Playing times for first five rounds released

Fans of all clubs participating in the anniversary 25th season of the VELUX EHF Champions League can already plan their first trips to the handball arenas as the exact playing times of the opening five rounds have been released.

The new season will kick-start on Thursday 14 September with two matches. Two champions from the former Soviet Union countries will lock horns in Kharkiv at 18:15 hrs local time (17:15 hrs CET) as Ukraine’s Motor Zaporozhye will play hosts to Russia’s Chekhovskie Medvedi in Group D, while the Swiss trophy holders Kadetten Schaffhausen will take on their counterparts from Norway – Elverum Handball in Group C three hours later (20:15 hrs CET).

The reigning winners HC Vardar will start their title defence at Orlen Wisla Plock on Sunday 17 September at 19:00 hrs local time, just a few minutes after the final whistle in the game between the three-time champions THW Kiel and the last season’s runners-up Paris Saint-Germain Handball (17:15 hrs).

In another titanic clash of the first round the current German holders Rhein-Neckar Löwen receive the record champions FC Barcelona Lassa also on Sunday at 19:30 at the SAP Arena in Mannheim.

Check all the playing times of the first five rounds here.