Austria already proved to be good ground for Croatia at the EURO 2010, where Croatia made it to the final. The preliminary round was played in Graz and the Styrian provincial capital will once again be home to Croatia in 2020, after a successful qualification. With Vienna and Graz, Austria will provide two preliminary round groups, as well as a main round group in Vienna. After successfully finishing the preliminary round in Graz the Croatian team would move to Vienna to play the main round. Serbia, Macedonia, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro could also play in Austria like Croatia would, if their qualification is successful. Tickets for the EURO 2020 will be available at www.ehf-euro.com from 24 October.
It will be the European Championship of superlatives! For the first time a European Handball Championship will be held in three countries – Sweden, Austria and Norway. For the first time, 24 nations will fight for the title. And for the first time, the final will take place in a football stadium.
The date of the 24th of October as the start for ticket sales is not been chosen entirely coincidental, as the qualification for the EURO 2020 also starts on this day. 32 nations fight in eight groups of four for the remaining 20 places in the final round. Sweden, Austria and Norway as hosts, as well as Spain as reigning European Champion are already set for the European Championships.
DREAM.WIN.REMEMBER
This is the slogan/motto of the EURO 2020 and Croatia in particular will travel to Austria with the best memories. In 2010 they made it to the final, where they only had to admit defeat to France. Like back then, Croatia will again play its preliminary round matches in Graz in 2020. And the Styrian capital is looking forward to celebrating another true handball festival with its Croatian fans.
And there is another parallel to 2010: From the preliminary round in Graz, the main round will continue to Vienna. Which is also linked to positive memories in Croatia for being honored with the silver medal at the EURO 2010.
For the Croatian national team, the qualification for EURO 2020 starts on the 25th of October 2018 with the home match against Switzerland. One day before the ticket sale for the European Championship starts.
While Croatia is fixed in Graz after a successful qualification, the EURO could also start in Austria for some of Croatia’s neighbouring countries: Macedonia, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro.
Further ticket releases
Further ticket releases are planned for the 9th of January 2019 (‘One year to go’), 17th of April 2019 (Easter release) and for the 1st of July 2019, as all 24 participating will be known by then.
The first matches in Graz (group A) and Trondheim (group C) are played on the 9th of January. On the 10th of January the action will start in Vienna (group B), Trondheim (group D) and Gothenburg (group F); group E in Malmö joins last on the 11th of January.
Final weekend over three days
The main round will be played in Malmö and Vienna, while the final is played in Stockholm’s Tele2 Arena, a 20,000 capacity stadium. When it comes to the final weekend, fans will experience Sweden’s capital as it lives and breathes handball for three days.
Following a unique change of the playing schedule, the EHF Executive Committee confirmed in September, that for the first time the match for third place and the final will be played separately from each other, with the bronze medal match to be played on Saturday, 25th of January 2020, and Sunday, 26th of January, being exclusively reserved for the final.
With the semi-finals on Friday, 24th of January, as well as matches on Saturday and the final on Sunday, the final weekend has been extended to a three-day long handball party, which will be framed by a high-level entertainment concept.
In the new schedule, the 5/6 placement match will be moved from Friday, 24th of January, ahead of the semi-finals, to Saturday, 25th of January, when it will take place ahead of the match for third place.
PhotoCredit: OEHB/ Sebastian Pucher
