in Belgrade, where Partizan returned after 14 years away. After just 12 minutes the Serb Mijajlo Marsenic had pushed the gap to five goals, and by half time Berlin already had 23 scored. Mathias Gidsel finished with nine goals, Tobias Grøndahl with eight, Leo Prantner with seven - the three of them 24 between them. Partizan's new coach Raúl González tried various set-ups, none of it helped. For one club a return to Europe is a celebration; for the other it is a reminder how quickly you fall off the pace when you have been gone 14 years.

RK Ohrid defends its European title, and the European Cup has a record field

RK Ohrid are the reigning EHF European Cup champions and begin their title defence only in the second round. Around them, the competition has set a record: 38 teams from 21 countries enter the first round, the most ever - the previous record was 30 teams in the 2021/22 season. In total 83 clubs registered for this season, and the 19 first-round winners will join the 45 teams that skipped the opening round in October. Greece, Israel, Luxembourg, Turkey and Austria have the most representatives - three clubs each. A Macedonian club is defending a European trophy, and here that barely made the news. In a country where every second conversation about sport begins with "we used to be", this one is in the present tense.

Fifteen goals from one player: the second round of the Superleague brought drama across the halls

The big four did what was required, but not in the same way. Alkaloid won in Bitola against Eurofarm Pelister 2 31:27 (11:10 at half time), even though the hosts played far better than the scoreline shows. Champions Vardar 1961 recorded the narrowest win of the top four - 32:30 away at Kumanovo, confirmed only with the last attack. RK Ohrid had the round's most emphatic victory, while Eurofarm Pelister comfortably beat Multi Essence. The second round also brought last-second turnarounds and one individual performance of 15 goals. When the champions have to dig out points with the final attack against Kumanovo, the league is not settled - it is only starting.

Vardar is getting Skopje ready for Nantes: a fan zone, ticket sales and 16 September

European handball nights are returning to Skopje. RK Vardar 1961 play their first home match of the new Champions League season against France's Nantes on 16 September at 18:45 at the Jane Sandanski Sports Centre. The club released a promotional video with a message to the fans, and a fan zone with a stage, music and side attractions is announced in front of the hall. Tickets are already on sale online. Nantes, as a reminder, beat Plock 26:25 in the first round - with a seven-metre goal in the last second, through Noam Leopold. So a side that knows how to win matches on the edge is coming. Skopje will provide the atmosphere; that was never in doubt. The question is whether this season too the euphoria will be followed by the same silence about who funds the club and how.