Two new names and two missions to deserts

Crossing the borders of Europe

Five big clubs of the VELUX EHF Champions League are ready to serve the best of the old continent’s handball to non-European fans in the upcoming days. While the defending champions SG Flensburg-Handewitt and the record winners FC Barcelona head to the Qatari desert to play for the IHF Super Globe trophy, all three French teams are off to the Trophee des Champions in Tunisia. Their fourth rival is the EHF Cup team HBC Nantes.

Before Barcelona took off they had managed to extend a contract with the French international stalwart Cedric Sorhaindo. The line player who joined the Catalan giants four years ago has signed a new deal which will hold him at the Palau Blaugrana until 2017.

New handball show

On Monday 8 September, the French federation will launch its new video program dedicated to handball: "Parlons Hand". Twice a month, exclusively on the internet, the show will try to gather fans and specialists alike in what looks like a new concept of handball talk-show. Read more on ehfCL.com on Monday.

Vid Kavticnik is really enjoying his years in the Southern France. The Slovenian veteran player (in English) reveals more about the life in Montpellier in the podcast interview for “Kreis Ab”.

Old faces, new names

Two household clubs of the VELUX EHF Champions League will enter the new season with new names. The perennial Croatian champions HC Zagreb, who are about to launch their jubilee 20th campaign in the European top flight, have added the name of their new title sponsor – Prvo Plinarsko Drustvo (First gas company). The same goes for the participants of the 2013 VELUX EHF FINAL4 as Kielce have been rebranded to Vive Tauron.

Presov, Zaporozhye and Constanta touted for the Group phase

Fans on the EHF Champions League Facebook had their say this week as they could show their colours and vote for teams they long for in the group phase. Several hundred took part in the poll and here we go with the results. Check predictions of fans against reality on ehfCL.com coverage of the VELUX EHF Champions League Qualification over the weekend.