Coaches and comebacks

The qualification for the Women’s EHF EURO 2018 in France is about to throw off. On 27/28 September the first round takes place. Round 2 follows on 30 September / 1 October.

For the first time all matches will be streamed live on ehfTV.

Timings and matches for all qualifiers.

And for all fans that can't wait: Tickets for the final tournament go on sale on 27 September. 

Before 28 qualifiers are played over five days, we look at what changed in the teams since the last major tournament, the Women’s EHF EURO 2016 in Sweden.

• In Spain, a silver medallist at the Women’s EHF EURO 2014 but only 11th ranked in 2016, Carlos Viver took over from Jorge Duenas.  The latter recently took over the head coach position at Brazil's women's national team.
• Another long-time head coach does not sit on the bench any longer. In EHF EURO history, this will be the first qualification campaign for Ukraine without Leonid Ratner. Borys Chyzhov has been named his successor. He already coached the team in the World Championship 2017 Play-offs.
• For two coaches, these EHF EURO qualifiers will be their last while being in charge of their respective teams. Germany coach Michael Biegler will quit after the World Championship in December to become head coach of Bundesliga men’s side SC DHfK Leipzig. Jesper Holmris leaves the Swiss team and takes over a coaching job in China.
• The Netherlands’ head coach Helle Thomsen now works in a double function. She also coaches 2016 Women’s EHF Champions League winners CSM Bucuresti.
• For Poland’s coach Leszek Krowicki it is the opposite – his contract with VfL Oldenburg in the German women’s Bundesliga came to an end.

No Løke in Norway’s squad, Kudlacz-Gloc set to return

• 34-year-old Heidi Løke has made her comeback for her new club Storhamar in Norway after she gave birth to her son Oscar, but she has not been nominated for Norway’s upcoming qualifiers (check which players the EHF EURO 2016 champions nominated).
• Poland still play without Karolina Kudlacz-Gloc, who also became a mother – but the BBM Bietigheim left back is set to return at the end of the year.
• For Romania’s Cristina Neagu, the match against Austria on 27 September in Ramnicu Valcea will be the first for the national team since she returned home and joined CSM Bucuresti.
• In Austria, international Kathrin Engel has announced the end to her playing career. She took to the court 215 times for Austria, scoring 895 goals. The Austrian Handball Federation will bid farewell to Engel ahead of the qualifier against Russia on 30 September.
• For 14 European teams, exactly half of all teams participating in this stage, the start of the EHF EURO 2018 qualification will be the last competitive test ahead of the World Championship in Germany from 1 to 17 December