Croatia (CRO)
Croatia qualified for their 16th EHF EURO in a row after exciting matches in qualification group 5. Croatians secured second place after two strong victories against Greece and Belgium and two well-fought duels against the Netherlands, ending in a draw and a defeat.
Croatia have never missed the EHF EURO and after three bronze and silver medals, they are still dreaming about the only gold missing in their collection. Finishing eighth at the EHF EURO 2022 and ninth at the 2023 IHF Men's World Championship prompted new coaching changes.
Hrvoje Horvat was replaced by former Croatian player Goran Perkovac, who was part of the squad that won a bronze medal at their first-ever appearance at the EHF EURO 1994. Perkovac introduced new additional young players to the team with an expansion of the base while keeping the core the same – the backcourt line of Domagoj Duvnjak, Igor Karacic and Luka Cindric.
Croatia hope to present a new style while bringing back their famous 3-2-1 defence into the mix and two young goalkeepers Matej Mandic and Dominik Kuzmanovic will welcome their first major competition in the main role.
Looking for another solid performance, with the first goal set to be in the main round, Croatia will try to overcome Spain at the start of the competition and later beat Austria and Romania. However, the hopes are high as the last EHF EURO 2022 marked their worst placement in 20 years.
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| # | Player | MP | Goals | Shots | % | 7m | YC | RC | 2 Min | TP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| TOTAL | {{totalGoals}} | {{totalShots}} | {{totalShotsEfficiency}} | {{total7mGoals}}/{{total7mShots}} | {{totalWarnings}} | {{totalDisqualifications}} | {{totalTwoMinPenalties}} |
| # | Goalkeeper | MP | Saves | Shots | % | 7m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| {{item.playerInfo.shirtNumber}} | {{item.playerInfo.person.lastName}}, {{item.playerInfo.person.firstName}} | {{item.statistics.matchesPlayed}} | {{item.statistics.goalKeeperSaves}} | {{item.statistics.goalKeeperShotsReceived}} | {{item.statistics.goalKeeperSavesEfficiency}} | {{item.statistics.goalKeeperSaves7M}}/{{item.statistics.goalKeeperReceivedShots7M}} |
| TOTAL | {{totalSaves}} | {{totalShotReceives}} | {{totalSaveEfficiency}} | {{total7mSaves}}/{{total7mShotsReceives}} |
24
30
30
35
29
26
34
32
31
25
28
28
29
39
34
29
26
31
25
25
32
27
27
30
33
25
EHF Competition History
Germany
24
Croatia
30
Croatia
30
Iceland
35
Hungary
29
Croatia
26
France
34
Croatia
32
Croatia
31
Romania
25
Croatia
28
Austria
28
Spain
29
Croatia
39
Croatia
36
Finland
22
Finland
21
Croatia
34
Netherlands
28
Croatia
28
Iceland
22
Croatia
23
Denmark
27
Croatia
25
Montenegro
32
Croatia
26
Ukraine
25
Croatia
38
Croatia
23
Serbia
20
Croatia
22
France
27
Spain
22
Croatia
20
Norway
28
Croatia
29
Croatia
22
Spain
22
Croatia
22
Czech Republic
21
Croatia
25
Germany
24
Croatia
27
Austria
23
Serbia
21
Croatia
24
Croatia
31
Belarus
23
Croatia
27
Montenegro
21
Montenegro
32
Croatia
31
Croatia
32
Montenegro
19
Croatia
28
Czech Republic
27
Croatia
27
France
30
Croatia
32
Norway
28
Croatia
25
Belarus
23
Croatia
31
Sweden
35
Iceland
22
Croatia
29
Croatia
32
Serbia
22
Norway
24
Croatia
31
Spain
33
Croatia
29
Poland
23
Croatia
37
France
32
Croatia
24
Fyr Macedonia
24
Croatia
34
Croatia
37
Iceland
28
Norway
34
Croatia
31
Croatia
27
Belarus
21
Croatia
28
Spain
29
Denmark
29
Croatia
27
Poland
28
Croatia
31
Russia
25
Croatia
33
France
27
Croatia
25
Croatia
25
Sweden
24
Montenegro
22
Croatia
27
Croatia
33
Belarus
22
Croatia
31
Spain
27
Serbia
26
Croatia
22
Hungary
24
Croatia
24
France
22
Croatia
29
Spain
24
Croatia
22
Croatia
26
Norway
20
Slovenia
29
Croatia
31
Croatia
31
Iceland
29
Iceland
33
Croatia
34
Croatia
28
Poland
24
Sweden
29
Croatia
25
Croatia
36
Argentina
18
Croatia
29
Denmark
34
Serbia
24
Croatia
24
Croatia
42
Australia
15
Algeria
15
Croatia
26
Croatia
27
Romania
21
Croatia
21
France
25
Croatia
24
Poland
21
Croatia
27
Denmark
23
Croatia
26
Austria
23
Croatia
26
Iceland
26
Croatia
30
Russia
28
Ukraine
25
Croatia
28
Croatia
25
Norway
23
Greece
24
Croatia
29
Croatia
34
Slovakia
21
Croatia
26
Hungary
25
Finland
14
Croatia
34
Croatia
32
Greece
20
Slovakia
26
Croatia
30
Hungary
30
Croatia
28
Croatia
39
Finland
20
Denmark
24
Croatia
20
Croatia
24
France
23
Croatia
23
Norway
23
Croatia
34
Montenegro
26
Denmark
30
Croatia
20
Croatia
29
Slovenia
24
Czech Republic
26
Croatia
30
Croatia
32
Poland
27
Denmark
32
Croatia
27
France
29
Croatia
23
Serbia Montenegro
30
Croatia
34
Iceland
28
Croatia
29
Denmark
30
Croatia
31
Croatia
29
Russia
30
Norway
28
Croatia
32
Croatia
24
Portugal
21
Spain
40
Croatia
34
Croatia
35
France
32
Croatia
24
Serbia Montenegro
23
Germany
26
Croatia
29
Croatia
25
Norway
28
Croatia
28
Sweden
27
Spain
31
Croatia
33
Croatia
38
Australia
18
Japan
25
Croatia
34
Croatia
36
Argentina
23
Croatia
30
Spain
22
Russia
25
Croatia
26
Croatia
29
Korea
26
Slovenia
26
Croatia
27
Croatia
34
Iceland
30
Croatia
26
Germany
24
Croatia
33
Hungary
31
Croatia
33
Greece
27
Croatia
27
Denmark
31
Croatia
25
Slovenia
27
Russia
24
Croatia
24
Croatia
30
Switzerland
27
Croatia
28
Sweden
26
Portugal
32
Croatia
32
Croatia
26
Denmark
25
Spain
29
Croatia
30
Croatia
34
Germany
31
Spain
37
Croatia
39
Croatia
33
Denmark
27
Croatia
29
Egypt
23
Croatia
30
Hungary
29
Croatia
23
France
22
Russia
26
Croatia
28
Saudi Arabia
18
Croatia
25
Croatia
29
Argentina
30
Sweden
26
Croatia
27
France
20
Croatia
24
Croatia
18
Sweden
27
Croatia
25
Russia
24
Croatia
35
United States
27
Kuwait
22
Croatia
31
Croatia
23
Switzerland
22
France
23
Croatia
19
Croatia
28
Sweden
25
Croatia
30
Egypt
16
Croatia
29
Tunisia
28
Croatia
31
Cuba
27
Croatia
25
Russia
20
Czechia
27
Croatia
25
Morocco
21
Croatia
33
Croatia
26
Slovenia
24
Croatia
24
Denmark
23
Sweden
24
Croatia
21
Belarus
21
Croatia
29
Croatia
24
Rumania
23
Russia
21
Croatia
18
Croatia
24
Germany
22
France
27
Croatia
25
Croatia
27
Belarus
24
Croatia
30
Finland
15
Croatia
26
Iceland
18
Iceland
24
Croatia
22
Belarus
23
Croatia
23
Bulgaria
17
Croatia
27
Croatia
28
Bulgaria
19
Finland
26
Croatia
31
ECh Beach Handball
2025 - 3rd place
EURO CUP
2022 - 2nd place
ECh Beach Handball
2021 - 2nd place
European Championship
2020 - 2nd place
ECh Beach Handball
2017 - 3rd place
European Championship
2016 - 3rd place
ECh Beach Handball
2015 - Champion
ECh Beach Handball
2013 - Champion
European Championship
2012 - 3rd place
ECh Beach Handball
2011 - Champion
European Championship
2010 - 2nd place
ECh Beach Handball
2009 - Champion
European Championship
2008 - 2nd place
ECh Beach Handball
2007 - 2nd place
World Championship
2005 - 2nd place
Olympic Games
2004 - Champion
World Championship
2003 - Champion
Olympic Games
1996 - Champion
World Championship
1995 - 2nd place
European Championship
1994 - 3rd place
Key Players
At the age of 35, Domagoj Duvnjak remains a key player for Croatia and is by far the most-capped Croatian player at EHF EURO 2024, with 242 international matches and 747 goals under his belt at the start of the tournament. Duvnjak was an All-star Team member at EHF EURO 2014 and the 2013 and 2017 World Championships, and MVP at EHF EURO 2020. He has won three EHF EURO silver medals (in 2008, 2010 and 2020) and two bronzes (2012 and 2016), in addition to bronze at the London 2012 Olympic Games, World Championship silver in 2009 and bronze in 2013. Duvnjak was named IHF World Handball Player of the Year in 2013 and best Bundesliga player in 2012/13. His club career has been spent entirely at THW Kiel since 2014, when he joined the club after five seasons in Hamburg; he recently announced a contract extension until 2025.
Ivan Martinovic made his debut for the Croatian national team in qualification for the EHF EURO 2020, and is fast-becoming a star for the squad - scoring 154 goals in just 35 matches for Croatia so far. Martinovic was born in Vienna, and started playing handball at Fivers. He joined MT Melsungen from TSV Hannover-Burgdorf in 2022. Martinovic’s role models are Ivano Balic and team captain Domagoj Duvnjak, and his brother Marin and sister Kristina are also handball players playing for Austria.
Head Coach
Goran Perkovac took over as the Croatia head coach in February 2023, replacing Hrvoje Horvat. Perkovac previously led the Swiss and Greek national teams, and has also coached Pfadi Winterthur, Kadetten Schaffhausen, GWD Minded, TuS N-Lübbecke and Kriens Luzern at club level. Although Perkovac spent most of his playing and coaching career in Switzerland, he was the team captain of Croatia when they won gold at the Atland 1996 Olympic Games; he also won silver at the 1995 IHF Men's World Championship with Croatia, and bronze at the 1988 Olympic Games with Yugoslavia.