The GP JOULE Arena will be transformed into an international arena for the last time in 2025. After the match against Irudek Bidasoa Irun, the SG Flensburg-Handewitt will know how many points they will have in the main round of the EHF European League. Kick-off is at 18:45 on Tuesday.
Anyone talking about handball tradition in Spain should not forget Bidasoa Irun. The club from northern Spain even once sat on the European handball throne in the 1990s and - after a dry spell around 15 years ago - is once again one of the top handball addresses on the Iberian Peninsula. Bidasoa Irun was in the top flight from 1970 and even won the Spanish championship in 1987. The 1990s finally marked the club's golden era, in which Bidasoa Irun added seven more titles to its record of success, including the EHF Champions League in 1995. The glory faded with the turn of the millennium. In 2007, Bidasoa Irun bid farewell to both the European Cup and the Liga Asobal. A rebuild had to be initiated. Since 2016, the "Polideportivo Artaleku" venue (2200 seats) has once again been hosting first-class handball. And international matches soon followed. In 2019 and 2021, only FC Barcelona was stronger in Spain. In the last series, they finished fourth.
Coach and squad
Álex Mozas has been in charge of the sporting side of things since last season. The 40-year-old came from BM Torrelavega and also works for the youth sector of the Spanish Handball Federation. "Our aim in the EHF European League is to perform at the highest level in every game," emphasizes the coach. "Last year we had an unforgettable experience and of course we hope we can achieve something similar again." In the spring, we only reached the quarter-finals. The squad is impressive: Playmaker Gorka Nieto leads the attack. Right winger Iñaki Cavero has been a big name in the club for years. One of the promising Spanish talents is half-back Julen Muglica. The Chilean Salinas brothers Rodrigo and Esteban occupy the right-back position and the circle. Other foreign professionals are the Serbian center Marko Jevtic, the Cuban left wing Dariel Garcia and the two goalkeepers. Leon Maciel comes from Argentina, Jakub Skrzyniarz from Poland.
