Seven players entering the EHF EURO 2024 Qualifiers on fire

Dominik Kuzmanovic (Croatia)

In the first matches in the EHF European League Men played by RK Nexe in 2023, Dominik Kuzmanovic delivered 21 saves and did not exactly look like a dominant goalkeeper. But twists and turns in the performances of shot stoppers happen, especially if we talk about a 21-year-old unpolished diamond like Kuzmanovic, who displayed flashes of brilliance, but is still in the first years of his career.

But as soon as Nexe needed him the most, Kuzmanovic had an otherworldly game in the last round of the group phase against Sporting CP, delivering a vintage game, one of the best goalkeeping performances in years in any European competition. From start to finish, Kuzmanovic dominated his opponents, saving 26 shots for a 51 per cent saving efficiency.

After a disappointing outing at the 2023 IHF Men’s World Championship, where they ended up in ninth place, Croatia have a new coach and big ambitions for the future. And Kuzmanovic’s performances will be needed to live up to the expectations in the near future.

Arkadiusz Moryto (Poland)

In the first two matches of the EHF EURO 2024 Qualifiers, Arkadiusz Moryto was the joint-top scorer alongside Austria’s Robert Weber and the Netherlands’ Kay Smits, with 19 goals. Poland’s right wing continued his outstanding run of form in the Machineseeker EHF Champions League in 2023, scoring 25 goals for Industria Kielce and jumping to second place in the top goal scorer standings, with 83 goals, always a player who can be relied upon, a true goal scoring machine.

However, 2023 has also been disappointing for Poland, which entered the World Championship with big ambitions, as co-hosts, only to finish in 15th place, which prompted a coaching change and a flurry of retirements in the squad. Moryto, still near his prime, at 25 years old, was the second best scorer in the tournament for his team, with 30 goals in six matches, and will need to prove his worth in the doubleheader against France in the first weeks of March.

Ihor Turchenko (Ukraine)

No player has scored more goals in the group phase of the EHF European League than left back Turchenko, who had an outstanding season for HC Motor, a team that played all their home matches in Germany. In fact, Turchenko, who scored 86 goals in 10 matches, had 18 more goals than any other player, an outstanding feature, scoring 30 per cent of Motor’s goals in the second-tier European competition.

It was no fluke, as the left back is also Ukraine’s top scorer in the EHF EURO 2024 Qualifiers, where a doubleheader against Austria awaits. Ukraine are trying to seal their third consecutive place for the final tournament and Turchenko will be a key cog for them, after having already scored 16 goals in the matches against the Faroe Islands and Romania.

Mathias Gidsel (Denmark)

What is there more to say about Mathias Gidsel, Denmark’s talisman and the MVP of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and the 2023 IHF Men’s World Championship? The right back has taken the handball world by storm and inserted himself into the Denmark line up like a true mainstay, being impossible to stop at times. His form was immense at the World Championship back in January and he picked up where he left off for club side Füchse Berlin in the EHF European League Men.

Gidsel scored 10 times in the last two matches for Füchse, who were the only side in the group phase to win 10 games out of the 10 they played and will be getting ready now for the EHF Euro Cup doubleheader against Germany, where he will be a true leader, in the absence of some important players for Denmark. The preparations for the EHF EURO 2024 have already started for the Scandinavian side and Gidsel will be paramount for their chances of securing the gold medal at the EHF EURO for the first time since 2012.

Aleks Vlah (Slovenia)

No player has scored more goals than Vlah in the EHF Champions League this season, with Slovenia’s back having a breakout season for Celje, which was enough for him to alert several top clubs in Europe. Eventually, Vlah will line up for Aalborg from next season, which only enhances his potential as one of the top players in Europe, after finishing the season with 88 goals in the premier European competition, after Celje were eliminated after the group phase.

He was also Slovenia’s top scorer at the World Championship with 31 goals, as he slotted in superbly in Uros Zorman’s system. Vlah will be a key player for the national team in the doubleheader against Montenegro, which can see Slovenia already through to the final tournament in Germany, if they double up on the wins against Bosnia and Kosovo.

Kay Smits (Netherlands)

After SC Magdeburg lost Ómar Ingi Magnusson due to an injury, Kay Smits deputised on the right back position and had impressive success in the last month, scoring 27 goals in four games for the German side in the Champions League. The Dutch star has also found success in the German Bundesliga, scoring 30 goals in the last three matches for his side at domestic level and will try to help his national side cement their place during these Qualifiers.

The Netherlands might have lost against Greece, but they had plenty of injuries, but now they have no place to hide and will need excellent performances in the doubleheader against Croatia, with Smits being a prime pick to help the Dutch side impress once again and confirm their status as one of the most plucky underdogs there is in European handball

Tobias Grøndahl (Norway)

Norway have been one of the most consistent teams in Europe over the past years, but are trying to usher in new talent and Grøndahl has been one of the most exciting backs in recent years, scoring 141 goals in the top European competition in the past two seasons. 21 of those goals came in the last four matches, which topped an excellent campaign for the 22-year-old left back.

Grøndahl has played for Norway at the World Championship, albeit for a limited amount of time, scoring eight goals in six matches. He will now have the chance to take to the court once again for the national team in the doubleheader against Serbia and prove his worth against strong opponents.