The brand new Biel ice rink is transformed into a handball festival for the European Championship qualifier against Portugal.
More than 10,000 enthusiastic spectators almost witnessed a handball sensation in the Hallenstadion last November: the Swiss national team brought the European champions and heavy favorites Germany to the brink of defeat, but then lost 22:23.
The next home game in the European Championship qualifiers is now scheduled against Portugal. The game in the modern Tissot Arena in Biel is set to be another party, with the organizers expecting 6,000 fans.
Although the Swiss have home court, won the last match against the Portuguese and clearly have the best individual player in Bundesliga star Andy Schmid, national team coach Michael Suter believes the Portuguese are the favorites: "They have more experience and have clearly achieved more than us in recent years."
However, qualifying for the 2018 finals in Croatia would be a surprise for both teams, as they are the clear outsiders in the group with Slovenia and Germany. For the much-rejuvenated national team, it's more about gaining experience at international level and sparking further enthusiasm for handball in Switzerland.
HANDBALL EM QUALIFICATION
Switzerland - Portugal
May 4, 2017, Tissot Arena Biel
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