The main round of the 2024 Women’s European Championship is finally here. Ola Selby of GoHandball ranks the 12 teams ahead of the Main round.
Power rankings are our ranking of which of the teams have been the hottest so far. A team that has lost one game can be considered a better team than a team that has gone undefeated. It’s all about the quality of the teams.
Here are the Power rankings – Ola Selbys ranking of the Main round teams.
1: Norway
Ranking before the European Championship: Bronze.
Before the championship, I thought Norway, without Stine Bredal Oftedal and Nora Mörk, the two most important offensive players in the last ten years, would find it “tough.” Has this been the case in the group stage? Hardly. The results was win by seven, win by 14, and win by 23.
If the opponents was at the highest level? No. But that applies to more or less all teams that made it to the main round. What impressed me in Norway is, of course, Henny Reistad. And the fact that there is nothing but success for this team.
2: Denmark
Ranking before the European Championship: Gold.
Photo: Christoffer Borg Mattisson / BILDBYRÅN
I tipped Denmark as champions before the European Championships, and I did so mainly considering their competitors. Norway is without two stars, and France is without one of the best coaches, leaders, and match coaches ever.
Denmark has obviously done enough in recent years to deserve being favorites, even on their own merits, and have looked really solid during the EC. They had a bit of a problem with Switzerland, but Jesper Jensen’s team has done exactly what was asked of them.
Can they hit their form when it’s time for the semi-finals? Therein lies the key for this team.
3: France
Ranking before the European Championship: Silver.
Hasn’t been bad by any means, but the fact that they only won by two goals against a Spain that didn’t even manage to advance from the main round worries me a bit. On the other hand, France won the game, and in the end, that’s all that matters.
Hatadou Sako has been really good in goal, and also, they have had a nice spread of goalscorers. So far, the absence of Olivier Krumbholz has not been noticed so much in terms of coaching, but more pressure will be put on Sebastien Gardillou and his match coaching when the matches get a little tougher.
But make no mistake – France is obviously really good this year as well.
4: Hungary
Ranking before the European Championship: Out in the main round.
Am I ranking Hungary a little too high here? Perhaps. But I was impressed by what I saw against Sweden. Sure, there wasn’t much that went right for Sweden in that match, but wasn’t it Hungary that made Sweden look bad too? Hungary was really good.
Above all, there is an individual quality in this team that is sky-high. Katrin Klujber, Petra Vamos, and Petra Simon have all shown how incredibly good they are at their peak. Also, the feeling is that it is time for Hungary to reach the semi-finals now after being close to it a couple of championships in a row.
5: Montenegro
Ranking before the European Championship: Out in the main round.
Impressed a lot at the home European Championships two years ago and managed to secure a bronze after defeating France in the bronze medal match. I didn’t think at the time, especially given the changes in the team, that they would be back at a high level just two years later.
But back at a high level, they are. Jaukovic plays handball as if she hasn’t been seriously injured since that European Championship bronze, their defensive play is as difficult to face as almost only the Balkan team’s defensive play can be.
Montenegro could very well manage a semi-final place, it would (no longer) surprise me.
6: Netherlands
Ranking before the European Championship: Out in the main round.
Henrik Signell has gotten off to a good start in his role as national team coach for the Netherlands. But Netherlands, just like in the last championships, are unlucky with the draw and thus have a tough road to possible semi-finals.
But in the matches, there haven’t been any major problems so far. Sure, they had to struggle in the opener against Iceland and only won by two goals, but since then, they have improved and won clearly against both Germany and Ukraine.
Also important for the Netherlands? Yara ten Holte has been one of the EC’s best goalkeepers so far.
7: Sweden
Ranking before the European Championship: 4th.
If we play with the idea that I have overestimated Hungary in that I rank the team fourth best so far, does that also automatically mean that I am underestimating Sweden, when I rank the team first as seventh?
After all, it was a flat match Sweden stood for against Hungary. Nothing worked for them. In other matches, they have run over, admittedly, two weak opponents, but still run over. What Tomas Axnér and Johanna Wiberg have gotten out of this team in recent years should mean that I have more faith in what they can achieve.
Sweden may very well do something big in the main round, but the fact is that six teams have done better than Sweden has so far.
8: Slovenia
Ranking before the European Championship: Out in the main round.
Without Ana Gros in the team at a championship for the first time in about 75 years, it is instead Tjasa Stanko who has stepped forward. The 27-year-old even leads the scoring league after a preliminary round where she scored seven goals against Norway, nine against Slovakia, and eight against Austria.
Stanko is easily analyzed – she has been brilliant. So is also Slovenia as a team. Will they hold up against the much tougher teams in the main round? Hardly. I do put Slovenia higher than both Germany and Switzerland, but I do so because I think I see a greater X-factor in Slovenia.
9: Germany
Ranking before the European Championship: Out in the main round.
What is happening to this Germany? Or perhaps the question should be formulated: What is NOT happening with this Germany?
The feeling is that they are stomping in the same place as they did a year ago, two years ago, five years ago. You get it. There is no lack of good players, but still, it doesn’t really take off.
No, it would surprise me if Germany takes more than two points in the main round. And thus, they will be far from the semi-finals, just like they usually are.
10: Romania
Ranking before the European Championship: Out in the preliminary round.
I didn’t think Romania would make it past the group stage and into the main round. The first championship without Cristina Neagu, one of the best players of all time, and yet Romania advances from the toughest group – that’s pretty impressive.
How did they do it? By being the best when it matters. Sure, they lost against Montenegro in the second match, but only by two goal. But otherwise, they won by one goal against the Czech Republic and two goals against Serbia.
Is it better than expected for Romania? Yes. Will it be enough in the main round? No.
11: Poland
Ranking before the European Championship: Out in the preliminary round.
I haven’t read the Polish media before the main round, but it must be seen as a huge success that Poland got past the group stage when they had both France and (a admittedly weak) Spain.
They did not impress in the matches against Sweden before the EC, but they seem to have got it together better now, and above all, it is a solid team.
If Poland manage to win a game in the main round, I will be very surprised. But it doesn’t matter at this point, Poland has already done more than what was expected of the team.
12: Switzerland
Ranking before the European Championship: Out in the preliminary round.
A lovely surprise! Finished 14th at the EC two years ago, and it was the country’s first-ever championship on the women’s side. And now, in the second championship, they are in the main round. Switzerland is undeniably the sunshine story in the EHF’s attempt to broaden and develop handball beyond the biggest handball countries.
So, how have they succeeded so far? Well, Tabea Schmid is one reason. The pivot have been hot and are high up in the scoring league. Overall, it’s the attacking play that I’ve been most impressed with – Switzerland scored 30 goals against Denmark.