The case is being updated.
Ten nations will be in action in Norway during the European Championships (December 3 – December 20), eight in the group play and the main round.
The virus pandemic has meant that the championship needs to be re-imagined. The European Handball Federation (EHF) opened on Friday for a European Cup where only matches are played in one city in Norway and one Denmark.
– It’s one of the scenarios we plan for. In that case, there could be matches in either Trondheim, Stavanger or Oslo, says Handball Federation general secretary Erik Langerud to NTB.
He does not want to say which of these cities (where Norway has planned their matches) has the best preconditions if the European schedule is drastically changed.
– At the end of August we have to make a decision on this. At the beginning of September, large sums are due for payment to us. We do not believe in canceling the European Championships, but must plan for more solutions.
Katrine Lunde and Nora Mørk (right) with national team coach Thorir Hergeirsson. Home European Championships can be played in one city. Photo: Tor Erik Schrøder, NTB scanpix
Built up
Among other things, there will be dozens of trailers from Germany with stands that will house 12,500 spectators in the Fornebu Arena. This is the hall where semifinals and medal matches are scheduled for the last three days of the European Championships.
Under normal circumstances, Norway would have drawn about 85,000 spectators only to their matches in the championship. Tickets that cannot be used due to the pandemic will be refunded.
Much indicates now that the championship will be played with few spectators in the stands. EHF has agreed that it will probably to a large extent become a TV championship and wants to cut costs significantly.
One of the steps may be to go down to smaller and “cheaper” arenas than planned.
In the Norwegian Handball Association it is hoped that it will eventually open to more than 200 spectators at the matches.
Champions League avlyst
In Denmark, European Games have been arranged in Herning and Frederikshavn. Also the Danes will probably go down to one organizer town.
This year, Norway can play its first final at home since the 1999 World Cup. Then it became Norwegian gold.
The EHF recently canceled the Champions League women’s playoffs. It was to be played in Hungary in September.
(© NTB)
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