Champions League stars win 29 medals at EHF EURO

Goodbye Women’s EHF EURO 2018, hello EHF Champions League Main Round 2018/19! Europe’s top-flight women’s club competition returns to action on Saturday 26 January, when the main round throws off.

One of the most appealing ties on that opening day is Metz Handball against Rostov-Don, a kind of rematch of Sunday's EHF EURO Final between France and Russia: eight players from new European champions France will be on court for Metz, facing the same number of Russia players for Rostov.

And even bronze medallists Netherlands and fourth-ranked Romania will be involved in this match for Rostov, through Dutch left back Lois Abbingh and Romania coach Ambros Martin, who is also at the helm of the Russian club.

Apart from those 17 players from only two clubs, 12 more Champions League stars won medals at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris on Sunday: four French players (three from Brest, one from Györ), and eight Dutch players (four from already eliminated Bietigheim, two from Kobenhavn, and one each from Györ and Odense).

Seven of the nine players featured in the EHF EURO 2018 All-star Team are part of the EHF Champions League Main Round. The only club listed twice are defending champions Györ Audi ETO KC with goalkeeper Amandine Leynaud (France) and centre back Stine Oftedal (Norway).

Also, Rostov-Don (MVP Anna Vyakhireva/Russia), CSM Bucuresti (left wing Majda Mehmedovic/Montenegro), FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria (left back Noemi Hafra/Hungary), Thüringer HC (right back Alicia Stolle/Germany) and Kobenhavn Handball (defender Kelly Dulfer/Netherlands) are represented in the all-star team.

The two all-stars not playing in the EHF Champions League are both with French clubs: Spanish right wing Carmen Martin (OGC Nice) and Romanian line player Crina Pintea (Paris 92).

The top goal scorer of EHF EURO 2018, Serbia right wing Katarina Krpez Slezak, plays for Erd in Hungary.

On Wednesday, we will reveal on ehfCL.com our Top 10 of EHF Champions League players who impressed the most at the EHF EURO 2018.