The first reaction from the Romanian camp, directly from the court, after the failure suffered at the European men's handball
Article by Cosmin Nistor – Published Friday, January 16, 2026, 9:08 p.m. / Updated Friday, January 16, 2026 9:14 p.m.
Romania started with a defeat during the European Men's Handball Championship, losing to Portugal, score 34-40in the first match of group B. Andrei Buzle (26 years old), the left winger of the Romanian national team and CS Dinamo, offered a first reaction.
Romania's defense did not cope in the first half, and the chasing race in the second half became futile.
Andrei Buzle, after the 34-40 loss to Portugal: “We tried to be the best version of ourselves”
“I knew it would be a tough game against Portugal. They played a semi-final at the previous World Cup, they are a very good team.
We are happy with what we did on the pitch, we tried to be the best version of ourselves. We will try to be as good in the next match. Who knows, maybe we will produce a surprise.
For us, it is a good experience, the second European Championship in a row. We will try to extract the best from this game”, said Andrei Buzle, at the EHF microphone.
Andrei Buzle, the left winger of the Romanian national team // PHOTO: Imago Images
Rui Silva, fair play after the victory: “Romania fought until the end”
On the other side, Rui Silva (32 years old), Portugal's “center”, registered at Porto, appreciated Romania's performance, despite the score difference.
“We are very happy. We know the first match is always difficult in a final tournament. There are emotions, but we had a very good first half.
Romania did not give in and fought until the end. It was a good match and we are happy with the result. I think we had a little drop in the second half and we hope to reduce these errors in the next game against North Macedonia,” said Rui Silva.
Rui Silva, the “center” of Portugal // PHOTO: Imago Images
Romania, the second consecutive participation in the European and the fourth in history
Romania participates for the second consecutive time in the European Championship and for the fourth time in history. Our national team also improved in the 1994 editions, finishing in 11th place, in 1996 it took 9th place, in 2024 it ranked 22nd, and now it is in the race for the 2026 edition.
Groups of the European Men's Handball Championship:
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Group A: Austria, Germany, Spain, Serbia – (Herning, Denmark);
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Group B: Denmark, North Macedonia, Portugal, Romania – (Herning, Denmark);
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Group C: Czech Republic, France, Norway, Ukraine – (Baerum, Norway);
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Group D: Montenegro, Slovenia, Switzerland, Faroe Islands – (Baerum, Norway);
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Group E: Croatia, Georgia, Netherlands, Sweden – (Malmo, Sweden);
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Group F: Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Poland – (Kristianstad, Sweden).
In parentheses, the city and country where the matches will be played.
