Just six months ago, through Montenegro, Italy celebrated its first qualification for a major tournament in over 25 years. Building on a significant success in the World Cup play-offs, the Italian handball team embarked on their journey to qualify for the EHF Euro.

Although Riccardo Trilini’s squad didn’t produce a new upset, they came quite close, facing off against the powerhouse Spain away from home—who recently clinched the bronze medal at the Olympics in Paris.

Ultimately, “La Furija” edged past the underdogs with a score of 31:30, leaving the fans in Valencia in disbelief, especially when Marko Mengon’s goal in the 37th minute put the scoreboard at 21:17 in favor of Italy.

However, Jordi Ribera’s squad was able to tie the game in the final three minutes (28:28) and subsequently found a way to prevail with contributions from Jan Tarafetta and Kauldi Odriazola, overcoming a tough opponent.

Italy’s standout performers included Mikael Halmerson with seven goals and Tomas Bortoli with six, while the top scorer for Spain was Daniel Fernades, who netted six goals.

“Playing was challenging, and we made numerous mistakes in the first half against a strong team like Italy. Ultimately, the two points and the victory are what matter, which we dedicate to the people of Valencia, who have recently suffered from devastating floods,” remarked Rodrigo Korales, the goalkeeper for Spain.

Italy finds itself in a competitive group with Serbia, facing off against each other on Sunday in Fasano, located in southern Italy.

“We take pride in our performance against Spain, but now we shift our focus to Serbia—this match is crucial for us,” said Pablo Miguel Maroki, center back for the Azura.

The Montenegrin handball team began their qualification campaign with a narrow victory over Finland (29:28), and on Sunday they are set to face Slovakia in Košice.

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