37 teams submit registration for the VELUX EHF Champions League 2015/16

In total 37 teams from 23 countries are vying for a place in the VELUX EHF Champions League 2015/16, the European Handball Federation has announced following the registration deadline.

Europe's premier club competition will enter the new season with a new playing system and extended number of teams.

The final list of all participants will be confirmed at the EHF Executive Committee meeting on 19 and 20 June in Krakow, Poland, but already now based on the places distribution ranking list 25 teams (23 national champions and the runners-up of Spain and Germany) are eligible to enter the competition either in the group phase or in qualification.

In addition, 12 clubs eligible to enter the EHF Cup have submitted their registration for additional places via their national federations – three from France, two from Germany, and one from each Croatia, Denmark, FYR Macedonia, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia and Sweden.

Registration of clubs does not equal the participation and all additional places have to be confirmed by the Executive Committee.

The EXEC meeting will be preceded by the Consultation Group meeting which will prepare a proposal for teams' allocation to Groups A or B (16 teams), respectively C or D (12 teams) or qualification matches.

The consultation group consisting of Leopold Kalin, Club Competitions Commission Chairman, Joan Marin, representing the clubs as President of Forum Club Handball together with the EHF and EHF Marketing representatives will assign points to all clubs based on the new criteria system.

The criteria list focuses on eight different fields (venue, TV, ranking in the domestic league, spectators, performance in past EHF club competitions, sponsoring potential, implementation of duties and regulations and media).

The draw of the qualification and the group phase will take place on Friday 26 June in Vienna.

Teams registered based on the place distribution system (25):
ALPLA HC Hard (AUT)
RK Borac m:tel (BIH)
HC Meshkov Brest (BLR)
HC PPD Zagreb (CRO)
KIF Kolding Kobenhavn (DEN)
FC Barcelona Lassa (ESP)
Naturhouse La Rioja (ESP)
Paris Saint Germain HB (FRA)
THW Kiel (GER)
Rhein-Neckar Löwen (GER)
MKB-MVM Veszprem (HUN)
HC Vardar (MKD)
OCI/Lions (NED)
Elverum Handball Herrer (NOR)
KS Vive Tauron Kielce (POL)
Futebol Clube do Porto (POR)
HCM Baia Mare (ROU)
Chekhovskie medvedi (RUS)
RK Celje Pivovarna Lasko (SLO)
Vojvodina (SRB)
Kadetten Schaffhausen (SUI)
Tatran Presov (SVK)
IFK Kristianstad (SWE)
Besiktas Jimnastik Kulubu (TUR)
HC Motor (UKR)

Teams registered based on additional places requests (12):
RK Nexe (CRO)
Skjern Handbold (DEN)
Montpellier HB (FRA)
HBC Nantes (FRA)
Saint-Raphael Var HB (FRA)
SG Flensburg-Handewitt (GER)
SC Magdeburg (GER)
MOL-Pick Szeged (HUN)
HC Metalurg (MKD)
Orlen Wisla Plock (POL)
RK Gorenje Velenje (SLO)
Alingsas HK (SWE)