Presov and Bregenz with hosting rights in qualification

The draw at the EHF Office in Vienna has awarded Tatran Presov and Bregenz Handball with the first right to organise the two qualification tournaments in the VELUX EHF Champions League on 3 and 4 September 2016.

The draw carried out by Michael Wiederer, the EHF Secretary General together with Gerd Butzeck, Forum Club Handball Managing Director, has also determined the tournaments' semi-final pairings.

In Group 1 Presov will play against the Luxembourgish champions Red Boys Differdange, while Rk Gorenje Velenje face the debutants from Finland, Cocks.

"We are pleased with the draw and will do everything we can to reach the group phase again," said Tatran's manager Branko Benko, who sees the chance of his club hosting the tournament very high.

Bregenz must overcome Achilles Bocholt from Belgium to reach the Group 2 final against the winner of the match between another newcomer - Maccabi Tel Aviv from Israel and the reigning Challenge Cup winners ABC/UMinho who went all the way to the final in the EHF Champions League maiden season in 1993/94.

The two winners will join 26 seeded teams in the group phase which will start 14-16 October. The group phase draw will take place on Friday 1 July at 13:00 hrs in Glostrup, Denmark.