35 clubs eye a place in the new season

Less than two weeks after HC Vardar lifted their second VELUX EHF Champions League trophy, the first step towards the final roster of clubs for the 2019/20 season has been made after the deadline for the registration has passed.

In total 35 teams from 21 countries are vying for a place in the new season after they all submitted their application before the deadline on 12 June. Registration of clubs does not equal participation, and the final list of all participants will only be confirmed by the EHF Executive Committee on Friday 21 June.

The confirmation by the EHF EXEC is based on an evaluation of the registered clubs divided into eight different criteria: venue, TV, ranking in the domestic league, spectators, performance in past EHF club competitions, sponsoring potential, implementation of duties and regulations, and media.

Based on the EHF ranking list 20 teams (all national champions) have handed in their registrations. Only the national champions of seven countries (Belgium, Czech Republic, Greece, Israel, Netherlands, Serbia and Turkey) did not apply.

In addition, 15 clubs eligible to enter the EHF Cup have submitted their requests for a Champions League upgrade via their national federations.

Draw dates confirmed

The draw of possible qualification tournaments will take place on Wednesday 26 June at the EHF Office in Vienna, while the group phase draw will be held on Thursday 27 June in the Erste Campus, also in the Austrian capital.

The VELUX EHF Champions League 2019/20 will be played in the same mode as the previous three seasons with 28 teams of the group phase split into four groups: Group A and B will consist of eight teams each, while Group C and D will both have six teams.

Teams registered based on the EHF Ranking list (20):
BLR - HC Meshkov Brest
CRO – HC PPD Zagreb
DEN – Aalborg Handbold
ESP – Barça
FIN – Cocks
FRA – Paris Saint-Germain Handball
GER – SG Flensburg-Handewitt
HUN – Telekom Veszprém HC
ISL – Selfoss
MKD – HC Vardar
NOR – Elverum Håndball
POL – PGE VIVE Kielce
POR – FC Porto Sofarma
ROU – CS Dinamo Bucuresti
RUS – Chekhovskie Medvedi
SLO – RK Celje Pivovarna Lasko
SUI – Kadetten Schaffhausen
SVK – Tatran Presov
SWE – IK Sävehof
UKR – HC Motor Zaporozhye

Further registrations for a place in the CL (15)                                                            
DEN – GOG
ESP – Bidasoa Irun
FRA – Montpellier HB
FRA – HBC Nantes
FRA – Chambery Savoie Montblanc Handball
GER – THW Kiel
GER – SC Magdeburg
HUN – MOL-Pick Szeged
LUX – Handball Esch
MKD – HC Eurofarm Rabotnik
MKD – HC Metalurg
NOR – OIF Arendal Elite
POL – Orlen Wisla Plock
POR – Sporting Clube Portugal
SWE – IFK Kristianstad