Austria have been waiting for another EHF EURO appearance since 2008, but have failed to qualify for the final tournament in the last seven editions. Now, they hope to return to winning ways as they co-host the 2024 competition, alongside Hungary and Switzerland.
Putting on a great show in front of their own fans is the main objective in a tough group E, where they face defending champions Norway, as well as Slovenia and Slovakia. However, Austria can count on Sonja Frey’s skills and experience to help them perform at the highest level.
The 31-year-old player is one of the biggest talents in Austrian handball, having played for top clubs such as Team Esbjerg and Thüringer HC. She returned to her home country in 2024 to play for former EHF Champions League winners Hypo Niederösterreich, the last stint in her wonderful career.
With Austria, Frey had her first major international event in 2009, at 16 years old, when she took part in the IHF Women’s World Championship. The left wing, who can also perform as a centre back, aims to write history with both her club and national teams, as she is currently playing her final season.
Find out what Sonja Frey’s plans after retirement are in the latest “Handball Diaries” episode, which takes a closer look at her impressive career throughout the years. The Austrian star also opens up about what it means to play for a historic club such as Hypo Niederösterreich and sheds light on her expectations for the Women’s EHF EURO 2024.
The full episode is available to watch on the Home of Handball YouTube channel and on EHFTV. Frey and her team will take on Slovakia on Thursday 28 November at 18:00 CET in Austria’s first match of the preliminary round.
