Nantes vs Holstebro and Frisch Auf vs Löwen

The hosts of the first EHF Cup Finals, HBC Nantes, will meet Danish club, Team Tvis Holstebro, in the semi-final, while two German teams, Frisch Auf Göppingen and Rhein Neckar Löwen, will face each other in the second duel.

Both pairings have been defined by a draw carried out by the Mayor of Nantes, Patrick Rimbert, and EHF Vice-President, Arne Elovsson, in Tour Bretagne, Nantes on Tuesday.

HBC Nantes and their Palais des Sports de Beaulieu will host the prestigous event. The semi-final matches are scheduled for Saturday, 18 May, the winners will proceed to the final on Sunday, while the losers will play for third place.

The order of the semi-final matches will only be finalised after consulting TV partners in the days after the draw and the final playing schedule will be announced by the EHF.

“The city of Nantes has a long history of hosting top-class international sports events and handball is hugely popular in this region. This fact has been underlined by the demand for tickets, and I am very pleased to say that we can expect 10,000 handball fans in the arena over the two days of the event," Elovsson said in the press conference before the draw.

"I am confident that Europe’s handball fans will receive a warm welcome in the city and that the HBC Nantes club, their staff and many volunteers will deliver a highly successful event. The re-launched Men’s EHF Cup has offered clubs a new challenge and many more exciting and intense matches, and I am sure that the EHF Cup Finals will offer a fitting high point to the season," he added.

Gael Pelletier, President of HBC Nantes revealed that beyond the sporting aspect, the whole city will be alive with the rhythm of a continental event.

"We have the emotion, of course, of being both the organiser and participant, who will do everything to live this extraordinary adventure through to the end,” he said.

Patrick Rimbert, Mayor of Nantes: “We are sincerely proud that Nantes will host this great international event, and both the city and the region will do their best to ensure the success of this great sporting event. The choice of Nantes is recognition of the important work done simultaneously in order to raise the HBC Nantes team to the highest level and to organise major events.”

EHF Cup Finals 2012/13:
(playing times to be determined)

Saturday, 18 May 2013
Team Tvis Holstebro (DEN) vs HBC Nantes (FRA)
Frisch Auf Göppingen (GER) vs Rhein Neckar Löwen (GER)

Sunday, 19 May 2013
loser Team Tvis Holstebro/HBC Nantes vs loser Frisch Auf Göppingen/Rhein Neckar Löwen
winner Team Tvis Holstebro/HBC Nantes vs winner Frisch Auf Göppingen/Rhein Neckar Löwen