EHF EUROs beyond 2020 – seven bids from across Europe

From Spain in Europe’s west to Hungary and Slovakia in the east; from Denmark in Europe’s north to FYR Macedonia in the continent’s south-east: the bidding process for the EHF EUROs in 2022 & 2024 has attracted EHF Member Federations from across the continent.

In total, 11 different nations have submitted an application, with several of them joining forces to host the championship.

Men’s EHF EURO 2022

• Belgium, Spain and France
• Denmark and Switzerland
• Hungary and Slovakia

Men’s EHF EURO 2024

• Denmark and Switzerland
• Hungary and Slovakia
• Germany

Women’s EHF EURO 2022

• Slovenia, FYR Macedonia and Montenegro

There is currently no member federation bidding for the Women’s EHF EURO 2024.

The applicants’ vision

The Men’s EHF EURO 2022 which will be played with 24 teams from 14 to 30 January. Belgium, Spain and France have submitted one of the applications.

“In this bid, we want to share the excitement to live a unique event which combines tradition, passion, success, experience, excitement for the new and unexpected, the great chance to take good care of our fans and marketing partners. All of the above while praising the great values of our sport, of our players and our technical staff,” they write.

Hungary and Slovakia as well as Denmark and Switzerland are also in the race for 2022. And both have submitted an application for 2024 as well.

The Danish-Swiss vision is as follows: “For European handball, Denmark + Switzerland will showcase a new hosting model, opening up new opportunities for smaller nations. Nowhere else will European Handball have a bigger opportunity to expand and inspire than with this perfect partnership. With Denmark + Switzerland, the Men’s EHF EURO 2022 or 2024 will ignite a new era driving new and sustainable hosting aspirations for all European Handball nations big and, especially, small.”

Hungary and Slovakia promise a ‘captivating’ championship: “We wish to engage and connect people through their passion for handball. We aim to provide a wide range of events at exciting locations with ample opportunity to celebrate together. A Handball EURO so captivating that you do not just want to watch it on TV. A festival of handball you want to attend to feel the groove and share the live experience.”

Germany opens their 2024 bid with “Welcome to a country that loves handball”. The DHB’s President Andreas Michelmann writes in his foreword: “Germany is a country with huge expertise when it comes to hosting international mega events. We kindly invite the European handball family to join us as guests during the EHF EURO 2024. Enjoy big entertainment and big stadiums and help us to take the handball sport to a new level of engagement!”

For the three nations bidding for the Women’s EHF EURO 2022, Slovenia, FYR Macedonia and Montenegro, the following strategy is in focus.

The vision […] is to bring the biggest women’s handball event in Europe closer to what biggest men’s events represent. Enhancing the brand and the image of the women’s handball and improving all its products is a long-term mission and it never ends, but a professionally made strategic plan provides a useful focus and gathers talent and resources that energize and move the organization toward its mission goals.”

In case of the Women’s EHF EURO 2024, the EHF Executive Committee will determine the further procedure.

Next steps

Following the applications, the next steps are as follows:

• Following a first evaluation, the EHF Executive Committee approves the applications at its meeting on 15 December 2017
• Site inspections will take place in early 2018
• In March 2018 the bids for the EHF EUROs in 2022 and 2024 will be confirmed by the EHF Executive Committee
• The awarding of the EHF EUROs 2022 and 2024 will take place at the EHF Congress in Glasgow on 18/19 June 2018

Playing dates for EHF EUROs in 2022 and 2024

The dates for the Men’s and Women’s European Championships in 2022 and 2024 have already been confirmed.

• Men’s EHF EURO 2022: 14 to 30 January
• Women’s EHF EURO 2022: 4 to 20 November
• Men’s EHF EURO 2024: 12 to 28 January
• Women’s EHF EURO 2024: 29 November to 15 December