News

HC Alkaloid will play in the European EHF Cup, a knockout competition that starts with 84 teams split into two rounds, as Macedonia’s representative in its second season in Europe. The teams got their opponents for the initial elimination matches today.

HC Alkaloid, the top-ranked Macedonian team in this competition, is slated to start in the second round and was given a seeding in today’s draw. Their first opponent in the upcoming European season will be Lithuania’s Dragunas Klaipeda.

Dragunas (Dragons), the second highest-ranking Lithuanian club since the country’s independence, ended Granitas Kaunas’s 17-title streak in 19 years in 2010. Their own championship run lasted until the 2020 season, which was disrupted by Covid, and during that decade, they secured nine titles. The team of Sviesa emerged as a dominant force in 2021 and has been the Lithuanian champion for the past three seasons. During the last season, Sviesa defeated Dragunas with a score of 3-1 in the final. Throughout its history, Dragunas has also claimed the Baltic League championship cup (2021). Currently, three Dragunas players are shortlisted for the Lithuanian national team, while four positions are occupied by foreign players from Ukraine, including a goalkeeper, a pivot, and two left backs.

The second-round matches of the EHF Cup are scheduled between October 19/20 and October 26/27 for the return legs, with HC Alkaloid hosting the first match in Skopje.