The starting grid for the 2021/22 season in the EHF European Cup Men has been confirmed by the European Handball Federation.

No less than 74 teams – and therefore 23 more compared to the previous season – enter the race to reach the two-legged final at the end of May 2022.

According to the seeding list which has been released on Tuesday, five clubs start in round 3, 39 in round 2 and 30 in round 1 which throws off the competition with matches on 11/12 and 18/19 September.

The competition’s highest seeded team is PAOK from Greece who have a chance to follow in the footsteps of fellow Greek club AEK Athens.

They won the EHF European Cup Men in the 2020/21 season and have now received a wild card to start in the EHF European League Men in 2021/22.

Together with PAOK, AHC Potaissa Turda (ROU), Victor (RUS), Talent t. Plzenskeho kraje (CZE) and IFK Skövde (SWE) enter the EHF European Cup Men in round 3 which is scheduled for the last weekend of November and the first weekend of December.

While the aforementioned five clubs have to wait until the draw on 25 October 2021 to get to know their eventual opponents, all round 1 and round 2 matches will be drawn on 20 July at the EHF in Vienna.

The draw starts at 11:00 CEST. A live stream will be available on YouTube and Facebook.

The first three rounds of this season’s EHF European Cup Men will be played in 2021. The Last 16 are then scheduled for February 2022.

The quarter-finals take place at the end March and the beginning of April; the semi-finals will be played at the end of April. The dates for the final matches are 21/22 May for the first and 28/29 May 2022 for the second leg.

Download the EHF European Cup Men 2021/22 seeding list.