Smiling faces in five places

They have made it, and they are proud and happy to be part of the most important club handball competition of the world: Dinamo Minsk, HSV Hamburg, Metalurg Skopje, Partizan Beograd and HCM Constanta have crossed the hurdles to the Group Phase of the VELUX EHF Champions League.

HSV Hamburg were close to elimination at the Wild Card Tournament in Saint Raphaël in France trailing by four goals some minutes before the end, but finally qualified for the Group Phase for the sixth straight time by a 32:31 after extra-time against the French team. This result ends a series, as by now all hosts of the previous wildcard tournaments had made their way to the Group Phase: Ademar Leon (ESP) in 2009, Rhein Neckar Löwen (GER) in 2010 and Vive Targi Kielce (POL) in 2011.

“We have shown our character and now it is highly important for the players, the club and especially our spectators that we are part of the VELUX EHF Champions League again,” said HSV captain Pascal Hens, who played despite an injury. And German international Michael Kraus added: “We reached our most important objective – not to watch the VELUX EHF Champions League on TV.”

Due to the HSV qualification to Group A, the fans will see two all-German duels, as also SG Flensburg-Handewitt play in this group. According to the EHF regulation national encounters are only possible in the Group Phase, if the winner of the wild card tournament is drawn into a group with another participant of his league.

Happy faces in Hamburg, big joy also in Constanta: The transfers of international top players like Milutin Dragićević (THW Kiel), Dalibor Čutura (Leon) or new coach Zvonko Šundovski were worth the effort: “We are proud to be part of this competition for the seventh time,” player George Buricea said after beating Slovak champions Tatran Prešov in the “home final” 26:21. And international experienced newcomer Čutura added: “We played a strong qualification, and now we face a really tough group, but of course we hope to qualify for the Last 16.”

Constanta will face defending champions THW Kiel (GER), Atletico Madrid (ESP), MKB Veszprém (HUN),  Sävehof IK (SWE), RK Pivovarna Laško Celje (SLO) in Group B.

Like Hamburg, Partizan Beograd will face top opponents in group A after clearly beating their Bosnian neighbours Sloga Doboj 31:16 in the qualification tournament final in the Serbian capital. Due to their final victory and the clear win of Metalurg Skopje, eliminating host Haslum (Norway) 30:20, five clubs from four countries of former Yugoslavia are among the 24 participants of the Group Phase: Slovenia (Celje, Velenje), Croatia (Zagreb), FYR Macedonia (Metalurg) and Serbia (Partizan).

“We played the first ten minutes of the final like in trance,” Partizan coach Alexander Brković analysed, and is full of happiness to be in the Group Phase for the second straight time: “We can say that we are a regular participant now. We have ten more matches against the European elite. And in contrast to our previous season we want to gain not only experience, but points.” In the 2011/12 season Partizan ended with a point on their account.

Metalurg Skopje now will face Bjerringbro Silkeborg (DEN), Gorenje Velenje (SLO), Vive Targi Kielce (POL), Chambery Savoie (FRA) and HC St. Petersburg (RUS) in Group C and hope again - like in the previous season - for the qualification for the knock-out stage.

Dinamo Minsk was another clear winner – the Belarusian champions won both play-off matches against Istanbul easily. Coach Sergey Bebeshko was satisfied: “We have fulfilled our objective. We play better than in the previous season, but I know that in the Champions League we have a lot of work ahead. But we are part of it again.”

Minsk will face FC Barcelona Intersport (ESP), RK Croatia Osiguranje Zagreb (CRO), Füchse Berlin (GER), Kadetten Schaffhausen (SUI) and Pick Szeged (HUN) in Group D. Two years ago in their debut season of the VELUX EHF Champions League, Dinamo missed the qualification for the knock-out stage highly close.

Further information

Find more information on VELUX EHF Champions League Qualification HERE.

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