Handball team preparing for a pair of international friendlies

The Croatian handball team has gathered in Zagreb ahead of the final phase of the season and two friendly matches against Sweden.

The first match will be played on Wednesday, May 13, in Kristianstad at 6:10 p.m., while the return fixture is scheduled three days later in Varaždin at 5:00 p.m.

As both teams have already secured qualification for the 2027 World Championship in Germany, the matches will serve as an opportunity for further evaluation and testing of younger players.

“This is a difficult period, but we are extremely fortunate not to be in the qualification round, because those matches are really demanding. Many players are injured at the end of the season, and it is difficult to achieve full focus from them,” said coach Dagur Sigurdsson.

Compared to the original squad list, Sigurdsson has been forced to make several changes due to injuries. Luka Cindrić, Filip Glavaš, Leon Šušnja, Luka Lovre Klarica and Zlatko Raužan will not be available for this action.

As a result, Sigurdsson has called up three young players: Petar Šprem, Antonio Berislav Tokić and Teo Popović. Alongside them, Tin Herceg and Matko Moslavac are also included in the squad.

“The most important thing for me is that they are fit, that they are not carrying injuries, and that they come here with positive energy and a willingness to contribute to our development. All these matches are important,” the coach added.

The positive news is the return of Marin Šipić after a long absence, while Tin Lučin, Mateo Maraš and Marko Mamić, who missed the previous gathering due to family reasons, are also available again.

After the gathering and media activities, the national team will train in Zagreb before travelling to Sweden, where they will hold another training session and activation ahead of the first match. After returning to Croatia, the squad will remain in Varaždin to prepare for Saturday’s match against Sweden at the Varaždin Arena.