The new captain of the Croatian men's handball team, Ivan Martinović, injured his knee during the 20th round of the German Bundesliga. His team, Gummersbach, won 36-25 against Rhein-Neckar Löwen, but Martinović left the court in the 25th minute, sparking concern over his injury. The right-winger limped to the bench, where he received treatment, and his pained expression led to speculation that he might miss the upcoming European Championship qualifiers against the Czech Republic.

However, the Croatian Handball Federation quickly alleviated those fears. On February 24, 2025, Martinović underwent an MRI, which revealed a knee patella injury. According to the doctors’ prognosis, he is expected to be fit within three to four weeks, meaning he should be available for coach Dagur Sigurdsson for the upcoming qualifiers, which will be held on March 12 and 16.

For Martinović, this will be his first time leading the Croatian team as captain. It will also be a chance for fans to cheer on the silver medal-winning Croatian team, as tickets for the game have long since sold out, ensuring another packed Arena Zagreb./ 24sata.hr