Dobele Tenax to Play Both EHF European Cup Matches in Serbia to Save Costs

Latvian handball champions Dobeles “Tenax” begin their 2026/2027 EHF European Cup second-round campaign on October 17 and 18, playing two matches against Serbia’s “Dubočica” in Leskovac. The club decided to play both legs in Serbia to conserve financial resources for domestic competitions.

Financial Realities Shape the European Schedule

Facing the high costs of continental travel and venue logistics, Dobeles “Tenax” reached an agreement with their Serbian opponents to play both legs of the EHF European Cup second-round tie in Leskovac. Club representative Dainis Putra explained that running a home-and-away series required significant capital. By consolidating the fixtures in Serbia, the club redirected funds toward maintaining squads in both the Latvian and Baltic championships, including the operational relaunch of their reserve team this season.

The sporting compromise places a heavy physical demand on the Latvian eleven-time champions. Both matches kick off at 20:00 Latvian time.

Tactical Analysis and Recent Form Comparisons

Dobeles enters the European tie sitting seventh in the eight-team Baltic League standings with two points collected from four fixtures. Their opponents, RK Dubočica 54, finished among the top four in the Serbian championship last season and currently hold sixth place in their domestic 12-team league with five points from six matches. In the opening round of the EHF European Cup, the Serbian side advanced past Austria’s Alpla Hard 67-65 on aggregate, securing 34-33 and 34-32 victories.

Dobeles head coach Sandris Veršakovs noted the high caliber of the opposition after reviewing their European qualifiers against the Austrian club. Meanwhile, Putra pointed out that playing the same opponent on consecutive days can turn into a tactical advantage by the second fixture, allowing the coaching staff to exploit adjustments made on the whiteboard.

Chasing History

Dobeles previously advanced to the third round of the EHF European Cup during the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 campaigns. In the last four seasons, the club has not managed to overcome the second-round barrier, falling to Czechia’s Talent tým Plzeňského kraje, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s RK Leotar twice, and last season against Dobojas Sloga, where a 31-41 away deficit proved too steep to overcome despite a 34-33 home victory in the return leg.

Photo: handball.lv

The aggregate winners across these European fixtures will advance to the third round, scheduled for November 21/22 and November 28/29. A total of 32 teams will form the field for the next phase of the tournament.

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