Elche Handball Club is ramping up for a bold new chapter, focusing on its current squad and a bright future. The Frangiverdes unit kicked off the preseason last week, following medical checks on Wednesday and a run of sweat-drenched sessions from Thursday under the watchful eye of their head coach Joaquin Rocamora and his team of assistants.
Morning and afternoon practice blocks stretch across consecutive days, blending physical conditioning with tactical drills where the ball stays central to every exercise. Fans should expect a thrilling campaign, opening with the Guerreras-Iberdrola League clash against Aula Valladolid on September 3.
The season brings substantial changes to the group. The squad underwent a major renovation, adding eight new signings and even shifting sponsorship with strong backing from the Crevillent-based Atticgo group and its partners to support the club for the next two seasons. The new sponsorship helps shape the team’s financial foundation, enabling a forward-looking plan for stability and growth.
Yet one thing remains unchanged: the club’s philosophy. Lacking the colossal budgets seen in other top-tier Spanish handball outfits, Elche remains committed to nurturing youth through its academy system, investing in homegrown talent as a core strategy for sustained competitiveness.
Eight fresh additions headline the roster: Tessa Van Zijl, Maria Carrillo, Lissa Oppedal, Zaira Benítez, Pipyy Wolf, Danila So Delgado, Raquel More, and Israeli prospect Kerem Tplisky, who appeared in yesterday’s sessions. Most are young players with considerable development potential, poised to contribute immediately and grow into key performers for the future.
In addition, rising stars Paula Agulló and Ulane Bernabé, along with reserve players Ángela Rodríguez and Lucía Guilabert, are actively taking part in the preseason activities.
Rounding out the group are veterans who remained from last season, including Nicole Morales, Pamela Rodrigues, Celia Guilabert, María Flores, Nuria Andreu, Paola Bernabé, Ivet Musons, Patricia Méndez, Katia Zhukova, Elena Martínez, and Clara Gascó. Some of these players, such as Monsoons and Martínez, are returning from serious knee injuries and will likely be sidelined until late in the year or possibly January before rejoining full team duties.
Physical work with the ball remains the centerpiece of the preseason, and the intensity underscores Elche’s intent to build a cohesive, resilient unit capable of competing at the highest levels in Spain and abroad.
Total squad count at this stage stands at 24 players, all determined to press the club’s past achievements—such as winning the Queen’s Cup and the Spanish Super Cup—and to challenge the sport’s luxury clubs more than once.
Joaquín Rocamora notes, “The preseason is about getting to know one another, especially with so much new personnel. It helps us gradually absorb concepts and game models so the team can grow together.”
The Orihuela-born coach enters his ninth season with Elche, and he says he is “very happy” with the current roster. “We’ve secured the best financial options available to sign players, and this is a compelling new project—one built for today and tomorrow, with many players on multi-year deals.”
CBM Elche strengthens its budget with Crevillent Atticgo backing
VL Deltell
Regarding objectives, Rocamora stresses that the targets are consistent with prior campaigns. The team remains young and will have to navigate four strong squads with comparable budgets. The aim is to make a deep run in European qualifiers, including Copa de la Reina and the EHF European Cup, while also staging surprises in cup competitions. Success is not measured only by titles but by the ability to grow and compete at every stage, including knockout tournaments.
The Elche Handball Club coach also expresses appreciation for the Attigco group’s support, noting that the partnership solidifies the project and helps pave the way for future progress.
From Carrús to Esperanza Lag
A notable change this season is the venue shift. Elche will play its home games at Esperanza Lag rather than Carrús, which has long been a symbol of the club. Rocamora explains that the adjustment will require on-court adaptation and that fans may be a bit further from the action, but the move is a strategic commitment to growth, better media exposure, and continued development of the Elche Handball Club project.