25.06.2018, 01:57
Host nations take on World Championship 2017 finalists

NEWS: The 13 European nations set to contest the World Championship 2019 learned their playing groups at the draw event in Copenhagen on Monday

Host nations take on World Championship 2017 finalists

The draw for the Men’s World Championship 2019 was held on Monday in Copenhagen, following the conclusion of the final qualification event – the 2018 Pan American Men’s Championship in Nuuk, Greenland – on Sunday evening.

As Argentina celebrated their seventh continental title, despite the absence of injured VELUX EHF FINAL4 hero Diego Simonet, the list of 24 teams to contest the World Championship 2019 was confirmed.

The Pan American event threw off only days after the European qualification play-offs took place, which saw nine teams clinch their berth at the event in Germany and Denmark in January 2019 – joining already qualified world champions France, the two host nations, and EHF EURO 2018 winners Spain as the European cohort to battle for the world title.

The results of the Men’s World Championship 2019 draw, held in Copenhagen on Monday, were as follows:

Featuring record world champions France and co-hosts Germany, group A will be played in Berlin. EHF EURO champions Spain will begin their campaign in Munich, where their opponents will include World Championship 2017 semi-finalists Croatia.

It was a tough draw for both host nations – while Germany are pitted against France, Denmark were drawn into the same group as France’s World Championship 2017 Final opponents Norway, playing in Herning.

“I think it’s a good group for us. We will have some tough matches, but I think in group C we have good chances to get a good result here in Denmark,” said Denmark coach Nikolaj Jacobsen.

Meanwhile, the bronze medallists from the previous World Championship, Slovenia, were knocked out by Hungary in the play-offs. Hungary were drawn into group D, playing in Copenhagen, where they will face tough matches against the likes of EHF EURO 2018 runners-up Sweden.

“We are satisfied with the draw. It’s a tough group with the current world champions France. I think we have to go a high level to get a good position for the main round,” said Germany coach Christian Prokop.

The top three teams of each group qualify for the main round which is played in two groups of six teams each in the cities of Cologne (teams from A and B) and Herning. The teams ranked 4 to 6 in the preliminary round groups continue to the President’s Cup played over 2 days in the cities of Cologne and Copenhagen.

The semi-finals are played in Hamburg; the final and the bronze match in Herning.

TEXT: Courtney Gahan