The EHF Court of Handball has issued two separate disciplinary decisions involving the Croatian Handball Federation and members of its national delegation, resulting from incidents at the Men’s EHF EURO 2026.
The aftermath of the Men’s EHF EURO 2026 has brought severe disciplinary action from the European Handball Federation (EHF). The EHF Court of Handball confirmed that sanctions have been imposed on both the Croatian national team’s head coach, Dagur Sigurdsson, and the Croatian Handball Federation (HRS) following violations during the final stages of the tournament.
Sigurdsson fined for press conference remarks
In the first decision, Croatia’s head coach, Dagur Sigurdsson, was hit with a personal fine of €4,000. The ruling follows derogatory remarks made by the Icelandic tactician directed toward the European Handball Federation during the official semi-final press conference.
The Court of Handball specified that €2,000 of the total fine has been imposed on a suspended basis, subject to a two-year probation period. Should Sigurdsson repeat similar offenses within the next 24 months, the suspended portion will be activated immediately.
Photo: Petter Arvidson / BILDBYRÅN
Protocol violation and unauthorized flag at medal ceremony
The second and more substantial financial penalty was levied directly against the Croatian Handball Federation. The federation has been fined €10,000 for a multi-layered violation of the official EHF tournament protocols.
According to the EHF ruling, the Croatian delegation violated the official EHF medal ceremony rundown as well as the EHF Flag Protocol. The infraction occurred when an unauthorized flag was displayed by the team during the official podium ceremony. Much like Sigurdsson’s sanction, a portion of the federation’s fine—€2,500—is suspended for a two-year probation period.
At a glance: EHF Court of Handball decisions
- Head Coach Dagur Sigurdsson: Fined €4,000 (€2,000 suspended for a 2-year probation period) for derogatory remarks towards the EHF at the semi-final press conference.
- Croatian Handball Federation: Fined €10,000 (€2,500 suspended for a 2-year probation period) for breaching the medal ceremony rundown and EHF Flag Protocol.
- Right to Appeal: Both parties have the right to lodge an appeal with the EHF Court of Appeal within seven days of the decisions being issued.
Strict compliance with post-match protocols and commercial/neutral branding guidelines remains a top priority for the EHF. Unsanctioned displays and direct public criticism of the governing body during official media events are historically met with zero tolerance to safeguard the integrity of the sport’s flagship events.
Both decisions remain subject to appeal. The Croatian Handball Federation and Dagur Sigurdsson have seven days to take their cases to the EHF Court of Appeal.