“Faroe Islands have made incredible progress over the past few years”

Now, they have opened the Men's EHF EURO 2028 Qualifiers with a record-breaking 37:30 victory over Kosovo ahead of the duel against Montenegro in Podgorica. On the other side, Montenegro are eager to bounce back from a 32:21 defeat against Hungary and make amends for January's loss. Ahead of the Highlight Match of round 2 and a fiery clash on Sunday 8 November (live on EHFTV at 18:00 CET), former Montenegro team captain Mirko Radović, who has faced the Faroe Islands three times, talks about remarkable progress.

eurohandball.com: You were on the court when the Faroe Islands claimed their historic first EHF EURO victory with a convincing 37:24 win over Montenegro in January 2026. Looking back at that match, what impressed you the most about the Faroe Islands and what made them so difficult to stop?

Mirko Radović: I don't like looking back at that match, there are not many pleasant memories from it. The Faroe Islands were in great form at the time and they have made incredible progress over the past few years. We played against them around seven or eight years earlier, when Zoran Roganović was also our head coach. We drew with them in Podgorica and then beat them away in the EHF EURO 2020 Qualifiers. The difference between those matches and our meeting at the last European Championship was enormous. They have developed so much and now play very modern handball. Their speed and style of play caused us a lot of problems. Óli Mittún and Elias Ellefsen á Skipagøtu were particularly difficult to stop ands I cannot say they surprised us, they simply outplayed us.

eurohandball.com: The Faroe Islands have developed a distinctive style of play. What are the main characteristics of their attacking game and why is it so difficult to defend against?

Mirko Radović: They play a lot of seven-on-six and that is also one of their biggest strengths. I remember watching their opening match against Switzerland at the last European Championship which ended in a draw. Their goalkeeper ran so much during that match that I think he made more sprints than I did in my playing time — and I was a wing player. They are also very good at getting back into defence after playing seven-on-six and they do not concede many goals. Against us, they found solutions very easily, mostly from wing position in the first half. Also, they are incredibly good in one-on-one situations, especially when attacking the third and fourth defenders. Their centre backs are dangerous in duels and even when they are being fouled, they can release the ball and find any teammate in a good position which makes them very hard to defend. I hope Montenegro will be better prepared for that this time and manage to make up for that last defeat.

eurohandball.com: Elias Ellefsen á Skipagøtu, Óli Mittún and Hákun West av Teigum have become key figures for the Faroe Islands, as you already mentioned them. Which of their individual qualities stand out the most?

Mirko Radović: I followed Skipagøtu and Mittún when they were playing in the younger age categories and even then it was clear that they were amazing players. The Faroe Islands have produced a very good generation through their work with young players, one that is capable of competing at major tournaments. Mittún is already among the best centre backs in the world. He is incredibly difficult to defend against in one-on-one situations, has a low centre of gravity, but he is extremely strong, quick and agile. He can shoot while being fouled or with a step shot and he has a very wide range of shots. Skipagøtu is also excellent in one-on-one situations, but he is very good at releasing the ball at the right moment and finding his teammates. Then there is av Teigum on the right wing who doesn't need much of an angle to score. They play very well together and you can see that they are a generation that grew up together. Of course, a lot will depend on the form and how well Montenegro prepare to slow them down.

eurohandball.com: Montenegro entered this men's EHF EURO 2028 Qualifiers with Zoran Roganović back as head coach. You know him well, both as a former teammate and as a coach. What can his return bring to the team?

Mirko Radović: We played very well during his previous spell as head coach and I believe we can do so again. There are not many unknowns for him and he knows our mentality and the group very well. He wants players to play faster and a large part of his career has been influenced by the Scandinavian style of handball. I believe he will try to combine the Balkan and Scandinavian handball and create a good mixture of the two.

eurohandball.com: Montenegro have a mixture of experienced players and young talents. As a former captain, how do you see the team's future?

Mirko Radović: With some I played, with some I have worked in Montenegro's younger age categories, including the 2010 generation, which Miloš Tujković is part of and whose development I have been involved in. There are talented young players coming through and I think Montenegro have a bright future. I believe some of those younger players will get their chance even in these qualifiers. We also have players who have been carrying the team for years, such as Branko Vujović, who is now the captain and has been one of our best players for years. We have an excellent goalkeeping pair in Nebojša Simić and Nikola Matović. There are also young Radojica Čepić, who has taken on a lot of responsibility recently, and Milorad Bakić. I think we have every reason to be hopeful. The players who are expected to lead the team are at a good age and if we can combine them with younger players who get their opportunities, we have a foundation for the years ahead. They have their biggest supporter in me now and I cannot wait to watch them play at home.

eurohandball.com: Less than 10 months after that defeat at the EHF EURO 2026, Montenegro will face the Faroe Islands again. What will Montenegro need to do differently to come out on top?

Mirko Radović: We are a team that traditionally play much better at home and I believe Montenegro can perform better than we did at the EHF EURO 2026. The coach will want us to play more modern handball. If we can match the Fareo Islands in their fast, we can limit their strengths. We have to be able to keep up with their speed and the way they play and we will also have to be smart in certain moments, like when the match is being decided. I hope that, when we play at home, we can bring back the fighting spirit, that warrior mentality which has always been one of our strengths. If the players manage to bring that back, I think we will have a chance against the Faroe Islands and hopefully give our supporters something to celebrate. It will not be easy, but we have always played very well at home even when we have not played our best. They certainly will not find it easy playing against us at home, in that atmosphere.

photos © Alvur Haraldsen (main and second in-text); kolektiff (first in-text); Hungarian Handball Federation (third in-text)