May 25, 2021 - The Croatia handball player list for two June meetings against Spain in the EHF EURO Cup and a friendly against Egypt have been announced. 

The Croatian men's team coach Hrvoje Horvat has published the list of players he is counting on for the remaining EHF EURO Cup match against Spain and the friendly match against Egypt. There are 18 players on the list, along with seven more on the reserve list, if one of the invitees gets injured.

The national team will gather in Poreč on June 21 at 11:00 and will stay there until June 26 when it leaves for Spain. As it is known, the weekend before, Poreč will host the finals of the Men's Cup, so some of the players will already be there.

The remaining EHF EURO Cup 3rd round match between Spain and Croatia was originally planned before the World Cup, on January 9, 2021, but was canceled due to a snowstorm in Madrid.

The new date is June 27. A day later, the national team will play a friendly match against Egypt, which is preparing for the Olympic Games in Spain. The Spanish Handball Federation has yet to confirm where the match will be played. 

Hrvoje Horvat, men's senior national team coach: 
"The list includes most of the players who recently played against Slovakia and Hungary, but also some new names that we also want to check out. We have secured second place in the EHF EURO Cup, so the match against the European champions does not have any special competitive nature, but we want to see how these young players can cope with the handball giants. On the other hand, Egypt is waiting for us, which was fourth at the 2021 World Cup. It is a great opportunity to see players against a physically very powerful team that plays handball a little differently. It is important to note that both matches are played outside the so-called 'national team week,' i.e., the official calendar of the EHF, so we had to rely on players from domestic clubs or leagues that have finished their competitions."

CROATIA HANDBALL PLAYER LIST

1. MORENO CAR – RK NEXE

2. DINO SLAVIĆ – ABANCA ADEMAR LEON

3. MARIN JELINIĆ – RK NEXE

4. VALENTINO RAVNIĆ – RK PPD ZAGREB

5. KARLO GODEC – RK DUBRAVA

6. VLADO MATANOVIĆ – RK PPD ZAGREB

7. FRAN MILETA – RK NEXE

8. LEON ŠUŠNJA – ORLEN WISLA PLOCK

9. NIKOLA GRAHOVAC – RK PPD ZAGREB

10. VERON NAČINOVIĆ – RK CELJE PIVOVARNA LAŠKO

11. HALIL JAGANJAC – RK NEXE

12. ANTE IVANKOVIĆ – RK DUBRAVA

13. TIN LUČIN – ABANCA ADEMAR LEON

14. FILIP VISTOROP – RK PPD ZAGREB

15. ZVONIMIR SRNA – RK PPD ZAGREB

16. LUKA LOVRE KLARICA – RK PPD ZAGREB

17. LUKA ŠEBETIĆ – TREMBLAY EN FRANCE HANDBALL

18. TOMISLAV SEVEREC – RK NEXE

RESERVE PLAYERS:

1. MATEJ HRSTIĆ – RK PPD ZAGREB

2. BORNA MANCI MIČEVIĆ – RK NEXE

3. FILIP PERIĆ – RK PPD ZAGREB

4. GIANFRANCO PRIBETIĆ – RK NEXE

5. DAVOR ČAVAR – RK PPD ZAGREB

6. SANDRO MEŠTRIĆ – PAUC HANDBALL

7. IVAN BUDALIĆ – MOSER MEDIKAL UHK KREMS

COACHING STAFF:

1. HRVOJE HORVAT, COACH

2. IVANO BALIĆ, TRAINER

3. NINOSLAV PAVELIĆ, GOALKEEPER TRAINER

4. MILJENKO RAK, CONDITIONING TRAINER

Source: HRS

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

To get more news about sports in Croatia, CLICK HERE.

April 26, 2021 - Croatia handball and Ivano Balić are together again as the new assistant coach will guide the national team to new victories this week at the EHF EURO Cup. 

The Croatia handball team gathered this morning in Zagreb ahead of the EHF EURO Cup matches against Slovakia and Hungary.

On April 28 (Wednesday) and April 29 (Thursday) in Varaždin, the national team will play two matches against Slovakia and then travel to play Hungary in Veszprem.

There are many new names on coach Hrvoje Horvat's list, and the most resounding is the reinforcement in his coaching staff. Ivano Balić is back, who will be the right hand of the new coach. The new goalkeeper coach is Ninoslav Pavletić.

The national team has had a turbulent year: for the first time in 21 years, they failed to qualify for the Olympics, and in January, they experienced a debacle at the World Cup in Egypt.

Croatia has won the two matches they've played in the EURO Cup so far. In Osijek, Croatia celebrated against Hungary 31:27, and then in January, just before the World Cup, they defeated Spain 31:28.

Captain Domagoj Duvnjak, Željko Musa and Igor Karačić have been spared.

"This is a new role. The coach and I speak the same language. There are a lot of young players; we will need more time and more work. I think everything will come on its own. I came back because handball is my life. The goal is to improve the overall game. Croatia has potential, and we can do it. I have always helped young people throughout my career, and it is a challenge for me; it fulfills me, and I think I can help. I have no ambitions to be a coach; I am here to help Horvat. The goal is for the national team to progress, day by day," said Ivano Balić. 

"So far, I've watched the games as a fan. We were better in France than in Egypt, but I wouldn't go back in time. We need to look to the future."

"Due to the situation with COVID-19, Martinović, Cindrić, Mamić, and Ivanković dropped out of the list. We stopped there. Our first goal is to select players who can play in both directions to reduce the substitutions. That has been a problem for us so far. We have a lot of new faces, especially in the pivot position. Every coach has time, and then when he loses the national team, he has very little time. We must not wander; we must not waste time on it. We have to work patiently and find players who will follow my and Balić's vision for Euro 2022 in Slovakia and Hungary. I also worked with Ivan when he was an assistant to Željko Babić, and I led the young national team. We clicked. The coaching staff must blow in the same sail."

Player list:

Goalkeepers: 

IVAN PEŠIĆ – MC MESHKOV BREST
MORENO CAR – RK NEXE
MATEJ MANDIĆ – RK IZVIĐAČ CO

DAVID MANDIĆ – RK PPD ZAGREB
LOVRO MIHIĆ – ORLEN WISLA PLOCK
KARLO GODEC – RK DUBRAVA
IVAN ČUPIĆ – RK VARDAR 1961
VLADO MATANOVIĆ – RK PPD ZAGREB
FRAN MILETA – RK NEXE
LEON ŠUŠNJA – ORLEN WISLA PLOCK
TOMISLAV KUŠAN – HC EUROFARM PELISTER
NIKOLA GRAHOVAC – RK PPD ZAGREB
VERON NAČINOVIĆ – RK CELJE PIVOVARNA LAŠKO
MARKO MAMIĆ – SCDHFK LEIPZIG
HALIL JAGANJAC – RK NEXE
ANTE IVANKOVIĆ – RK DUBRAVA
LUKA CINDRIĆ – BARCA
DOMAGOJ PAVLOVIĆ – MT MELSUNGEN
TIN LUČIN – ABANCA ADEMAR LEON
IVAN MARTINOVIĆ – HC HANNOVER -BURGDORF
LUKA ŠEBETIĆ – TREMBLAY EN FRANCE HANDBALL
MATEO MARAŠ – HC EUROFARM PELISTER
 

Coaching staff: 
HRVOJE HORVAT, IZBORNIK
IVANO BALIĆ, TRENER
NINOSLAV PAVELIĆ, TRENER VRATARA
MILJENKO RAK, KONDICIJSKI TRENER

Source: Index.hr

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE. 

April 9, 2021 - Legendary former Croatia handball player Ivano Balić is Hrvoje Horvat's new assistant coach of the men's national team!

The decision on his inclusion in the Croatia national handball team staff was made on Thursday during the regular session of the Croatian Handball Federation Management Board.

Balić was added to the staff at the suggestion of the current coach, and at the same time, Nino Pavelić, who worked at RK Nexe for years, was appointed goalkeeper coach.

The session confirmed that the competition in the Premier League Package 24, 1st HRL for women, two first men's leagues, and three second women's leagues was put on hold until mid-May, and almost four months after winning the European bronze, the handball players achievement was honored with 150,000 euro! 

Tomislav Grahovac, President of the Croatian Handball Federation:
"We made a decision to award our girls for winning the bronze medal at the European Championships. It is an amount of 150 thousand euro, which is the gross amount. Another important decision is that we have completed the staffs for all age groups of men's handball. What is certainly important to us in the future is that Ivano Balić has been appointed as an assistant to the coach Hrvoje Horvat. The third decision that was made is to put on hold the leagues that are currently being played: Package 24 Premier League, 1st HRL - Women, two men's first leagues and three women's second leagues, until all players, staff members, referees' organizations, and club members, i.e., those who are participants in constant physical contact with players, are vaccinated. The plan is to stop the competition until May 19, and all matches will be played by the end of June."

Source: HRS

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE. 

March 23, 2021 - Celebrated former Croatia national handball team player Ivano Balić should soon join the national team staff to assist coach Hrvoje Horvat in the coming period.

24 Sata reports that Balić should act as Horvat's first assistant, and Igor Vori, who has played a double role so far, should remain only the national team's sports director in the future.

While the news about Ivano Balić's engagement is still unofficial, sources close to the Croatian Handball Federation have revealed that Balić agreed to accept the offered position of an assistant coach. The formality of the appointment and official announcement will be at the HRS Board meeting and then at the Assembly, in the second week of April, immediately after the Easter holidays.

The first next action of the Croatia national handball team is the EHF EURO Cup, a competition in which the teams that directly qualified for the European Championship in 2022 will compete: Spain and Croatia as finalists of the last European Championship and Slovakia and Hungary, which as hosts do not have to play qualifiers. The EHF has organized a special competition for these four national teams, which continues on April 26.

As it is usual to send invitations to players two weeks in advance, it is expected that the association will complete the procedure of appointing Ivano Balić as soon as possible. Given the current epidemiological situation, it is not yet known where all the matches will be played, but Croatia should play in Varaždin. The possibility remains to play two matches with the same opponent on the same court if it is easier to organize it due to other countries' epidemiological situation.

At the end of January, Lino Červar proposed Ivano Balić as a candidate for the new coach after Červar resigned from the post but retained the coordinator position for men's handball. The unnatural and illogical position in which the former coach proposes his successor should also be discussed in the Board and the Assembly.

After the debacle at the World Champs in Egypt, Lino Červar was succeeded by Hrvoje Horvat, who had the advantage over the other two candidates: Slavko Goluža and Ivano Balić. At that time, the board of directors did not even consider Balić as a candidate, with the explanation that he did not have the necessary license.

"After an exhaustive discussion and detailed analysis of each of the offered candidates, it was determined that Ivano Balić, unfortunately, does not have the required credentials to perform the function of the coach. Of the two remaining candidates, the Board of Directors member, who is busy with work obligations, decided to maintain continuity in the work of the national team and decided to appoint Hrvoje Horvat as the coach of the Croatia men's senior national team," HRS announced at the time.

In the meantime, the handball team was left without the Olympic Games at the qualifying tournament in Montpellier, France. Still, the HRS leadership stood behind the Croatia coach and entrusted him with leading the team in the coming period. Ivano Balić's engagement should give him additional strength and authority in his attempt to return Croatia to the top of European and world handball.

Until now, Ivano Balić has worked as a coach of the junior national team. He has a coaching license but not a "master coach," which is necessary for the coaches who lead the national teams in the biggest competitions. However, Balić regularly attends lectures and should get a license this year so that he could sit on the bench as the national team coach in the future.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

As we announced in our previous article, Ivano Balić, Željko Babić, Petar Metličić and Venio Losert lost the vote of confidence by CHF Board

The answer should be clear to anybody who has ever tried to compete in any competition, but in Croatia, it is always more about the emotions and the media influence than the facts itself

Although he resigned after the Olympic Games, his resignation is to be refused by the Handball Federation board, according to Ivano Balić, and Babić might continue his work with the national handball team

Inspiration for young Croatian handball players on July 6, 2016, as Ivano Balic, arguably the greatest player of all time, gets down to teaching at the annual Balic and Metlicic Handball Camp in Jelsa on the island of Hvar.