Croatia, Germany lead beach handball power ranking

MEN’S EVENT

5. Norway

Norway have been among the top eight teams in all of the last seven European Championships but have finished in the medal ranks only once – in 2019, when they lost the all-Scandinavian final against Denmark. Two years later, they ran into Croatia in the quarter-finals and missed the chance to go for a second straight medal and ended up in sixth position. With the MVP of the 2019 championships, Kristoffer Henriksen, still in the team, Norway are expected to make it to at least the quarter-finals again in Nazaré.

4. Portugal

While Portuguese teams play a prominent role in the various European club tournaments, the national team has yet to make a similar impact. But with experienced forces like André Silva, Ricardo Castro and José Silva, hosting the EHF Beach Handball EURO 2023 in Nazaré might be the perfect time to start doing so. Portugal have appeared at only three of the previous European Championships, including the last two – and the improvement is hard to overlook: from 17th in Stare Jablonki to fifth in Varna. They lost in the quarter-finals to eventual gold medallists Denmark, but next beat France and Norway for their best ever result – until 2023?

3. Spain

Always a force to be reckoned with, Spain are after a record-equalling fourth European title. After winning two of the first four championships, in 2002 and 2006, they last lifted the trophy in 2017. Spain are among the three nations in beach handball history that have participated in each and every EURO – and not just participated, but done well, too: in the 12 events so far, they appeared in the semi-finals no less than eight times. They placed fourth two years ago, a week after their youth team claimed silver in the YAC 17 event – a sign that Spain remain a hot favourite to make the semi-finals once again.

2. Denmark

One bronze medal was all Denmark collected from the first 10 editions of the Beach Handball EURO – followed by two golds from the next two editions. While their 2019 triumph might have come as a surprise, the 2021 one certainly wasn’t. With all eyes on the defending champions, they delivered an impeccable performance in Varna, dropping just two sets on their path to a successful title defence. Take into account their silver from the 2022 World Championships, and it is obvious that Denmark, cool and clever as always with veterans like Martin Vilstrup Andersen and Simon Møss guiding the youngsters, arrive in Nazaré as one of the main candidate to go all the way again.

1. Croatia

Some nations might never win an EHF Beach Handball EURO, but Croatia are getting anxious when they have to wait eight years between titles. Their European reign, which included four straight titles between 2009 and 2015, ended when they hosted the championships in Zagreb in 2017. They returned to the final in 2021, losing 2:0 to Denmark, but turned the tables on their Scandinavian rivals at the World Championships in 2022, winning that final 2:0. Croatia added gold from The World Games three weeks later. Still led by beach handball great Mladen Paradžik as their head coach, Croatia will be regarded by many as the team to beat in Nazaré. If they succeed, they become the first men’s team to hold all three major beach handball titles.

WOMEN’S EVENT

5. Hungary

Hungary’s fortunes have been going up and down since their back-to-back titles in 2013 and 2015 and the retirement of legend Kitti Gróz. Hungary returned to the final four years ago – losing to Denmark – but stayed far away from the medal ranks in both 2017 and 2021. But if the pendulum keeps swinging in this rhythm, 2023 should be a good year again. And with the junior team landing the YAC 17 title two years ago, there is no doubt Hungary remain a team that will be in contention at any major event in the near future.

4. Netherlands

Four years after winning bronze for the nation’s first ever beach handball medal on senior level, Netherlands are eager to get at least back to the semi-finals again in 2023. Led by a trio of vastly experienced players – goalkeeper Claudia ter Wal, Linnet Popping, and Isabel Barnard – the Dutch are coming off a bronze medal from last year’s World Championship. The junior team had their path to gold at the YAC 17 EURO two years ago only blocked by Hungary in the final, indicating orange might be a colour to look out for in Nazaré again – both on the court and in the stands, where their singing and cheering fans usually are main contributors to the atmosphere.

3. Denmark

Appearing in four of the last six EHF Beach Handball EURO finals and winning one of them – in 2019, Denmark are stable title contenders. One name has been vastly connected to those recent successes: Line Gyldenløve Kristensen, who has over 100 caps for Denmark and is playing her seventh (!) EURO in 2023. The MVP from 2021 leads a fine blend of experienced players and hungry talents, who just came up short two years ago when they defended their title from 2019, reaching the final again but running into an unbeatable Germany side.

2. Spain

One will hardly find a more consistent force in women’s beach handball than Spain. Ever present at the Beach Handball EURO, they have never finished worse than eight. However, they are yet to appear in a final, let alone win the title. But with three semi-finals over the last four European Championships, including two bronze medals, there is every reason to put Spain high on the prediction lists once again. Even more so, since they did win a world title (in 2016) and finished runners-up at the global championship a year ago. And with their junior team also taking silver at the YAC 17 EURO two years ago, Spain look set to continue their consistency.

1. Germany

Good. Better. Germany! No other national team has dominated international beach handball in recent years like the defending European champions have. Semi-finalists at each of the first five Beach Handball EURO events in the 2000s, including gold medallists in 2006, Germany then completely disappeared from the radar. They even didn’t take part for several years until current head coach Alexander Novakovic started to revive beach handball within the German Handball Federation. Still, their initial results – 13th in 2015, 14th in 2017, 10th in 2019 – did not indicate what was going to happen in 2021, with their stunning run to gold in Varna. They backed it up with the world and The World Games titles in 2022 and arrive in Nazaré on a 25-match unbeaten streak.

photos © Axel Heimken, Jozo Cabraja / kolektiff