This AtticGo Elche Handball Club marks a historic moment by entering European competition beyond Spain for the first time. In recent seasons, the Elche squad has competed in the EHF European Cup, facing foreign opponents both on home soil and away, with most rivals coming from domestic leagues before this expansion.
In recent campaigns, green fringe warriors traveled the road to continental play, and in the following draw they earned a prize. Clubs from Galicia and other regions looked tough, but players were affected by covid, delaying results and reshaping plans.
Covid shatters CBM Elche’s dream
JA Galvanized
Last season Elche advanced to the quarter-finals of European play, meeting teams like Maccabi from Israel, My Land Rabat, and KA/POR from Iceland in the early rounds. All ties were scheduled to be played at Elche’s home venue, highlighting the club’s intention to grow its European footprint. In the quarterfinals, Elche faced stiff competition and were eliminated after a dramatic run.
Elche bids farewell to her European dream (23-17)
JA Galvanized
Two qualifying rounds tested the squad as they defeated ZRK Naisa Nis of Serbia (33-23 and 28-24) before a second-round exit against Icelandic side Valur Reykjavik (30-25 and 18-21). Four matches were held at the Esperanza Lag pavilion in Elche, delivering hard lessons and lasting memories for the team and its fans.
AtticGo Elche goes through a lot of pain in Europe
david marin
Now it is time to face the next hurdle in the round of 16. ZORK Jagodina from Serbia has refused to play both legs on one venue, arguing that the policy would cut travel costs if matches were spread across different arenas. The dates and venues have been set: the first leg will take place on Sunday, January 8 at 6 pm in the Esperanza Lag pavilion, with the return leg on Saturday, January 14 at 7 pm at Sportska Hala JASSA in Belgrade. Elche Handball Club has begun organizing travel, including a direct flight between Valencia and Belgrade. This would mark AtticGo Elche’s first foray outside Spain in the EHF European Cup.
A Serbian rival for AtticGo Elche in the European Cup
JA Galvanized
“He will be a tough opponent. ZORK Jagodina leads the Serbian league and is undefeated, having won every match so far. They are markedly stronger than Naisa Nis, whom we faced in the first round. It won’t be an easy draw, and the team will need its best level to advance,” advised the Elche coach, Joaquin Rocamora.
The AtticGo Elche team will not rest during the upcoming Christmas window. On Wednesday, December 28, the Guerreras-Iberdrola League match in Gijón will likely proceed after the federation refused a postponement, despite proposals to reschedule other games on the same day.
Rocamora plans a short break for players on the 23rd, 24th, and 25th of December so they can celebrate with families, then return on the 26th to resume training. The squad will travel to Gijón on the 27th, and from January 28 to February 2 will enjoy a brief rest while preparing for the EHF European Cup draw with ZORK Jagodina on the 3rd.
Footage from the Guerreras-Iberdrola League match against Logroño shows a team ready for a busy January. The calendar is packed with European fixtures and league games, and Elche aims to balance recovery from injuries with strong performances in a demanding schedule. Elena Martinez is back in training after a knee injury that sidelined her for more than six months, and the club’s medical staff will determine readiness. Ale Do Nascimento is improving steadily after giving birth in the summer and is anticipated to join roster selection in Gijón as the team prepares for the Serbian challenge. Rocamora remains confident that the entire squad will be available to compete against Jagodina.