This Tuesday, TM Handball Benidorm etched a historic moment in their club history by securing a spot in the EHF Europa League group stage for the first time. The victory came after a gripping second leg at Palau d’Esports L’Illa, where Benidorm defeated Amicitia Zurich 34-30 following a 34-24 result in the first leg on Swiss soil last Tuesday. The team, coached by Fernando Latorre, celebrated their advancement in style despite the setback away from home, marking a breakthrough that fans had anticipated for years.
Benidorm entered the match confident in their lead and never allowed their opponents to mount a serious challenge to overturn the aggregate result. Latorre rotated his squad, giving minutes to all traveling players, underscoring the team’s depth and cohesion ahead of their upcoming opponents in the group stage. The looming domestic schedule also included an Asobal League meeting against Ademar this Saturday in León, highlighting a busy period for the club.
In the early exchanges, Benidorm made their intention clear by taking an early 3-1 advantage, signaling that a comeback by Amicitia Zurich was unlikely. The Swiss side did manage to tighten the gap on several occasions, drawing closer at moments like 15-16 and holding the deficit to manageable levels, but Benidorm maintained the upper hand with consistent scoring pressure throughout the half.
Zurich showed resilience and even managed to briefly command the table after the break, yet their leadership was fleeting. Benidorm responded with steadier play and never allowed the Swiss team to establish a lasting margin. The visitors’ best push came in the final minutes of the game, when Amicitia Zurich briefly moved ahead by four goals, only for Benidorm to reassert control and secure the win on the night and the tie on aggregate.
With qualification secured, TM Benidorm will enter the Europa League group stage for the first time and are set to learn their group opponents next Thursday at 11:00, following the official draw held at the EHF headquarters in Vienna.
DATA SHEET:
AMICITIA ZURICH (15+19): Bar (1), Blatter (1), Popovski (3), Sluitjers (2), Gudmundsson (4, 2p), Bamert (5), Laube (6) – starting seven. Harbuz (2), Bachmann (ps), Zeltner (2), Bader, Quni (2), Platz (1), Hayer, Hrachovec (5), Maros.
MT BENIDORM (16+14): Roberto Rodriguez (1); Nikcevic (3), Vainstein (2), Lignieres (4), Edu Calle, Grau, Ramiro Martínez (8, 4p) – starting seven. Barceló (1), Bernatonis (2), Serrano (1), Sotic, Samu Ibáñez (ps), Sempere, Iván Rodriguez (3), Rubén Dos Santos (4), Soljic (1).
REFEREES: Denis Bolic and Christoph Hurich (Austrian). Popovski, Sluitjers, and Bader (2) for Amicitia Zurich and Bernatonis and Lignieres (2) for TM Benidorm were excluded from certain actions.
MINUTES MARKS: 1-3, 3-5, 7-8, 9-9, 12-12, 15-16, 18-18, 21-20, 23-23, 25-26, 31-28 and 34-30, illustrating a tightly contested battle that swung several times in favor of both sides.
EVENTS: The second-leg clash of the Europa League qualifying round drew approximately 300 spectators to the Saalsporthalle in Zurich, contributing to a vibrant atmosphere that underscored the significance of the result for Benidorm and their supporters.