# 2021 European Beach Handball Championship

The 2021 European Beach Handball Championship was held in Varna, Bulgaria from 13 to 18 July 2021. The tournament was held at Varna's South Beach area, where four courts were. All results, schedules and news regarding the EHF Beach Handball EURO can be found at beacheuro.eurohandball.com.

## Format

Men's competition starts in the preliminary round with eighteen teams, split into two groups of five and two groups of four. Top three teams of each group advances to the Main round where they are split into two groups of six, while fourth and fifth teams are sent to the Consolation round in two groups of three. Top four teams in each group of the Main round advances to quarterfinals followed by semi finals and finals. Teams eliminated in the Main round continues to play against teams from the Consolation round. Matches are played for all of eighteen places available. Groups in the preliminary round are playing a round-robin, while in the Main round they are playing only against teams they haven't played before, as the results of preliminary round are brought forward into the Main round only in matches of teams that have advanced.
Women's competition starts in the preliminary round with seventeen teams, split into one group of five and three groups of four. Top three teams of each group advances to the Main round where they are split into two groups of six, while fourth and fifth teams are sent to the Consolation round in single groups of five. Top four teams in each group of the Main round advances to quarterfinals followed by semi finals and finals. Teams eliminated in the Main round continues to play against each other. Matches are played for all of seventeen places available. Groups in the preliminary round are playing a round-robin, while in the Main round they are playing only against teams they haven't played before, as the results of preliminary round are brought forward into the Main round only in matches of teams that have advanced.
Matches were played in sets, the team that wins two sets is the winner of a match. When teams are equal in points the head-to-head result is decisive.

## Men
### Preliminary round

* Team advance to Main round
* Team advance to Consolation round

### Main round

* Team advance to Quarterfinals
* Team advance to Cross matches 9−16

### Consolation round

* Team advance to Cross matches 9−16
* Team advance to Match for 17th place

### Placement round

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Finale | Finale |
| Denmark | 2 | | |
| Portugal | 0 | | |
| Portugal | 0 | Denmark | 2 |
| | | Russia | 1 |
| Russia | 2 | Russia | 1 |
| France | 0 | | | | |
| France | 0 | | | Denmark | 2 |
| | | | | Croatia | 0 |
| Croatia | 2 | | | Croatia | 0 |
| Norway | 0 | | | | |
| Norway | 0 | Croatia | 2 | | |
| | | Spain | 0 | 3rd place | 3rd place |
| Spain | 2 | Spain | 0 | 3rd place | 3rd place |
| Poland | 1 | | | | |
| Poland | 1 | | | Russia | 2 |
| | | | | Spain | 1 |
| Cross matches 5−8 | Cross matches 5−8 | 5th place | 5th place |
| Portugal | 2 |
| France | 1 | | |
| France | 1 | Portugal | 2 |
| | | Norway | 0 |
| Norway | 2 | Norway | 0 |
| Poland | 0 | | |
| Poland | 0 | 7th place | 7th place |
| | | France | 0 |
| | | Poland | 2 |
| Cross matches 9−16 | Cross matches 9−16 | Cross matches 9−12 | Cross matches 9−12 | 9th place | 9th place |
| Hungary | 2 | | |
| Netherlands | 0 | | |
| Netherlands | 0 | Hungary | 2 |
| | | Sweden | 0 |
| Sweden | 2 | Sweden | 0 |
| Greece | 1 | | | | |
| Greece | 1 | | | Hungary | 2 |
| | | | | Italy | 0 |
| Germany | 2 | | | Italy | 0 |
| Turkey | 0 | | | | |
| Turkey | 0 | Germany | 0 | | |
| | | Italy | 2 | 11th place | 11th place |
| Ukraine | 1 | Italy | 2 | 11th place | 11th place |
| Italy | 2 | | | | |
| Italy | 2 | | | Sweden | 2 |
| | | | | Germany | 0 |
| Cross matches 13−16 | Cross matches 13−16 | 13th place | 13th place |
| Netherlands | 2 |
| Greece | 1 | | |
| Greece | 1 | Netherlands | 2 |
| | | Ukraine | 0 |
| Turkey | 0 | Ukraine | 0 |
| Ukraine | 2 | | |
| Ukraine | 2 | 15th place | 15th place |
| | | Greece | 1 |
| | | Turkey | 2 |
| 17th place | 17th place |
| Bulgaria | 0 |
| Romania | 2 |

### Final standings

| Place | Team |
| | Denmark |
| | Croatia |
| | Russia |
| 4 | Spain |
| 5 | Portugal |
| 6 | Norway |
| 7 | Poland |
| 8 | France |
| 9 | Hungary |
| 10 | Italy |
| 11 | Sweden |
| 12 | Germany |
| 13 | Netherlands |
| 14 | Ukraine |
| 15 | Turkey |
| 16 | Greece |
| 17 | Romania |
| 18 | Bulgaria |
* Team qualified to the 2022 Men's Beach Handball World Championships and the 2023 European Beach Handball Championship
* Team qualified to the 2022 Men's Beach Handball World Championships as host

## Women
### Preliminary round

* Team advance to Main round
* Team advance to Consolation round

### Main round

* Team advance to Quarterfinals
* Team advance to Cross matches 9−12

### Consolation round

* Team advance to Match for 13th place
* Team advance to Match for 15th place
* Team finished at 17th place

#### Group III

| Team | Pld | W | L | SW | SL | SD | PF | PF | PD | Pts |
| Ukraine | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 1 | +7 | 190 | 135 | +55 | 8 |
| Italy | 4 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 195 | 179 | +16 | 6 |
| Russia | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 6 | -1 | 172 | 171 | 0 | 4 |
| Bulgaria | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | -4 | 154 | 194 | -40 | 2 |
| Romania | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 8 | -6 | 148 | 179 | -31 | 0 |
| Team 1 | Team 2 | Score | 1st Set | 2nd Set | SO |
| Round 1 ||||||
| Romania | Russia | 1:2 | 17:16 | 12:18 | 10:11 |
| Bulgaria | Italy | 0:2 | 22:26 | 20:28 | |
| Round 2 ||||||
| Russia | Ukraine | 0:2 | 16:20 | 14:22 | |
| Italy | Romania | 2:0 | 24:22 | 26:16 | |
| Round 3 ||||||
| Romania | Bulgaria | 1:2 | 18:19 | 16:15 | 4:6 |
| Ukraine | Italy | 2:1 | 12:18 | 24:19 | 10:4 |
| Round 4 ||||||
| Ukraine | Romania | 2:0 | 22:20 | 22:13 | |
| Russia | Bulgaria | 2:1 | 25:17 | 14:22 | 5:2 |
| Round 5 ||||||
| Italy | Russia | 2:1 | 24:20 | 18:28 | 8:5 |

### Placement round

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Finale | Finale |
| Germany | 2 | | |
| Hungary | 1 | | |
| Hungary | 1 | Germany | 2 |
| | | Spain | 1 |
| Spain | 2 | Spain | 1 |
| Portugal | 0 | | | | |
| Portugal | 0 | | | Germany | 2 |
| | | | | Denmark | 0 |
| Denmark | 2 | | | Denmark | 0 |
| Poland | 0 | | | | |
| Poland | 0 | Denmark | 2 | | |
| | | Norway | 0 | 3rd place | 3rd place |
| Netherlands | 1 | Norway | 0 | 3rd place | 3rd place |
| Norway | 2 | | | | |
| Norway | 2 | | | Spain | 2 |
| | | | | Norway | 0 |
| Cross matches 5−8 | Cross matches 5−8 | 5th place | 5th place |
| Hungary | 1 |
| Portugal | 2 | | |
| Portugal | 2 | Portugal | 2 |
| | | Netherlands | 1 |
| Poland | 1 | Netherlands | 1 |
| Netherlands | 2 | | |
| Netherlands | 2 | 7th place | 7th place |
| | | Hungary | 2 |
| | | Poland | 0 |
| Cross matches 9−12 | Cross matches 9−12 | 9th place | 9th place |
| Croatia | 0 |
| Greece | 2 | | |
| Greece | 2 | Greece | 2 |
| | | Turkey | 0 |
| Turkey | 2 | Turkey | 0 |
| France | 1 | | |
| France | 1 | 11th place | 11th place |
| | | Croatia | 2 |
| | | France | 1 |
| 13th place | 13th place |
| Ukraine | 0 |
| Italy | 2 |
| 15th place | 15th place |
| Russia | 2 |
| Bulgaria | 0 |

### Final standings

| Place | Team |
| | Germany |
| | Denmark |
| | Spain |
| 4 | Norway |
| 5 | Portugal |
| 6 | Netherlands |
| 7 | Hungary |
| 8 | Poland |
| 9 | Greece |
| 10 | Turkey |
| 11 | Croatia |
| 12 | France |
| 13 | Italy |
| 14 | Ukraine |
| 15 | Russia |
| 16 | Bulgaria |
| 17 | Romania |
* Team qualified to the 2022 Women's Beach Handball World Championships and the 2023 European Beach Handball Championship
* Team qualified to the 2022 Women's Beach Handball World Championships as host

## Broadcasting

List of broadcasters and territories:
| Country | Channel |
| Albania  Bosnia and Herzegovina  Croatia  Kosovo  Montenegro  North Macedonia  Serbia  Slovenia | Arena Sport |
| Belarus  Estonia  Moldova  Latvia  Lithuania  Ukraine | Poverkhnost |
| Bulgaria | A1 |
| Bulgaria | B1B |
| Cyprus | Cyta |
| Czech Republic  Slovakia | AMC |
| Denmark  Faroe Islands  Finland  Norway  Sweden | Nent |
| Germany | Sportdeutschland.TV |
| Greece | INA TV |
| Hungary | MTVA |
| Poland | Eurosport |
| Portugal | Sport TV |
| Australia  Cambodia  Canada  Hong Kong  Indonesia  Laos  Madagascar  Malaysia  Mauritius  New Zealand  Philippines  Singapore  Thailand  Timor-Leste  Turkey  United States | beIN Sports |
| Worldwide | EHFTV(subject to geoblocking) |

## Controversies

After the European Handball Federation (EHF) fined the Norwegian women's team for wearing shorts like the men's team instead of the required bikini bottom, the EHF said it would donate the amount paid by the Norwegian team "to a major international sports foundation which supports equality for women and girls in sports." American singer Pink said she offered to pay the fine.