Portugal and Lousada awaits for the women’s EuroHockey Indoor Championship II where each side will be hoping to land a top two spot and earn promotion to the top tier in 2028.
It is a seven team competition which will be played on a single group round-robin basis with each side playing six games in pursuit of glory.
For the hosts, the world number 25 side enter the competition looking to use home comforts to improve on their sixth place finish two years in Galway.
It is a tough assignment with Türkiye and Italy dropping down from 2024 while Croatia have built a body of experience in the past year.
Their side is captained by Ana Nogueira who is with the side for over a decade while Joana Silva has experience from Germany where she plays with Gladbacher HTC.
The tournament runs from Friday, January 16th through to Sunday, January 18th with seven games on the agenda each day.
The Croats (WR: 17) travel to Portugal with six of the side that played in the FIH Indoor World Cup last winter in Poreč including Lucija Čepo who scored five goals in as many games in that competition.
Croatia celebate a goal in the Indoor World Cup. Picture: Will Palmer/World Sport Pics
Petra Hrupec will captain the team with sisters Helena and Lucija Buzjak, goalkeepers Tea Andričić and Nicole Stepić among the others back in the mix.
Ana Čolić and Mila Rubeša make their debut as the Croats look to build on their third place finish in this competition two years ago.
Finland (unranked) return to competition after a six year break having last platyed in Championshiop III in 2020 in Bratislava where Elisa Järvinen and Reeta Malkamäki previously represented the side.
Anne-Maarit Anttonen has played for Finland in the Hockey5s national team, bringing a wealth of international playing experience to the group, including from outdoor arenas.
Finland
Alongside the experienced players, there are young and promising indoor hockey players who are looking for valuable experience in international competition.
Italy (WR: 21) arrive with a new look team from the one which was relegated in 2024 from the top division with seven debutants lining out.
Key to their success will be the experience of long-term outdoor internationals Teresa Dalla Vittoria and captain Sara Puglisi while the likes of Maria Torbol and Matilde Piccinocchi have been stars of their Under-21 teams in the past two Junior Euros.
Italy’s Elettra Bormida. Picture: Frank Uijlenbroek/World Sport Pics
CUS Torino provides four of the players to the side while Lola Brea plies her trade with Club Egara in Spain.
Slovakia (WR: 23) arrive in Portugal with an experienced squad led by captain Natalia Fondrkova who is looking forward to her sixth European indoor championship. It follows a fourth place finish in 2024 in Galway which was their highest finish for 14 years.
Slovakia
This year’s panel have all played in at least two Euros previously except for debutantes Réka Mészáros (aged just 15) and Bianka Hušková. Šarlota Medvikova – winner of the 2025 EuroHockey Youth Leader of the Year – and Karolina Vyskočová will be ones to watch in front of goal having amassed nine between them two years ago.
Sweden (WR: 27) come into the competition in high spirits having won the Mason Cup two weekends ago in Copenhagen, a nice dress rehearsal for this competition.
The award for the tournament’s best player also went to team captain Klara Moberg. She is one of a large portion of the side that finished in fifth place two years ago in Galway with the likes of Lena Lindström, Nora Thien, Paula Justus, Jessica Östlin, Sofia Guitink, Laetitia Schrader and Yiva von Blanquet among the others.
Turkiye (WR: 19) are looking to bounce straight back to the top division having played in the elite competition in both 2022 and 2024. In the latter, Fatma Songül Gültekin top scored and she will be looking to add to her incredible goal tally – 42 in 26 indoor internationals.
She provides the main experience along with Zeliha Kendir and Yeter Okumuş while they have several players rising from the side that won bronze at the Euro Under-21 indoors last year in Walcz.
Alayna Başbuğ is a firecracker in defence while the likes of Esma İdik, Nur Baran and Gülcan Paksoy are all exciting talents.
Türkiye
