The “new era” announced by the Hungarian coach will begin in Romania! The Hungarians have an unexpected request

• Romania will host matches at the 2026 European Handball Championship in Oradea and Cluj on BT Arena. The matches from preliminary group A will be played in Oradea, while the matches from preliminary groups B and I will be played in Cluj.

• The 2026 European Women's Handball Championship will take place between December 3 and December 20, 2026.

Hungary will play on Thursday, in Tatabanya, against Denmark, in the EHF Euro Cup, and on Sunday the two national teams will meet again in Svendborg. More than 4,000 tickets have already been sold for the home match, and the federation expects a full house.

Hungary coach announces 'new chapter' from 2026: 'We will spend 50 days together'

Vladimir Golovin explained that the year 2026 marks the beginning of a new chapter for the Hungarian national team.

“During this period, two world competitions await us, which are also Olympic qualification tournaments, a new era begins. This year the team will spend about 50 days together, and next year about 55, which is not very much.

On Monday we had a discussion with the players about the future. Ten of them won the bronze medal in 2024 and I know exactly what level we started from in 2022 and how hard we worked in those two years. Everyone is trying to do their best, and our work will pay off“, he said, according to Nemzeti Sport.

Regarding the European Championship in December, the intention of the Hungarians is to play the group stage matches in Oradea, and the main group games in Cluj-Napoca.

The final decision will be taken after establishing the composition of the tournament, following consultations between the European Handball Federation and the organizers. The tournament is organized by five countries. In addition to Romania, matches will be played in the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Turkey.

And Erika Kirsner welcomes the decision that the Hungarians would take, taking into account the beautiful memories: “It can make a difference”

I don't think it's ideal for our sport that there are so many remote locations, although I understand that this keeps the costs of organizing down.

At the European Championship in 2000, the atmosphere was extraordinary, we practically played on home ground. Handball is very popular in Transylvania, and for the girls it is an important impulse to play in front of many Hungarian fans. This support can make a difference.

– Erika Kirsnerformer Hungarian extreme left

• Erika Kirsner is a former Hungarian handball player. He played as a left winger and was part of Hungary's very strong generation in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

• The most important result of her career came at the European Women's Handball Championship in 2000. The tournament was played in Romania, and Hungary won the title.