In a little over three weeks, Zadar will host four of the best SEHA – Gazprom League teams from the 11th SEHA season. Before that, we’ll see eight teams battling it out for four spots in the prestigious Final 4 tournament. For some of them, a trip to Zadar would be something they already got kind of used to, for others – a dream come true. Either way, there are not many better ways to start the season than with a Final 4 tournament appearance where you get to fight for the prestigious trophy against some of the best teams in Europe. That’s why it is time to briefly meet our quarter-finalists.

In the first quarter-final duel, Tatran Presov – one of the few teams that have been a part of the SEHA League from its very beginnings back in 2011 will face off against reigning champions Telekom Veszprem. In their five SEHA - Gazprom League Final 4 appearances so far, Hungarians managed to go all the way four times with the Vardar 1961 stopping them in the grand finale of the 2016/ 2017 season, only a few weeks before they went on to win their first EHF Champions League title in Cologne. Coach Momir Ilic seems to be doing a great job with an outstanding team and it will be interesting to see how far they can go this season. Tatran, on the other hand, last time managed to book a Final 4 spot back in the 2013/ 2014 season and while it is clear Hungarians are entering this one with a favorite role, it will be interesting to see how much this young Tatran team can do.

In the second quarter-final matchup, we will see Serbian champions Vojvodina square off against Croatian champs PPD Zagreb. Both teams are on the rise lately – Vojvodina is doing an incredible job with coach Boris Rojevic, visibly growing from season to season. They still haven’t managed to book a place in SEHA - Gazprom League Final 4 tournament but they will surely be ready now to do whatever they can against PPD Zagreb. Reigning Croatian champions on the other hand also have a quality season behind them and an even better summer transfer window during which they’ve managed to bring in several great players like Timur Dibirov and Vuko Borozan. Coach Obrvan figured out a way to bring out the best of this team last year and now, with the addition of players like Dibirov and Borozan who know what it takes to win, Zagreb could make an additional step forward.

The third quarter-final clash brings us an encounter between Macedonian Vardar 1961 and Croatian Nexe. Five-time SEHA - Gazprom League champions from Skopje also have a busy transfer window behind them and it will be interesting to see whether new coach Vlado Nedanovski will find a way to heat up the ‘Red & Black’ machine and book a place in Zadar. On the other hand, Croatian runners-up Nexe are surely motivated to start the season in the best possible way and secure what would be their second ever SEHA Final 4 appearance. The team is looking ready even without their best player from last season Halil Jaganjac and coach Tamse certainly knows how to get everything going the right way early in the season.

Finally, in the fourth quarter-final duel, Eurofarm Pelister will meet Meshkov Brest. With new coach Lars Walther, who replaced former Croatian national team coach Zeljko Babic on their bench, Eurofarm will try to book what would be their premier SEHA Final 4 appearance against one of the teams that has managed to qualify for the final tournament every single season from the moment they joined the league back in 2012/ 2013. Macedonians managed to strengthen the team by bringing in goalie Urban Lesjak and experienced international Oussama Hosni but we still have to see if they will manage to replace duo Mandalinic – Peric which was dominating the competition last year. Meshkov also went through a few roster changes during the summer. Most important thing is that Mikita Vailupau is no longer in Brest after signing a contract with Telekom Veszprem. Meshkov has however managed to bring in a few quality players and they will surely once again be a tough nut to crack for everyone.

There are less than five days to go before the start of the quarter-final clashes. Feel free to get all excited and happy because SEHA – Gazprom League handball is back!