Germany clinch historic gold at Beach Handball EURO

FINAL 

Germany vs Spain 2:1 (18:22, 23:19, 12:10)

• There was nothing to choose between the teams at the start of the match, with both Germany and Spain rising to the occasion; with more than one minute remaining, Martin Ruiz scored to give Spain a four-goal lead, which they kept all the way to the end of the first set
• Once again, the finalists were neck-and-neck in the second set; Mario Miranda was in great form for Spain, scoring 10 points, but Germany responded quickly and took a four-goal advantage with the help of Lars Zelser 
• The penalty hero in the semi-final, Germany's Ebert Moritz, saved the shot again in the shootout from Daniel Serrano, but then Dominik Winzer hit the post in the same series; Spain's Adria Ortola has received a red card after referee checked the situation, ending the sixth series in 10:10
• After Severin Henrich scored for 12:10, Spain's top scorer, Miranda hit a post, leading to a heartbreak for the Spanish fans and celebration for the Germans
• Germany added gold to their collection, having previously won two silver medals in 2023 and 2004
• Germany's Oliver Middell was selected for the All-star Team as the best goalkeeper, while Spain's Pablo Martin Ruiz was named MVP 
  
  
  
  

3/4 PLACEMENT MATCH

Croatia vs Hungary 2:1 (26:16, 28:30, 9:8)

• Mladen Paradzik's team won their eight medal at the Beach Handball EURO, and their second bronze after 2017  
• Croatia got off to a strong start in the first set, opening with a 4:0 run; they extended their lead to 20:8 and went on to dominate the set
• The second set unfolded in Hungary's favor, with András John and Patrik Vizes helping their team get back into the right rhythm, while Croatia failed to capitalise the opportunity to score and win the set in a golden goal
• In the shootout, both teams missed their shots in the third series, and it was the sixth series that decided the bronze medallists; András John, one of Hungary's key players hit the post, before Ivan Dumencic scored the final goal, allowing Croatia to start celebrating
• Nikola Findek and Lucian Bura were the top scorers for Croatia, with 16 and 14 points respectively
• Lucian Bura is the tournament's top scorer with 143 points, and was therefore part of the All-star Team

The rankings determined by placement matches

The teams also considered the tournament important for qualifying for the 2026 Men’s Beach Handball World Championships. Alongside the organisers, Croatia, the seven best teams from the EHF Beach Handball EURO 2025 also qualified for the World Championships.

France secured fifth place after beating Portugal in 5/6 match, while Denmark locked up seventh place as they defeated Italy in the 7/8 match. Here is the full ranking from 5-16 place:

5. France
6. Portugal
7. Denmark
8. Italy
9. Poland
10. Sweden
11. Norway
12. Türkiye
13. Bulgaria
14. Czechia 
15. Ukraine
16. Malta


Photos © kolektiff