In his two IHF Men’s World Championship qualifications so far (2023, 2025), Slovenia coach – and playing legend with the most men’s national team appearances (225) - Uros Zorman and his team have not done things the easy way.

After taking the role in February 2022 his first real test came with the European qualification phase matches for the 2023 IHF Men’s World Championship. The first double-header saw off Italy, but the second set of matches saw two losses against Serbia (31:34 at home, 20:23 in Serbia) and the global dream had died.

That was short-lived however, as just a few months later, in June 2022, the IHF Council awarded Slovenia a wild card entry to Poland/Sweden 2023 in recognition of their investment in the future of handball, which included then hosting duties of younger aged events.

Wins against Saudi Arabia (33:19), Poland (32:23), Iran (38:21) and Montenegro (31:23) were secured at the 2023 event, but a preliminary round loss to France (31:35) and main round loss to Spain (26:31) saw the side finish 10th, one less than their 2021 rank.

However, that rank would ensure qualification through to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Qualification Tournaments in Spain in March 2024 – and it would be part of an action-packed calendar year for the side.

First, Zorman’s side secured a sixth-place finish at the 2024 European Championship, held in January. An impressive preliminary group stage saw wins against Faroe Islands (32:29), Poland (32:25) and Norway (28:27), but losses to Sweden (22:28) and Portugal (30:33) in their opening main round games curtailed their semi-final dreams, despite victories against Netherlands (37:34) and an already-qualified to the semi-final Denmark side, who rested numerous players (28:25). 

A tight loss in the 5/6 placement match against Hungary (22:23) ended their tournament, but after a short break, Zorman’s side travelled to Spain for the Olympic Qualification Tournament in March where they beat Brazil (27:26) and Bahrain (32:26) to qualify for Paris, alongside group winners Spain (who they lost to 22:32).

But before they could focus on the Games, their European Qualification Phase 2 play-off against Switzerland in May awaited. They opened with a 26:27 (15:12) home loss to Switzerland followed by a 34:33 second leg, 60:60 score after 60 minutes on aggregate in Winterthur, Switzerland, thanks to a Blaz Janc strike with two seconds remaining. The game would eventually go to seven-metre shots and Slovenia took a 4:1 win to secure their passage through to the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship.

But there was little time to take a breath as the Olympic Games, held in July and August were calling. Ahead of the global sporting spectacular, Zorman was rewarded for his efforts with a two-year contract extension, lasting until 2027. 

At Paris 2024 Slovenia would finish in the worst-possible rank – fourth, after they lost to Spain in the bronze medal match by one goal, 22:23 (12:12). 

They had impressed in the preliminary group stage, despite facing qualification tournament opponents Spain in their opener and losing (22:25). Strong wins over Croatia (31:29), Sweden (29:24) and Japan (29:28) and despite a last game loss to Germany (29:36), that set up the quarter-final clash against Norway. This was a game for Vlah to showcase his skills once again, his 11 strikes ensuring a five-goal victory (33:28). But the Danes awaited them in the semi-final and a heroic comeback after being behind by five at the break just fell short as Slovenia lost 30:31 (10:15). 

With the country behind them as they went for their first-ever Olympic medal, it was a tight affair, with Spain’s defence restricting the Slovenian attack to just two goals in the last nine minutes, and a strike to take it to additional time was saved from Gonzalo Perez de Vargas in the Spanish goal.

Those two single-goal defeats in such crucial matches had come despite Slovenia’s qualification for 2025 made possible to a late strike, but with all the experience in 2024, Zorman and the Slovenian handball family will be hoping to put it to good use in 2025.

They will also be hoping two of their key players, who both won silver at the 2015 IHF Men’s Youth World Championship in Russia, Janc – who was top-scorer and right back in the All-star Team and Aleks Vlah can guide them to a strong preliminary round performance again – in a venue they know well, having played in Zagreb at the 2018 European Championship.

“It's always important to participate in major tournaments and qualifying for Croatia/Denmark/Norway 2025 is crucial for handball in our country. The world championships are the pinnacle where all teams aspire to be,” said Handball Federation of Slovenia Acting Secretary General Miha Pantelic to ihf.info.

“Success in qualifying not only reflects our team's hard work and dedication but also boosts national pride and enhances the sport's visibility. After achieving strong results at the European Championships and the Olympic Games, which have sparked interest in handball within our country, we aim for a remarkable performance at the world championship. This would further elevate the popularity of this exceptional sport.

“Our expectations for the team at Croatia/Denmark/Norway 2025 are high; we hope to compete strongly and showcase our growth on the international stage, inspiring the next generation of handball players and fans.”

In addition to the action on the court, the Handball Federation of Slovenia will be organising a regional business conference in Zagreb too. “This event will provide a platform for the collaboration and intersection of politics, business, and sports, adding another dimension to the occasion,” explained Pantelic. 

Zorman will start Slovenia’s last training and preparation camp on 2 January, with friendly games planned against Algeria (5 January, in Porec), Qatar (7 January, in Koper) and Croatia (10 January, in Zagreb).

Coach: Uros Zorman

Key players: Blaz Janc (right wing), Aleks Vlah (centre back), Klemen Ferlin (goalkeeper), Jure Dolenec (right back)

Qualification for Croatia/Denmark/Norway 2025: European Qualification Phase 2 vs Switzerland (60:60 on aggregate, 4:1 on seven-metre shots)

History in the competition: 1995: 18th, 2001: 17th, 2003: 11th, 2005: 12th, 2007: 10th, 2013: 4th, 2015: 8th, 2017: 3rd, 2021: 9th, 2023: 10th

Group at Croatia/Denmark/Norway 2025: Group G (Cape Verde, Cuba, Iceland, Slovenia)