Handball players of the Russian national team start fighting for the championship medals of Europe – Handball News – Gaming

Thursday, the team of Evgeny Trefilov will play in the first match with the organizers of the tournament. Also at the preliminary stage, the Russians will play with the teams from Montenegro and Slovenia.

Sixteen teams will participate in the European Championship, divided into four groups at the preliminary stage. The top three teams in each quartet will enter the main round of the group, where 12 teams will be split into two groups. Two top teams will go to the semi-finals. The champion of Europe will receive a ticket for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

The Russian handball team went to the European Championship almost its strongest composition, which on paper seems more impressive than the composition of the previous tournament. In 2016, the Russians won seventh place in the championship of Europe. According to the president of the Russian Handball Federation (FGR), Sergey Shishkarev, any result of the Russian national team, with the exception of the tournament medals, will be considered unsuccessful.

"No matter where the team, with the exception of the prize, will be considered a failure and a failure," Shishkarev said. – As a result, a failure also means a poor performance of the head coach. Do not predict his destiny. It's very interesting from the point of view of sports journalism and basic reasoning about a person's chances and fate. "

According to the president of the federation, the Trefilov team will be extremely motivated at the European Championships in France, especially because the ticket for the 2020 Olympics will be played.

"The most important thing is that the girls have a clear motivation and understand that winning this tournament will take them directly to the Olympic Games," said Shishkarev. – This is the dream of every athlete. And not to participate in the European tournament for the Olympic ticket, not to fight to the death in the hands of their rivals and theirs, with a glint in their eyes and maybe even somewhere with an animal smile will be wrong. Therefore, I believe in them, I see in their eyes the desire to win, to destroy everyone and all that is in my path. "

The Russian national team has never won the championship of Europe. In 2000 and 2008, Russian handball players won bronze medals and, in 2006, the silver medal. The head of the FGR said he hoped to hoist the Russian flag to the South Pole on December 16, in honor of the victory of the national team in the championship final. Europe.

"The opening game is very important," Shishkarev told the athletes before leaving for France. – In France, there is now an agiotage, everyone wants revenge for the Olympic Games (2016), in which you defeat the French twice. I think twice, there are three. I wish you success and a good atmosphere in your wonderful team. To avoid injuries and to have a good understanding of the coaching staff. Come back with medals. On December 16th, I will be at the South Pole and hope that on the day of the final, I will raise the Russian flag in your honor. "

The captain of the Russian national team Daria Dmitrieva said that his team was ready to solve the problem of the tournament. "We had almost no full costs, before such major competitions, I would like to see me play more often," Dmitrieva said. "Nevertheless, our team will fight and we will do our utmost to ensure that the tasks entrusted to us by the leaders of the federation are fulfilled."