Fight for a wild card, RSCG: Confirmation from the EHF arrived, Montenegro first on the list of replacements

Good news from the headquarters of the European Handball Federation when it comes to the fight for a special invitation to the World Cup...

As announced by the Handball Association of Montenegro, the EHF has officially confirmed that our men's selection, based on the placement from the last European Championship, is the first on the list of replacements from the selections that did not qualify for the World Cup.

RSCG adds that the EHF stated everything in a letter sent to the World Handball Federation (IHF), while Montenegro is followed on the list by Georgia, Serbia, the Faroe Islands and Switzerland.

"This information is of great importance ahead of the decision on who will receive a special invitation to participate in the planetary review, which the IHF should make this or next week," said the RSCG.

The Handball Federation of Montenegro previously announced that it applied for a wild card, and now it emphasizes that the news from the EHF has confirmed the statements it made, among other things, in the letter about the intentions to receive a special invitation, submitted to the IHF.

"And, in which, as the 'main' argument in favor of the fact that the IHF should award a special invitation to Montenegro, the fact that we are the best-placed national team from the last major competition – EHF Euro 2024, of all the national teams that through the play-off, they did not manage to qualify for the World Championship," RSCG added.

Of the European national teams, apart from the three hosts (Croatia, Denmark and Norway), three teams secured participation in the World Cup based on their performance at the EHF Euro 2024 (France, Sweden and Germany), while Hungary, Slovakia, Portugal, Austria, Iceland, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, Poland and North Macedonia.

"The IHF has the right to award two special invitations, and one went to the United States of America. Until now, Montenegro has never participated in major competitions based on a special invitation, but has always earned that right on the field. Maybe it's time for the "lions" now get a new opportunity to meet at the planetarium and perform on the biggest stage for the fourth year in a row...", concludes the RSCG.