Phenomenal news for Montenegrin handball arrived today from Vienna - Lovćen will play in the group stage of the EHF European League!
The team from Cetinje had a guaranteed place in the third highest quality continental competition, the European Cup, but the EHF decided to increase the number of teams in the European League.
Because of this, teams from the 23 lowest placed countries in the ranking got the chance to play in the qualifiers, and the plan was for eight teams to fight for a place in the group stage through the qualifiers.
However, only Vojvodina (Serbia), Izviđač (BiH) and Lovćen applied, which were therefore directly "inserted" into the group stage, among the 32 best teams in the second-ranked European competition.
It is a great honor for Lovćen and for the failing Montenegrin club handball, but also an obligation, primarily financial.
The conditions for playing in the European League are the same as in the Champions League, which means that the administration of Cetinje, headed by president Vid Đakonović, will have to provide a Gerflor surface, LED advertisements around the field for every game...
And they will do that in one of the halls in Podgorica, since SC "Lovćen" in Cetinje does not meet the EHF requirements.
It is possible that Lovćen will try to bring some more sound reinforcement to the most successful coach in the club's history, Per Milošević, who started his third term on the bench.
So far, the captain of the Montenegrin national team Mirko Radović, experienced right back Ivan Perišić, goalkeeper Filip Borozan, pivot Luka Vujović and right back Vuk Lakićević have arrived.
Not all positions are "covered", which is why two or three more players are expected.
And what kind of company will Lovćen be in, the names of the participants say - the trophy is defended by Fuhse Berlin, there are teams that played in the Champions League last season - Nantes, Dinamo Bucharest and Elverum, then the famous Flensburg, the French Chambery...
Extremely famous names will also fight for five places through the qualifications - Rhein-Neckar Leuven, two-time European champion Vardar, current vice-champion of the European League Granollers, Hanover of Branko Vujović...
The draw will take place on July 21 in Vienna, and the group stage, in which there will be eight groups with four participants each, will be played from October 17 to December 5.
The main stage is from February 13 to March 5, the round of 26 matches on March 2 and April 23, the quarterfinals on April 30 and 25, and the final four on May 26 and XNUMX.
Bonus video:
