EXEC confirms participants for the 2018/19 season

The line-up of the teams for the Women's EHF Champions League 2018/19 has been confirmed after the EHF Executive Committee in Glasgow, Scotland has decided on all teams starting either in the group matches or in the qualification tournaments.

14 teams have been directly seeded for the group matches stage, while further eight sides including the 1995/96 winners HC Podravka, the reigning Women’s EHF Cup holders SCM Craiova and current Challenge Cup holders MKS Perla Lublin, will vie for the two remaining places in the qualification (7-9 September).

In total five former champions - Györi Audi ETO KC (HUN), Buducnost (MNE), Larvik (NOR), CSM Bucuresti (ROU) and RK Krim Mercator (SLO) have been confirmed for the group matches, while at least two newcomers (both from Denmark) – Kobenhavn Handball and Odense HC will be on the starting grid of the competition's first round on 5-7 October 2018.

Four requests approved

EXEC confirmed four requests for upgrades of the EHF Cup clubs to the European top flight. The 2011 champions Larvik and Brest Bretagne Handball have been seeded directly for the group matches, while two others – SG BBM Bietigheim (GER) and SCM Craiova (ROU) will start in qualification.

Playing system

The playing system has been introduced already before the 2014/15 season. There will be just one qualification round with two groups before the group matches. The main round will consist of twelve teams (two groups of six).

The top four teams from each main round group will then qualify for the quarter-final knock-out phase, before the final remaining four teams compete in the season high point, the Women's EHF FINAL4.

Two draw dates

The seeding list and the draw procedure of the first draw event of the season will be published at the later this week.

The draw for the qualification tournaments in the Women's EHF Champions League will take place on Wednesday 27 June at 11:00 hrs at the EHF Office in Vienna and it will be streamed live on EHF Champions League Facebook page and ehfTV YouTube channel.

The group matches draw will be hosted on Friday 29 June at 12:30 hrs at the Erste Campus in Vienna and will be streamed live on ehfTV.com, ehfTV YouTube channel and on the competition's Facebook page.

Women's EHF Champions League 2018/19:

Teams seeded for the group matches (14):
Györi Audi ETO KC (HUN)
CSM Bucuresti (ROU)
Buducnost (MNE)
Rostov-Don (RUS)
Metz Handball (FRA)
Kobenhavn Handball (DEN)
Vipers Kristiansand (NOR)
Thüringer HC (GER)
RK Krim Mercator (SLO)
IK Sävehof (SWE)
FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria (HUN)
Odense HC (DEN)
Brest Bretagne Handball (FRA)
Larvik HK (NOR)
Qualifier 1
Qualifier 2

Teams in qualification (8):
MKS Perla Lublin (POL)
HC Podravka Vegeta (CRO)
Jomi Salerno (ITA)
Muratpasa BSK (TUR)
Super Amara Bera Bera (ESP)
ZORK Jagodina (SRB)
SCM Craiova (ROU)
SG BBM Bietigheim (GER)