Debrecen is also ready: great matches are coming to the Főnix Arena!
The EHF EURO 2022 at the Főnix Arena throws off with a match between Slovenia and North Macedonia on the 13th of January. The World Champion Danish and Montenegrin teams will also debut on Thursday. Short preview for Group A in Debrecen.
One of the busiest facilities in Hungary is the Főnix Arena in Debrecen, which has already hosted prominent handball events. One of the venues for the Women’s EHF EURO in 2004 and 2014 was this arena, and the Women’s Junior World Championship, which ended with a Hungarian victory, was a great experience for every sports fan.
The arena has been renovated on the occasion of EHF EURO 2022 so fans can watch the matches in a renewed environment that meets all needs.
The venue
One of the busiest facilities in Hungary is the Főnix Arena in Debrecen, which has already hosted prominent handball events. One of the venues for the Women’s EHF EURO in 2004 and 2014 was this arena, and the Women’s Junior World Championship, which ended with a Hungarian victory, was a great experience for every sports fan.
The arena has been renovated on the occasion of EHF EURO 2022 so fans can watch the matches in a renewed environment that meets all needs.
“Debrecen is a real sports city, in the last twenty years it has hosted more than two dozen major competitions in almost twenty sports. The EHF EURO 2022 is perhaps our most important event to date, where we have been working with the organizing committee, the EHF and the city for months, ” said Balázs Makray, Project and Facilities Manager at Főnix Arena. “It was a big challenge for everyone, mainly because of the size of the event, the revolving Főnix Arena and the difficult epidemic. It was completed and put in place in time, the teams are happy with the venues for the match and training, and tickets went well abroad and at home, and on Saturday we can be close to a full house. We are all proud and excited to start on Thursday, and we hope that Debrecen and the Főnix Arena will once again be a good host and a successful venue. ”
You can find out about the entry and Covid rules for the fans at this link!
Handball comes to Debrecen
Handball has great tradition in the so called ’Civis City’. The women’s team DVSC won the Hungarian championship title in 1955 and 1987. ’Loki’ – it’s the nickname of the club – have really been specialised for cup contests. They triumphed both in the 1995 and the 1996 EHF Cup final, beating Norwegian rivals Bækkelagets and Larvik. DVSC was finalist one more time in the EHF Cup and twice in the EHF Cup Winners’ Cup.True legends of handball like Erika Csapó, Rita Borók, Anita Bulath, Gabriella Szűcs, Éva Kiss, Renáta Mörtel and many other world class players have represented DVSC in the last couple of decades. One of the best handball players ever, Amália Sterbinszky grew up at the Debrecen academy, too.
The men’s team, Debreceni Dózsa was shining especially in the 1970’s – led by 126-time Hungarian international István Varga. They won the gold medal in the Hungarian league in 1975 and gained three more medals in the domestic championship.
Who are we going to watch?
Denmark has arrived in Debrecen as the reigning World Champion and Olympic silver medalist, it is not disputed that they are one of the favourites of the tournament. In the previous EHF EURO, the team only finished in 13th place, so they would like to improve on the statistics in this tournament. Like the French team, they last won a medal at the EHF EURO in 2014.
Slovenia, the 4th placed team of the EHF EURO 2020, will be able to compete for advancement based on the odds. Several players of the squad (exactly seven) also play in Hungary, in the teams of Szeged and Veszprém. The team lead by Ljubomir Vranjes missed the Olympic Games last year, and otherwise had a big fight with the Dutch and Polish teams during the qualifiers.
The North Macedonians, led by Kiril Lazarov, may even cause a pleasant surprise in Debrecen. One of the legends in the sport will lead the team as a player coach. The team was able to catch Denmark during the qualifiers. They will have big absences due to injuries, but they will also be strong in goalkeeper and line player position, meaning group rivals will have to sweat against them.
Montenegro reached the EHF EURO for the sixth time, and for the fifth time in a row, finishing second place in the qualifiers behind Sweden. They closed in 18th place two years ago, now they would like to improve on that number. Center back Bozo Andjelic plays in Hungary (in the team of Ferencváros).
“I think our preparations went well, we did everything that the head coach planned. We will go step by step. The first match is always difficult in a tournament like this, and I expect a tough, difficult match against the North Macedonians. We've played with them several times, so we know them. ”
“I believe in my team, but at the same time we are well aware of the difficulty of the tasks ahead. We respect Slovenia, a great team with excellent players, but we don’t wave the white flag before the match. We will do our best to surprise everyone. ”
“No one knows exactly how it is now, the preparation for everyone, so it was chaotic for us too. In any case, we have done everything we wanted and we are ready for the tournament. ”
“I don’t know what to expect. Denmark will be the favorite in the first match, but we will do everything on the field. Our real test will be the meetings against the Slovenes and the North Macedonians. ”
Group A program:
13 January, 6pm: Slovenia–North Macedonia
13 January, 8:30pm: Denmark–Montenegro
15 January, 6pm: North Macedonia–Montenegro
15 January, 8:30pm: Slovenia–Denmark
17 January, 6pm: Montenegro–Slovenia
17 January, 8:30pm: North Macedonia–Denmark
Fans arriving in Debrecen should explore the city, the restaurants of the historical center, the Great Forest (Nagyerdő), the Aquaticum spa complex, as Debrecen promises great programmes.
You can find out what is worth discovering in Debrecen in our must to see list!
Taste more – or get to know the gastronomy of Debrecen! We give tips!
Visit the official club of the EHF EURO 2022 in Debrecen, the Water Tower of the Great Forest (Nagyerdő)! In the café, the matches can be watched on a projector and televisions from the 13th to the 18th of January, and on the televisions from the 19th to the 30th of January, at the time of the matches. Details here!
13 January, 6pm: Slovenia–North Macedonia
13 January, 8:30pm: Denmark–Montenegro
15 January, 6pm: North Macedonia–Montenegro
15 January, 8:30pm: Slovenia–Denmark
17 January, 6pm: Montenegro–Slovenia
17 January, 8:30pm: North Macedonia–Denmark
Feel, taste, chill and spot more in Debrecen
Fans arriving in Debrecen should explore the city, the restaurants of the historical center, the Great Forest (Nagyerdő), the Aquaticum spa complex, as Debrecen promises great programmes.
You can find out what is worth discovering in Debrecen in our must to see list!
Taste more – or get to know the gastronomy of Debrecen! We give tips!
Visit the official club of the EHF EURO 2022 in Debrecen, the Water Tower of the Great Forest (Nagyerdő)! In the café, the matches can be watched on a projector and televisions from the 13th to the 18th of January, and on the televisions from the 19th to the 30th of January, at the time of the matches. Details here!
