Wednesday Qualifiers action: The road to Men’s EHF EURO 2028 throws off in Croatia
A total of 32 national teams across eight groups embark on the road to Spain, Portugal and Switzerland this week in round 1 of the Men’s EHF EURO 2028 Qualifiers. Eight matches open the qualification series on Wednesday, with the remaining eight games being scheduled for the following day.
Headliners on Wednesday are three-time silver and four-time bronze medallists Croatia, who throw off the qualifiers at 17:00 CET when taking on Lithuania in group 1. The opening day ends with two matches up North, as the Faroe Islands face Kosovo in group 4 and Iceland take on Ukraine in group 3.
It is always nice to be with the national team, and the atmosphere in the squad is really good. There is no slowing down — we have a demanding schedule, but over the years we have learned to adapt to this kind of rhythm. We have to be careful with both Lithuania and Finland. It is up to us to approach both matches seriously, stay fully focused and continue our winning streak. I was in Split eight years ago for the European Championship, and I am really looking forward to playing there again, in front of fantastic fans and in such a great atmosphere.
Our first goal is to qualify. There’s no need to debate that. But there are no easy games. Türkiye and Georgia have made strides in recent years, and especially on the road, you have to be ready to battle for 60 minutes against these teams. We want to show, starting with the very first game, the energy and confidence with which we’re approaching this qualifying campaign.
Opening the qualifiers at home is special. Ukraine are well organised and full of energy, so we need to be sharp from the first minute. With a full Laugardalshöll behind us, we want to start this campaign the right way.
The Faroe Islands look very much forward to begin the journey for EURO 2028. At the EURO 2024 in Berlin, and in Oslo in 2026, the Faroe Islands, including thousands of supporters, had great experiences, and we will do everything we can to secure the Faroe Islands a spot for EURO 2028. We know that we are part of a strong group, with Kosovo, Montenegro and Hungary, and a big key for our success we will be to continue our great performances at home, where the Faroe Islands have not lost a qualification game in 4 years.
A very difficult match awaits us, against a talented national team. Naturally, we will be playing in an extraordinary atmosphere, filled with passionate fans. We are well aware of the level of the Faroe Islands team and the clubs where their players compete. We will play with full focus and give everything we have. We shall see what the result will be, but we are hoping for a good start to the qualifiers.
Our goal is to qualify for the European Championship in the best possible position. This is not just about one weekend or one week. The qualification campaign lasts several months, and we expect our players to develop throughout this period. The first week is the most difficult. There is a long break between national team camps, so we are happy that we will play our first match at home.
It is always great to gather again with the guys in the national team. In the opening qualification window, we want four points, but we will need to earn them on the court. We must show that we are the better opponent. It will be especially nice to play at home in Koper, where I believe the stands will be full and create a great atmosphere.
I think it will be very important for us to start this European Championship qualification campaign with a very focused mindset, especially with such an important game as the first one we are going to play at home against Latvia. We need to win that game, but also to start building confidence in our style of play. These games are also a good opportunity for us to work together again with the national team players. We know that Latvia are a young team who are improving all the time and gaining more and more experience.
