18 teams, five spots, one goal

All eyes are on Belgrade, Rykkin, Constanta, St. Raphael and Minsk: This Saturday and Sunday those cities are going to be the main focus for the upcoming 2012/13 VELUX EHF Champions League season.

In total, 18 teams are aiming for the last five spots in the top competition of European club handball. The last five participants for the Group Phase will be decided in four tournaments and one play-off match.

The qualification tournaments:
Group 1 in Belgrade/SRB
RK Sloga (BIH)
RK Partizan (SRB)
Porto Vitalis (POR)
HC Lovćen (MNE)

Semi-finals on Saturday:
17:00 hrs local time: RK Partizan (SRB) vs. Porto Vitalis (POR)
19:30 hrs local time: RK Sloga (BIH) vs. HC Lovćen (MNE)

Final day on Sunday:
17:00 hrs local time: Losers of the semi-finals
19:30 hrs local time: Winners of the semi-finals

Porto Vitalis are the only non-Balkan team in this tournament. Sloga are debutants in the VELUX EHF Champions League, Lovćen participated in the 2000/01 and 2001/02 seasons, whilst Partizan Belgrade made it to the Group Stage of the 2011/12 season after winning their respective qualification tournament.

The winner of this Qualification Tournament qualifies for Group A of the Group Stage (opponents: MAHB Montpellier/FRA, SG Flensburg-Handewitt/GER, Reale Ademar Leon/ESP, plus the winner of the Wildcard Tournament)

Group 2 in Rykkin/NOR
HC Metalurg (MKD)
Haslum HK (NOR)
HC Dinamo Poltava (UKR)
Alpha HC Hard (AUT)

Semi-finals on Saturday:
14:00 hrs local time: HC Metalurg (MKD) vs. Alpha HC Hard (AUT)
16:30 hrs local time: Haslum HK (NOR) vs. HC Dinamo Poltava (UKR)

Final day on Sunday:
14:00 hrs local time: Losers of the semi-finals
16:30 hrs local time: Winners of the semi-finals

HC Metalurg, quarter-finalist of the 2011/12 VELUX EHF Champions League season, seem to be the favourite to reach the Group Stage once again. Last season, the Macedonians went head-to-head against Haslum in the final of the qualification tournament – they will be looking to do one over on the Norwegian side. It is the third appearance for HC Dinamo Poltava in EHF European Cup competitions, but their first time in the Champions League. Alpha HC Hard were part of the 2003/2004 Group Stage of the EHF Champions League.

The winner of this Qualification Tournament qualifies for Group C of the Group Stage (opponents: Bjerringbro Silkeborg/DEN, Gorenje Velenje/SLO, Vive Targi Kielce/POL, Chambery Savoie/FRA and HC St. Petersburg/RUS)

Group 3 in Constanta/ROU
HCM Constanta (ROU)
TATRAN Presov (SVK)
Maccabi Srugo Rishon Le Zion (ISR)
SSV Loacher Bozen Südtirol (ITA)

Semi-finals on Saturday:
18:00 hrs local time: HCM Constanta (ROU) vs. SSV Loacher Bozen Südtirol (ITA)
20:30 hrs local time: TATRAN Presov (SVK) vs. Maccabi Srugo Rishon Le Zion (ISR)

Final day on Sunday:
18:00 hrs local time: Losers of the semi-finals
20:30 hrs local time: Winners of the semi-finals

The internationally more experienced teams of Constanta (with some strong newcomers in their squad) and Presov are the main contenders for the Group Stage, whilst Bozen are seen to be the underdog. Maccabi hosted the Qualification Tournament last year, but finished only third.

The winner of this Qualification Tournament will qualify for Group B of the Group Stage (opponents: THW Kiel/GER, Atletico Madrid/ESP, MKB Veszprem/HUN,  Sävehof IK/SWE, RK Pivovarna Lasko Celje/SLO)

Wild Card Tournament in St. Raphael (FRA)
HSV Hamburg (GER)
Saint-Raphael Var Handball (FRA)
Cimos Koper (SLO)
Orlen Wisla Plock (POL)

Semi-finals on Saturday:
16:30 hrs local time: HSV Hamburg (GER) vs. Orlen Wisla Plock (POL)
19:00 hrs local time: Saint-Raphael Var Handball (FRA) vs. Cimos Koper

Final day on Sunday:
16:00 hrs local time: Losers of the semi-finals
19:00 hrs local time: Winners of the semi-finals

The composition of this Wildcard Tournament had to be adapted and changed after AG Kobenhavn withdrew from the VELUX EHF Champions League. Bjerringbro Silkeborg qualified directly for the Group Stage as the Danish runners-up and did not have to participate in the Wild Card Tournament. Their successor in the fight for a Group Phase spot are RK Cimos Koper, third ranked team from Slovenia and last season’s surprising VELUX EHF Champions League quarterfinalist in their debut season.

After qualifying five straight times for the EHF Champions League and after reaching the quarter-finals, HSV Hamburg now have to go through the qualification after ranking fourth in the German league. Their semi-final opponents Wisla Plock, runners-up of the Polish league, were another surprise of the 2011/12 VELUX EHF Champions League season, proceeding to the Last 16.
 
In the second semi-final Cimos Koper compete with the third ranked French team and tournament hosts Saint-Raphael, who have their debut in this competition after reaching the quarter-finals of the EHF Cup twice in 2011 and 2012.

The winner of this tournament qualifies for Group A of the Group Stage (opponents: MAHB Montpellier/FRA, SG Flensburg-Handewitt/GER, Reale Ademar Leon/ESP, plus the winner of the Qualification Tournament 1)

Play-off matches in Minsk/BLR
First leg: Saturday, 18:30 hrs local time: Besiktas JK (TUR) vs. HC Dinamo Minsk (BLR)
Second leg: Sunday, 16:00 hrs local time: HC Dinamo Minsk (BLR) vs. Besiktas JK (TUR)

Hosts Minsk are going into this play-off match as favourites. Minsk participated in the 2010/11 VELUX EHF Champions League Group Stage, gaining some international experience, but missed out on the Group Stage in 2011/12, losing in the qualification tournament final against Sävehof. Besiktas played the same qualification tournament in 2011 and had no hope in the semi-final against Sävehof from Sweden.

The winner of those Play-off matches will qualify for Group D of the Group Stage (opponents: FC Barcelona Intersport/ESP, RK Croatia Osiguranje Zagreb/CRO, Füchse Berlin/GER, Kadetten Schaffhausen/SUI and Pick Szeged/HUN).

Further information

More information on the VELUX EHF Champions League Qualification Tournaments can be found HERE.

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