Unbeaten teams collide as Women's EHF EURO 2026 Qualifiers resume
The Women's EHF EURO 2026 Qualifiers return this week as round 3 is ready for throw-off on Wednesday with six exciting clashes. Three top-of-the-table battles see unbeaten teams collide in the fight for first place. North Macedonia and Belgium seek their first wins when they face each other, while Iceland will try to halt Montenegro's winning streak.
This (Germany) is a reputable team that has shown its strength in the previous and new Olympic cycle. It performed superbly at the World Championship and won the title of runner-up. We have been preparing for the challenge for a long time and are striving to put on a good performance in the Golovec Hall, in front of our fans, and compete as best we can with such serious competitors.
We were so happy that we met again two months after the successful World Championship. You still can feel this euphoria, we are ready to restart. It will not be easy to face Slovenia, as they are a strong team. We faced them quite often in the past years, therefore, we know what is important, like their shooting power from the back court. We are humble, but still we believe that we can beat them twice.
We believe in our chances. Yes, it is realistic to dream of a good result. Those words are very apt; we dream of it. It would be historic for the team and for Belgium. I see a possibility — admittedly a small one — but I see a possibility.
We will play two matches against the Belgian national team, who are our direct competitors for third place in the group. Both teams are aware of the importance of these matches, and it will certainly be a very challenging week. We will prepare as best as we can, despite having only one full training session before the away match in Belgium, and two additional training sessions before the home match.
Montenegro have a good team, as we saw at the World Championship when we played them. We need to play more aggressively if we are going to steal points this week.
Although many see us as favourites, there must be no room for complacency. Iceland are a quality national team — physically strong and tactically disciplined — regardless of the fact that we beat them convincingly at the World Championship. That match is now behind us and the circumstances will be different this time.
After a great experience at the World Championship, we are ready to fight to qualify for another European Championship. We expect a tough game against Portugal, so we are ready to give it our all from the very first minute
We are aware of the difficulties — a demanding calendar, preparation limitations, and the quality of the opponents — but we also have very positive indicators. We feel evolution in the team, greater competitive maturity, and a strong conviction that we are on the right path.
We have a lot of respect for the Swedish team and I think they are the favorites in these matches. We also have our chances, we will fight until the end, and it is important to prevent their quick counterattacks and easy goals.
It will be incredibly exciting to gather with the national team again, and we’re looking forward to welcoming many new players into the squad. Serbia is always a tough opponent, especially when they’re playing at home, but we will do everything we can to win both matches. I have strong faith in our team and in the qualities we have within the squad.
We grew closer as a team during the World Championship and gave our all in every match. We need to show that again against Spain. Hopefully, the World Championship has given us enough confidence to do so. It will be exciting to see where we stand now, especially with the changes in the team. Good defence will be important. We are all hoping for our fans, for that extra support from the stands.
I think it will be an interesting match. Even though Austria have some absences, they are a young team like us, and it will be especially challenging with them playing at home, where they’ll feel stronger, before we meet again in Algeciras. I approach this new stage with enthusiasm because I’ve worked with Joaquín [Rocamora] before and had a good experience. From a sporting perspective, he’s a coach who will give us a lot.
