The upcoming matches between Belgium and Italy will determine the opponent for the Montenegrin handball team in the playoff for World Championship qualification.

The “lions” coach described both Belgium and Italy as “evenly matched opponents,” a sentiment echoed by goalkeeper Nebojša Simić, who expressed his happiness with the draw.

“We shouldn’t be overly modest; this draw worked out well for us. No team can be taken lightly today, but either Italy or Belgium was a favorable outcome. I watched Italy’s games against Slovenia, and they gave the favorites a tough time – they play solid handball and scored plenty against the Slovenians,” Simić remarked.

Belgium also possesses strength.

“The Belgians competed in the last World Cup, which was a significant achievement for their team and deserves admiration. We’ve done well by steering clear of teams like Serbia, Switzerland, Georgia, or the Faroe Islands…” Simić emphasized.

Montenegro secured a top seed before the draw by defeating Serbia in their final group stage match of the European Championship.

“Now we truly understand the importance of Nemanja Grbović’s goal in our victory over Serbia. Had we lost that match, we would have faced Spain in the playoffs, so that triumph was indeed crucial,” Simić concluded.

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