Men’s EHF EURO 2022 analysis: The rising stars for the future

They are between 19 and 24 years old - and they put their stamp on the Men’s EHF EURO 2022 in Hungary and Slovakia.

Two youngsters are coming from the EHF programme Respect your Talent and five players, who were already crucial for their teams, were named the “players for the future” in the in-depth qualitative analysis of the tournament – this third of the series puts the spotlight on those rising stars.

Using all official championship statistics, EHF Methods Commission member Monique Tijsterman together with the expert observations from a team of Hungarian observers (Dr Zoltán Marczinka, Dr Csaba Ökrös, János Hajdu/all EHF Master Coaches and Zoltán Kólya/CEO My Handball System Hungary Kft.) analysed individual players, teams and their defensive and attacking styles - and named their top 7 talents.

Launched in 2019 by the EHF, the Respect Your Talent programme promotes the holistic development of talented players’ careers, both on and off the handball court. Young athletes are inspired and mentored by some of Europe’s best handball players and supported by leading field experts. Some of these rising stars of our sport were in action at Men’s EHF EURO 2022 and two of them stood out:

Radojica Cepic (Montenegro):

The 19-year-old centre back played seven times during the championship, scoring 19 goals. He understood the movement of his teammates well, broke impressively between defenders in one-against-one actions and was able to score goals despite physical contact. Despite being a right-handed player, he was able to score from the right-back position after breakthroughs.

Tomas Smetanka (Slovakia):

Another 19-year-old centre back, who scored six times from seven attempts (86 per cent) in two EHF EURO matches. A dynamic player with energetic movement, he kept the opponent’s defence on high alert and despite his short stature (1.83m), he was able to score against a higher defensive wall. His shots were explosive, and he was able to select mature shooting options.

Two young All-star team members:

Viktor Hallgrimsson (Iceland):

At just 21 years old, Viktor Hallgrimsson’s impressive performances throughout the championship saw him named best goalkeeper in the All-star Team. In eight her saved 51 of 168 shots (30 per

cent), propelling him into the spotlight as one of Europe’s elite goalkeepers. Despite his height, he competed with shorter goalkeepers in terms of agility, dexterity and coordination.  

Johannes Golla (Germany):

German line player Johannes Golla played seven games at the EHF EURO, scoring 28 times from 36 attempts (78 per cent), recorded an average of five steals and 67.14 passes per game. The 24-year-old understood the game well with his teammates and was ready to receive the ball even in the most unexpected situations. He is a player with acrobatic dexterity who can score a goal even from the most difficult posture.

Three more rising stars:

Arkadiusz Moryto (Poland):

The 24-year-old right wing scored 46 goals from 61 shots (75 percent) in seven EHF EURO 2022 matches. Besides scoring 21 penalty goals he was a master at completing direct fast-breaks with his pace particularly impressive. Moryto’s shots from the wing position showed a varied picture.

Branko Vujovic (Montenegro):

The 1.96m-tall and 23 years old right back played seven matches/248 minutes, scoring 38 goals from 61 shots (62 per cent). His greatest strength was his long-range shots from 10 and 11 metres, with which he could both score against the outgoing defender or beside or over a defensive block. Vujovic also played a key role in defensive organisation and recorded an average of five steals per game.

Dmytro Horiha (Ukraine):

The 24 years old left back played three games, scoring 16 goals from his 20 shots (80 per cent). He was one of the most dangerous shooters in the tournament with his unique shooting technic and accuracy.  His main strength, however, was the jump-shot and his wide-ranged shooting repertoire.

Read the full Men’s EHF EURO 2022 qualitative analyse here.