Family matters at Men's 20 EHF EURO 2026

Alexander Løke Gautestad (Norway) — line player

When your mother is Heidi Løke and your uncle is Frank Løke, what position could you play at on the handball court? It seems like Alexander, who will turn 19 this summer, didn't wonder for too long and went for the obvious. And just like his former Norway national team family members, he opted for the line player position. Aiming to win the Olympic title with Norway one day like his mother did in 2012, Alexander is currently one of the most notable youngsters in the country. As was his uncle back in the day, who was named best line player at the Men's EHF EURO 2008. It might no be a surprise, then, if you see Alexander on a bigger stage pretty soon.

Thomas Omeyer (France) — centre back

From the Omeyer family, you know Thierry Omeyer, who won everything there is to win in handball — multiple times. You might not know that Thierry has a twin brother, Christian. A former first-division player, as left back and defender. His career was not as much in the spotlight as his sibling's was. But the general manager at the club of Sélestat has passed on the handball genes to his son, Thomas, only 19 years of age, playing centre back at the Paris Saint-Germain academy. He has already made his debut with the professional team in the 2024/25 season. Striving for greater things to happen, Thomas develops under the eye of uncle Thierry, PSG's general manager.

Petar Šprem (Croatia) — right wing

The legend of magical Croatian right wings goes on. Petar Šprem, aged 19, has been flying high above the others at various youth tournaments in recent years. While Goran Šprem's son is still looking for a first title with the junior national team, he has often featured among the best scorers, both at the M18 EHF EURO 2024 and the IHF U19 World Championship last year. Just like his dad did, Petar Šprem wore the jersey of RK Zagreb, one of the most prolific talent factories across Europe, before moving to Dugo Selo in 2025. Whether he manages to win titles remains to be seen, but in Romania, the young right wing will be a player everyone keeps an eye on.

Marcos Fis (Spain) — right back

One of the standout young players at the Men's EHF EURO 2026, Marcos Fis appeared in his first international competition with Spain last January. The lefthander displayed a maturity and abilities that left no one untouched. The Fraikin BM. Granollers player scored 19 goals across Spain's seven games that tournament, including nine against eventual European champions Denmark. At only 19, Marcos Fis hopes to leave a similar impression at the M20 EHF EURO 2026. For sure, his father Julio will be paying close attention. The former Veszprém and Kiel player won the EHF Champions League in 2006 with Ciudad Real. Big shoes to fill, but Marco Fis has shown he has to potential to do it.

photos © Anze Malovrh / kolektiff (main and in-text 1); EHF archive (in-text 2); Beyond Foto (in-text 3); Eva Manhart / kolektiff (in-text 4)