23.10.2018, 12:00
EHF EURO Cup launches in Scandinavia

EHF EURO CUP PREVIEW: A brand new national team competition, reserved for a very select group, begins on Wednesday in Norway and Sweden

EHF EURO Cup launches in Scandinavia

Wednesday 24 October marks the beginning of a new national team competition as the EHF EURO Cup 2020 sees the light of the day for the first time.

The competition consists of four teams, namely the three organisers of the Men´s EHF EURO 2020, Austria, Norway and Sweden, as well as reigning champions Spain.

All these four nations are automatically qualified for the final tournament and will meet in this international tournament rather than take part in the qualification campaign.

The four teams will face each other home and away in parallel to the EHF EURO 2020 Qualification matches, beginning with matches in Stjordal, Norway and Malmö, Sweden on Wednesday.

Norway vs Austria
Wednesday 24 October, 18:15 hrs local time, live on ehfTV.com

• Norway will be playing the match without two of their key players. Line player Bjarte Myrhol and right wing Kristian Bjørnsen are both out injured
• Austria are missing one of their greatest stars, winger Raul Santos, replaced by Julian Pratschner from SG INSIGNIS WESTWIEN in the Austrian league
• the two nations will meet again in the preliminary round of the 2019 World Championship in Denmark and Germany in January

Sweden vs Spain
Wednesday 24 October, 19:15 hrs local time, live of ehfTV.com

• this is a repeat of the EHF EURO 2018 final, which Spain won 29:23
• Kim Ekdahl du Reitz was expected to make a comeback for Sweden in the match, but he has been sidelined with injury
• Spanish coach Jordi Ribera has lost Paris Saint-Germain defender Viran Morros to injury, but did not have to look far for a replacement, bringing Gideon Guardiola from Rhein-Neckar Löwen into the squad

TEXT: Peter Bruun / cor