Men's EHF EURO 2026 - 20 January: Germany scrape through, Faroe Islands break through and Switzerland collapse

It's been 16 years since Iceland last made it through to the semi-finals of a major championship and there's plenty of belief that the wait could end this month. Following a perfect start to the championship, we check in with two men who were part of their 2008 Olympic silver and EURO 2010 bronze medal teams - goalkeeper Björgvin Páll Gustavsson and head coach Snorri Guðjónsson about their approach to the main round and dealing with both the honour and expectation that comes with representing this team. For bonus episodes and ad-free listening throughout the EHF EURO, join us on patreon.com/handballhour

The opening days of the championship have thrown up some mad days! We look back at Germany's 48-hour fluctuation from early elimination and disgrace to qualification with two points in hand, Faroe Islands' display of belonging and dominance, plus Switzerland's inexplicable collapse against Slovenia. We also hear from EHF commentator Alex Mair on the groups in Sweden and whether much-hyped Iceland are proving to be the real deal.

Everyone's favourite handball nerd Rasmus Boysen joins us for our second EHF EURO 2026 preview pod, featuring Groups B, C and E. We delve into the championship's host nations, fan favourites Portugal and Netherlands and compare the two perennial top contenders in Denmark and France. The full extended episode, plus bonus episodes throughout the tournament, can be enjoyed on patreon.com/handballhour

The Men's EHF EURO 2026 begins next week and we're here with the first of our two big preview podcasts. Björn Pazen and Zika Bogdanovic join us to discuss the big storylines from Groups A, D and F. We discuss major medal candidates Germany and Iceland, where Spain and Hungary sit on the current pecking order and whether this is a golden opportunity for Switzerland and Faroe Islands to make a big breakthrough.

Ahead of the Men's EHF EURO 2026, we've teamed up with Handball Hub to run our fantasy league. You can finally participate in a league on your phone without the need for Google Translate. We've delved into the players and their values as we build our fantasy teams and consider which men will have a championship to remember this month. All are welcome to join our league, with prizes to be won for our Patreon subscribers. Download the Handball Hub app here: https://handball-hub.app.link/u7kagmnXHZb Join the Handball Hour group with the code: 666444 This episode was released already on Wednesday for our subscribers on patreon.com/handballhour, where our EUROs build up already began on Monday. Join us there for bonus content throughout the championship and ad-free listening.

After a December focused fully on the Women's World Championship, we wrap up the year with a catch up on the men's game with big Bundesliga games and transfer rumours galore. We take a look at the upcoming changes to the French league and Champions League, while German and Dutch national team players are in London this week for very different reasons.

Katrine Lunde bowed out at the very top of the handball world this month, winning her fifth world championship gold as the all-star goalkeeper and hanging up the Norway jersey at the age of 45. Back in 2022, we spoke to Katrine about her life in handball, the people and moments that made her who she is and what has kept her going strong through all these years. Whether you've heard this one before or not, it's an ideal way to honour the end of her career over the festive period. If you want access to all our bonus Morning Club shows, including extra coverage of the upcoming EHF EURO, and ad-free listening of all shows, join us on patreon.com/handballhour.

Hassan Moustafa has some opposition in his hopes to extend his IHF Presidency beyond 25 years. For the first time since 2009, the upcoming IHF Congress will see him challenged by Gerd Butzeck, Franjo Bobinac, and Tjark de Lange. We spoke to the most outspoken and leading challenger Gerd Butzeck about his campaign and key points on Olympic status, women's handball and global development. And hear from Ola Selby, who has done a deep-dive on the candidates and intricacies of the election. You can read more about Gerd Butzeck's campaign here: https://handball-deserves-more.com/ GoHandball articles on the election: https://gohandball.com/news/the-world

Norway were pushed all the way by a brave and spirited Germany performance but when everyone else looked shaky, Katrine Lunde stood firm in goal with a match-winning performance to sign off on a truly legendary career. We pay tribute to her and the other heroes of the championship with our Alternative Awards and look back at the final with help from Marcio Menino and Danijela Vekic.

While the quarter-finals were fairly straightforward affairs, they bring up some interesting trends that we dive into ahead of the final weekend of the World Championship. Defence leading the way, the demise of the right back and focusing on player growth among the topics as we bask in the business end of the tournament. To enjoy the rest of our coverage of the championship before anyone else, as well as bonus episodes, join us on patreon.com/handballhour