Three countries, four cities, one special taste in 2024
The Women’s EHF EURO 2022 final between Denmark and Norway on Sunday will already confirm the fourth team that has qualified for the 2024 edition – alongside co-hosts Hungary, Switzerland and Austria. The three organisers gave insight in their plans for 2024, which will be the first Women’s EHF EURO with 24 participants.
“We are three different neighbours, but we have a special spirit, as opposites attract and make us stronger together. You can expect a unique event,” presenter Edit Szalay says when announcing the plans of the three local organisers for the Women’s EHF EURO 2024.
The event, which will run from 28 November until 15 December 2024, features 24 teams for the first time, marking the start of a new era for this competition – and the great chance for eight more nations to be part of this stage.
The winners of the EHF EURO 2022 and the three hosting nations are qualified directly and will lock horns in the second edition of the Women’s EHF EURO Cup, while other teams battle for the 20 remaining spots in the qualifiers starting in October 2023.
On Saturday in Ljubljana, the three joint hosts have lifted the curtain for many details of the 2024 event – mainly the four venues and hosts cities, which have already hosted previous EHF EURO events.
The MVM Dome in Budapest (capacity of 20,022 fans) and the Fönix Arena in Debrecen (6,500) hosted matches of the Men’s EHF EURO 2022; the St. Jakobshalle in Basle (6,500) was a playing venue for the Men’s EHF EURO 2006; and the Olympiahalle Innsbruck (8,000) hosted the preliminary and main round of the Men’s EHF EURO 2010.
All four venues will host preliminary round groups of the Women’s EHF EUR0 2024 – with two groups in both Innsbruck and Basle, and one in Budapest and Debrecen. From the main round, the tournament is hosted in Hungary only: the two groups are staged in Debrecen and Budapest, with the MVM Dome the venue for the final weekend – just like at the men’s event in January 2022.
At the end of the entertaining presentation, the official logo was unveiled, and the EHF EURO flag was formally handed over from Slovenia, North Macedonia and Montenegro to the representatives of Hungary, Austria and Switzerland.
Finally, all guest could already get a special taste of the EHF EURO 2024, with a specially composed desert, mixing ingredients from Austria (Marzipan), Switzerland (milk chocolate) and Hungary (chilli).
