"Mission Oslo" begins, Dinar: We are not concentrating on Belgium, but on what is coming in January

Montenegrin handball players gathered in Podgorica where they will play two test matches against Belgium during EHF Week, all in preparation for the EHF Euro which starts in 2026.

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Dinar at the "Lions" training, Photo: RSCG/Stefan Ivanović
Dinar at the "Lions" training, Photo: RSCG/Stefan Ivanović
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.

Didije Dinar brought the Montenegrin handball team back to the big stage after the debacle in the play-off against Italy, and now he is embarking on the "Oslo mission" - the first major competition in which he will lead the "lions".

Our national team gathered tonight in Podgorica as part of EHF Week and officially began preparations for the European Championship, which will open in January in Berum, an affluent suburb of Oslo.

Two matches against Belgium are also scheduled for these actions in the "Verde" hall - on Friday (5:30 p.m.) and Saturday (6 p.m.).

"We will use these matches for preparation and to see what condition the boys are in. We should not concentrate on Belgium, but on ourselves in order to create the best possible team structure and to prepare as best as possible for what is coming in January," said coach Dinar.

The legendary Frenchman called up 19 players for this part of the preparations, goalkeeper Savo Vujović is the only debutant, and the backbone consists of players who carried the burden of the EHF Euro 2026 qualifiers. At the last minute, striker Admir Pelidija had to withdraw due to injury.

"We are monitoring all the players, and what is pleasing is that they are healthy and that we are more or less all together. Several players are missing, there are injuries, but the condition is satisfactory," emphasized Dinar.

It has long been clear that Montenegro will travel to the European Championship without its two first-choice goalkeepers - Nebojša Simić and Nikola Matović, who have torn their anterior cruciate ligaments.

During the qualifiers, Haris Suljević, the Zagreb goalkeeper, filled in for them brilliantly.

"We are building on what was done in the qualifiers, Haris presented everything in the right way and I believe he will continue to do so."

And, Montenegro will face Slovenia, the Faroe Islands and Switzerland in Oslo - the two best teams from the group will advance to the main round.

"A balanced group, of course we have started analyzing all the opponents. We need to wait to see what condition we will be in in December and then we will be able to say something more about everything," concluded Dinar.

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