Poland (POL)

The Polish national team is still searching for a new identity. The glory days of the late 2000s and early 2010s are long gone, and this proud handball nation has had to endure some tough tournaments over the past decade. 

After a disappointing 2025 IHF World Championship, finishing 25th as winners of the President’s Cup, Jota González took over from Marcin Lijewski as head coach. From 2018 to 2023, the Spaniard was an assistant coach at Paris Saint-Germain, working for four of those years alongside line player and Polish star Kamil Syprzak.

Apart from Syprzak, centre back Michał Olejniczak and right back Arkadiusz Moryto, all playing for Industria Kielce, stand out from the squad, playing in the Machineseeker EHF Champions League week in and week out.

The team is also known for its physicality. Line player Maciej Gębala, who plays his club handball at HC Erlangen in Germany, particularly embodies this style. 

At the previous EHF EURO, Poland finished third in the group phase and missed out on a place in the main round. The qualification for this year’s event cannot be labelled as smooth. They finished with an even record of two wins, two draws, and two losses behind Portugal and with a two-point gap to fourth-placed Israel. 

Poland have to find themselves quickly if they want to have an outsider’s chance in this group. Solid performances probably will not be enough against their competition in group F.

Competition records:
Number of EHF EURO participations, including 2026: 12