Olympic champions, France, European champions, Denmark, hosts Spain and the European and Olympic bronze medalists, Croatia, are supposed to be the major favourites for the world championship which starts on Friday (11 January) with the opening match of hosts Spain against Algeria in Madrid’s arena “Caja Magica”.It is for the first time a Men’s World Championship is hosted by the Spanish Handball Federation, according to eurohandball.com.After having won the World Championship in 2009 (in Croatia) and 2011 (in Sweden), two times EHF EURO champions France can become the first men’s handball team to finish a title hat trick in Spain.On the other hand Danish Ulrik Wilbek can become the first coach to become world champion with a female and a male team, if the EHF EURO 2012 champions win the trophy in the final in Barcelona on January 27.Since the inaugural men’s indoor world championships in 1954 only teams from Europe have become medalists. Overall 14 of the 24 participants are European teams. The Preliminary Round groups are as follows: Group A (in Barcelona/Granollers): France (defending champions), Germany, Montenegro, Tunisia, Argentina, Brazil; Group B (in Seville): Denmark, FYR Macedonia, Iceland, Russia, Qatar, Chile; Group C (in Zaragoza): Serbia, Slovenia, Poland, Belarus, Korea, Saudi-Arabia; Group D (in Madrid): Spain, Croatia, Hungary, Algeria, Egypt, AustraliaOn paper Group D, played in Madrid, seems to be the toughest as it includes Spain as well as the Olympic semi-finalists Hungary and Croatia.The Preliminary Round will be played on five match days per group from 11 to 19 January, followed by the Round of the last 16 in Barcelona and Zaragoza (20/21 January) and the quarter-finals in the same cities on 23 January.From the semi-finals (25 January) onwards, all matches will be played in Barcelona (Palau Sant Jordi), including the bronze final (26 January) and the final (27 January).
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