The European Handball Federation has issued an official statement following Croatia coach Dagur Sigurdsson’s scathing comments at Thursday’s EHF EURO 2026 semi-final press conference. The federation acknowledged the criticism but stressed that the schedule was decided well in advance and communicated to all teams.
After Sigurdsson openly criticised the organisational circumstances, the EHF confirmed that championship scheduling decisions are made in cooperation with the organisers and relevant stakeholders, including the Nations Board representing national federations. According to the statement, the final schedule is known to all teams at the latest when the tournament draw takes place, more than six months before the championship starts.
The federation acknowledged that the teams coming from Malmö face a more challenging situation, but pointed out that similar scheduling scenarios have occurred in previous championships, such as the 2018 EHF EURO in Croatia.
Regarding the team hotel in Silkeborg, the EHF and the local organising committee said they have received positive feedback. Silkeborg was selected to provide identical conditions for the two semi-finalists, Germany and Croatia, and the Croatian delegation was informed on Wednesday evening.
The statement also reminded that slightly longer travel at international championships is not unusual, citing the IHF Men’s World Championship 2025, where Croatia stayed in Karlovac before traveling to Zagreb for matches.
Finally, the EHF confirmed that the media schedule is communicated to all teams well in advance and added that after EHF EURO 2026, they will review the organisation carefully and draw the necessary conclusions.
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