Austria's handball teams are painfully eliminated from the European Cup!

Austria's handball teams are painfully eliminated from the European Cup!

The European handball landscape appears in a somewhat gloomy light for the Austrian teams at the weekend: MADx WAT Atzgersdorf and Union Korneuburg say goodbye EHF European Cup. The two teams had to struggle with deficits in the second leg on November 16th that ultimately proved to be insurmountable. While Atzgersdorf played for the Greek team A.C. PAOK lost 25:27, Union Korneuburg suffered a clear defeat of 23:45 against Hazena Knyzvart from the Czech Republic.

Annoying for Atzgersdorf: The overall score of 53:62 after both games clearly shows that despite great efforts they were unable to prevail in the second leg. They had already lost 28:35 in the first leg, which made the task in the second leg much more difficult. The ÖHB states that Union Korneuburg was also a lost cause after losing the first leg 24:40.

The setbacks of the Viennese teams

Atzgersdorf had to catch up a lot in the second leg, but PAOK's compact game and counterattack prevented a hoped-for victory. In the second leg, Korneuburg also had the heavy burden of the first leg on their backs, which ultimately had a fatal impact. With an overall result of 47:85, they say goodbye to European competition early. The disappointment runs deep.

The performance of other players from the region is particularly noteworthy: Antonija Mamic from Lokomotiva Zagreb managed to get into the group phase of the EHF European League after her team knocked GC Amicitia Zurich out of the race with a total score of 54:47. A ray of hope for Austrian handball on the European scene.

Results and outlook

The results of the second legs show the great competition in these European competitions. Katarina and Ana Pandza, among others, scored notable goals for Podravka from Croatia in the EHF Champions League. The game against Ikast ended 29:33. Other European teams are also showing strong commitment, which further increases the challenges for the Austrian teams. Women's teams from Denmark, Croatia and Slovenia have increased their level enormously in recent years.

The Austrian clubs now have to work on their strength in order to be more successful in future competitions. Even if the current setbacks are painful, there is hope that the tide could soon turn. Domestic handball needs motivated players who can cause a sensation not only in their own country but also in Europe. statistics to the European competitions show that other nations often had to overcome similar hurdles to reach the top. Giving up is not an option - that should also apply to the Austrian teams!