Almost 40 clubs submit registration for the VELUX EHF Champions League 2016/17

In total 37 teams from 23 countries are vying for a place in the VELUX EHF Champions League 2016/17, the European Handball Federation has announced following the registration deadline.

The final list of all participants will be confirmed only at the EHF Executive Committee meeting on Friday 24 June in Vienna.

Based on the EHF ranking list 25 teams (23 national champions and the runners-up of Spain and Germany) have handed in their registrations.

In addition, 12 clubs eligible to enter the EHF Cup have submitted their requests for the Champions League upgrade via their national federations – three from France and one from each Austria, Belarus, Denmark, FYR Macedonia, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Norway and Sweden.

Only four national champions have decided not to register this season.

The draw of the qualification tournament(s) will take place on Wednesday 29 June (13:00 hrs) in Vienna, while the group phase draw will be hosted by SELECT, the EHF’s new ball partner, in their headquarters in Glostrup, Denmark on Friday 1 July (13:00 hrs).

The VELUX EHF Champions League 2016/17 will be played in the same mode as the previous season with 28 teams of the group phase split in four groups. In Group A and B there will be eight teams each, while each in Group C and D only six teams will play.

Teams registered based on the EHF Ranking list (25):
Achilles Bocholt (BEL)
HC Meshkov Brest (BLR)
HC PPD Zagreb (CRO)
Bjerringbro-Silkeborg  (DEN)
FC Barcelona Lassa (ESP)
Naturhouse La Rioja (ESP)
Cocks (FIN)
Paris Saint-Germain Handball (FRA)
Rhein-Neckar Löwen (GER)
SG Flensburg-Handewitt (GER)
Telekom Veszprem (HUN)
Maccabi CASTRO Tel-Aviv (ISR)
Red Boys Differdange (LUX)
HC Vardar (MKD)
Elverum Handball (NOR)
KS Vive Tauron Kielce (POL)
ABC/UMinho (POR)
Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU)
Chekhovskie Medvedi (RUS)
RK Celje Pivovarna Lasko (SLO)
Kadetten Schaffhausen (SUI)
Tatran Presov (SVK)
IFK Kristianstad (SWE)
Besiktas Mogaz HT (TUR)
HC "Motor" Zaporozhye (UKR)

Teams registered based on additional places requests (12):
Bregenz Handball (AUT)
SKA Minsk (BLR)
Team Tvis Holstebro (DEN)
Saint-Raphael Var Handball (FRA)
HBC Nantes (FRA)
Montpellier Handball (FRA)
THW Kiel (GER)
MOL Pick Szeged (HUN)
HC Metalurg (MKD)
Orlen Wisla Plock (POL)
OIF Arendal (NOR)
RK Gorenje Velenje (SLO)

National champions, who did not submit a registration (4):
HC Fivers WAT Margareten (AUT)
Talent M.A.T. Plzen (CZE)
Felippos Verias (GRE)
Vojvodina (SRB)