The Raimond Sassari makes its debut in the EHF European Cup against Kastrioti in two consecutive matches at PalaSantoru, as part of Round 2. Game 1 is scheduled for Saturday, October 17 at 7:15 p.m.; the second will be played twenty-four hours later. To advance, a team must score more goals than its opponents over the full 120 minutes.

The two home matches give the Rossoblù the chance to begin their European campaign in front of their own fans. Qualification is decided by the total number of goals scored across the two games: the result of a single match is therefore not enough to determine who advances; the aggregate score at the end of the second match will count.

The Sassari team comes into the European fixture as unbeaten leaders of Serie A Gold. In the previous league round, they faced Pressano: Raimond came away unbeaten from their away match against the team in second place. The Rossoblù’s run and league position set the scene for a weekend in which the team will have to play two matches in quick succession.

Kastrioti, coached by Vladimir Gligorov, is taking part in the competition for the third consecutive season. Two years ago, the Kosovan side was knocked out in Round 1 by Bosnia’s Gracanica; last season, they were eliminated in Round 2 by Luxembourg’s Differdange. The club’s domestic honors include five Superliga titles and eight Kosovo Cups.

Both matches will be officiated by the Polish referees Tomasz Lacny and Tomas Okos, with Cypriot delegate Sotiris Constantinou. Andrea Delogu, Raimond’s vice-captain, emphasized the importance of the occasion and the support of the fans. After the draw with Pressano, he described a result that left mixed feelings: «The match against Pressano leaves a bittersweet taste. On the one hand, it’s true that we came away unbeaten from a difficult venue; on the other, there’s a little regret over the way we handled our final attacking possession—not perfectly. But the fact that we’re somewhat disappointed by an away draw against the second-place team is indicative of our ambitions and our desire to keep improving. This weekend, Kastrioti arrives. We care a lot about the cup; the European stage is special, and nobody wants to let themselves down. We’ll play two matches in two days, so managing ourselves physically and mentally will be crucial if we’re to continue our European campaign. We’re also counting on the support of our fans; we need their energy too.»

The vice-captain particularly stressed the need to approach the double fixture carefully, both physically and mentally. Raimond is also counting on the fans’ energy to begin its European campaign at home, following an unbeaten start to the league season. Those following the team in Serie A Gold can revisit the report on the away match against Pressano, with the Rossoblù still unbeaten in the league.

  • Game 1: Saturday, October 17, at 7:15 p.m. at PalaSantoru.
  • Game 2: Sunday, October 18, twenty-four hours after the first match, at PalaSantoru.
  • Qualification: the team that scores the most goals across the two matches, for a total of 120 minutes, advances.