The World Cup has begun, and on the first day of December in Gothenburg, Croatian handball players will open the competition against Senegal. Two days later, they will face China, and for the end of the group, they believe in a derby for first place, hosted by Sweden. Compared to their last meeting at the European Championship qualifiers, the team has a new coach, Ivica Obrvan. He is training some players in Podravka and met the others for the first time before leaving for Poreč.
According to Obrvan, they are ready for the World Cup. Although there were injury problems a few weeks ago, they have improved and will focus on refining small details. He believes that they can be among the first two teams to advance to the second round and reach the quarterfinals, which would mean qualification for the Olympic Games. The Croatia Cup in Novigrad with matches against Congo and Montenegro will serve as preparation.
Since their last campaign, there have been no major problems other than Ana Debelić becoming a mother. The team will have to adapt to some changes but are relieved that they have been together for a long time. They are determined to qualify for Paris as it is their biggest wish this generation.