Starting grid for the 2018/19 season confirmed

All 16 teams for the VELUX EHF Champions League Groups A and B and also all 12 sides for Groups C and D have been confirmed as the EHF Executive Committee in Glasgow, Scotland reached its decision on the teams taking part in the 2018/19 season.

In the 26th edition of the Europe's premier club competition the same playing system as last year will be used with 28 participants.

No qualification to be played

After evaluating all 34 registered teams according to a criteria system that looked at eight different fields including past performances, venue, spectator, TV, marketing and media issues, the EHF Executive decided on the teams for Groups A and B and teams for Groups C and D. Because of the number of registrations received, it has also been decided that there will be no qualification tournament played in the 2018/19 season.

Based on the criteria catalogue six requests for upgrades of the EHF Cup clubs have been approved.

The defending champions Montpellier HB and their fellow French rivals HBC Nantes together with the Hungarian runners-up Telekom Veszprem will join German runners-up Rhein-Neckar Löwen and 12 national champions in Groups A and B.

HC Metalurg (MKD), Bjerringbro-Silkeborg (DEN) and Orlen Wisla Plock (POL) will play in Group C or D alongside nine national champions including Riihimäen Cocks from Finland, the only newcomers of the upcoming season. The remaining six requests were not granted.

In total, there will be six former winners of the EHF Champions League (Vardar, Barcelona, Flensburg, Celje, Montpellier and Kielce), when the group phase of the new season commence on 12-16 September.

Next week's draw

The group phase draw will take place on Friday 29 June at 12:30 hrs at the Erste Campus in Vienna and will be streamed on ehfTV.com but also on ehfTV YouTube channel and EHF Champions League Facebook page.

A draw preview and the seeding list with pots will be published later this week at eurohandball.com and ehfCL.com.

VELUX EHF Champions League 2018/19

Groups A&B
Paris Saint-Germain HB (FRA)
HC Vardar (MKD)
PGE Vive Kielce (POL)
MOL-Pick Szeged (HUN)
SG Flensburg-Handewitt (GER)
Barça Lassa (ESP)
Skjern Handbold (DEN)
HC Meshkov Brest (BLR)
HC PPD Zagreb (CRO)
HC Motor Zaporozhye (UKR)
IFK Kristianstad (SWE)
RK Celje Pivovarna Lasko (SLO)
Rhein-Neckar Löwen (GER)
Telekom Veszprém HC (HUN)
HBC Nantes (FRA)
Montpellier Handball (FRA)

Groups C&D
Abanca Ademar Leon (ESP)
Sporting Lisbon (POR)
Elverum (NOR)
Besiktas Mogaz (TUR)
Wacker Thun (SUI)
Chekhovskie Medvedi (RUS)
Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU)
Tatran Presov (SVK)
Riihimäen Cocks (FIN)
Orlen Wisla Plock (POL)
Bjerringbro-Silkeborg (DEN)
HC Metalurg (MKD)