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The Spanish handball team at the COE before heading to the World Championship. Blanca Millez / EFE
The Spanish Handball Team Faces a Formidable Challenge

The Spanish Handball Team Faces a Formidable Challenge

The Spanish national team debuts this Thursday against Chile in a World Championship that poses a significant challenge following a generational shift

José Manuel Andrés

Madrid

Miércoles, 15 de enero 2025, 17:45

Los Hispanos, the flagship of national handball during lean times for the 40x20 in Spain, return to action with the pressure of those accustomed to success almost as a routine. The disappointment of the European Championship in Germany, where they did not progress beyond the first phase with an evident focus on generational change, gave way in the summer to a bronze medal at the Paris Olympic Games, a medal of immense value given the circumstances that served as an epilogue to a golden era.

The World Championship in Croatia, Denmark, and Norway, which restores the traditional multi-venue format of recent tournaments, serves as a starting point for a new wave of young talents, who face the challenge of a major tournament without the pressure of Olympic qualification, as the cycle towards Los Angeles 2028 has only just begun. At the helm remains Jordi Ribera, who is approaching a decade as coach thanks to his immense ability to work with young prospects and polish the rough diamonds that, despite its precarious economic condition, Spanish handball continues to produce for the benefit of other major European leagues.

Pillars such as Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas, the guardian of the goal this time accompanied by Sergey Hernández and not Rodrigo Corrales; the Dujshebaev brothers, Álex and Dani, guarantees on the flanks with their different playing styles; Imanol Garciandia, a problem-solver through shooting; Agustín Casado, established as a compass despite not having reached thirty; Ferrán Solé, a right-winger associated with goals; Abel Serdio, the latest in a long line of offensive pivots; and Miguel Sánchez-Migallón, destined to inherit the keys to the defensive wall once built by Gedeón Guardiola and Viran Morros, continue to be crucial.

Building on these established foundations, the youth is striking. Ian Tarrafeta, Jan Gurri, and the Cikusa brothers, Petar and Djordje, who lead the latest batch from Barça's youth system, complete a versatile first line but still with few flying hours. Injuries on the wings, which have ruled out Aleix Gómez and Kauldi Odriozola from the World Championship, also drastically reduce the age on the flanks, where right-handers Dani Fernández and Ian Barrufet, and left-hander Carlos Álvarez are around the tender age of twenty. Finally, the pivot position is also renewed with the fresh blood of Javi Rodríguez and Víctor Romero.

These are the ingredients of a complete generational shift to once again aspire to high goals in a World Championship that for Spain will progress from less to more in the first phase. Chile, Japan, and especially Sweden are the hurdles for Los Hispanos towards the main round, which the top three from each group reach, carrying forward the results obtained against the other qualifiers. Therefore, once the matches against Chileans and Japanese, both theoretically inferior to Jordi Ribera's team, are overcome, the Spanish national team will begin to play for a place in the quarter-finals against the Swedish team, bronze medallists in the last European Championship.

If they manage to enter the main phase with four points in their favour, Spain will have completed a significant part of the journey. Once in that stage, which is also held in Oslo and only offers two quarter-final spots, Norway, Portugal, and Brazil are likely new rivals. All three pose some danger, although the Norwegian team, which Los Hispanos defeated in preparation for the championship, emerges as the strongest opponent in front of their home crowd.

The Favourites

Reaching the knockout stages, halfway between the Norwegian capital and Zagreb, is the main starting objective. From there, among the best, it becomes difficult to make predictions for a title that has one contender above all. Denmark, the Olympic champion and three-time world champion, leads the pack despite the recent retirement of shooter Mikkel Hansen and goalkeeper Niklas Landin. The Barça goalkeeper Emil Nielsen or the shooters Gidsel and Pytlick lead a true constellation of stars.

Trailing the Danes are France, European champions a year ago but who crashed in their Games, in the last dance of the legend Nikola Karabatic. Barça star Dika Mem, who arrives with some concerns, the also injured Prandi or Fabregas must take on the leadership of another team accustomed to success.

Precisely the French executioner in Paris, Germany, is the third major candidate in the forecasts. German handball, always powerful in all aspects, has regained its pulse with an Olympic silver and two key figures, goalkeeper Andreas Wolff, Spain's nightmare at the Games on the verge of the final, and centre Juri Knorr.

Trailing this trio are Sweden, the co-hosts Norway and Croatia, Hungary, Slovenia, and Los Hispanos themselves, driven by a new generation for the Olympic cycle that begins.

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