Zagreb handball club starts new season under coach Hrvoje Horvat

Croatian champion RK Zagreb has begun preparations for the 2024‑25 handball season with new head coach Hrvoje Horvat, who previously led the national team and coached in the German and Swiss leagues. The squad has added several high‑profile players, most notably left back Marko Mamić from German club Leipzig, veteran winger Manuel Štrlek returning after 14 years abroad, and goalkeeper Urh Kastelic. Captain Filip Glavaš said the team aims to retain the domestic double and make a strong European run in the revamped EHF Champions League, which now features 24 teams in six groups.

Training started in Zagreb before moving to a high‑altitude camp at Rogla and includes friendly matches against Slovenian sides Trimo Trebnje, Gorenje Velenje and Slovenj Gradec. The team will then compete in a tournament in Tatabánya, Hungary, followed by a final preparatory tournament in Macedonia. In the Champions League group, Zagreb will face PSG, Aalborg and Celje, with the club hoping to become a “dark horse” and secure one of the top two spots to advance to the knockout stage.