Handball - The Magazine

World Cup special: Everything you need to know about advancing to the main round

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Preliminary round over, the main round can come! Austria's handball players picked up two wins from three games last week and took two points with them. After the France game, we spoke to numerous ÖHB players. The quarter-finals at the World Cup are within reach!

Frimmel: "We are dreaming big"
Due to the absence of Mykola Bilyk before the tournament (muscular injury in his thigh), Seppo Frimmel has slipped into the role of captain. After surviving the preliminary round, the 29-year-old is optimistic for the upcoming main round matches. They face North Macedonia, Hungary and the Netherlands this week in a two-day rhythm in Varazdin (KRO). What is possible? "We're dreaming big," says Frimmel, setting the agenda.

Thumbs up! Coach Ales Pajovic can be absolutely satisfied with the performances shown so far!(Bild: Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Bad luck with injuries during the World Cup too
After Mykola Bilyk, Janko Bozovic injured his "position colleague" Boris Zivkovic (both right back and left-handed) in the second preliminary round match against Qatar just before the start of the World Cup. Nicolas Paulnsteiner and Lukas Schweighofer have been called up to replace the two team mainstays. Austria already have two points to their name, and with further good performances the ÖHB team could reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first time.

Watch the video to see the most important statements from the Austrian national team after the France game!