The EHF Finals Men 2021 hosts, Rhein-Neckar Löwen will start their new journey in the competition with two matches against the Turkish club Spor Toto when the continental second tier and the whole club competitions calendar of 2021/22 commences on 28/29 August 2021. Alongside the German heavyweights all pairings of the first qualification round in the EHF European League Men have been set by the draw at the EHF Office in Vienna.

While the defending champions in the EHF European League, SC Magdeburg have to wait for the first action until November alongside another 11 teams directly seeded for the group phase, another eight, including EHF Finals Men 2021 participants Füchse Berlin (GER) and Orlen Wisla Plock (POL), have been seeded to qualification round 2.

Already the first qualification round pairings speak volume about the quality accumulated in the EHF European League this season as teams like 2004 EHF Champions League winners, RK Celje Pivovarna Lasko and GOG were pitted against each other already in the initial qualification round. There are several more exciting clashes in the first round as Bjerringbro-Silkeborg take on the EHF European Cup 2021 runners-up from Ystads in a Nordic derby or Trimo Trebnje lock horns with TTH Holstebro.

Only the winners will qualify for the second qualification round in September.

Qualification round 1:

Bjerringbro-Silkeborg (DEN) vs Ystads IF (SWE)

HC Kriens-Luzern (SUI) vs SL Benfica (POR)

RK Celje Pivovarna Lasko (SLO) vs GOG (DEN)

Grupa Azoty Tarnow (POL) vs RK Nexe (CRO)

Vojvodina (SRB) vs Kadetten Schaffhausen (SUI)

Csurgoi KK (HUN) vs HC Dobrogea Sud Constanta (ROU)

Górnik Zabrze (POL) vs OIF Arendal (NOR)

Aguas Santas Milaneza (POR) vs BM Logrono La Rioja (ESP)

Balatonfüredi KSE (HUN) vs HK Malmö (SWE)

KS Azoty-Pulawy (POL) vs MRK Sesvete (CRO)

HC Prolet 62 (MKD) vs Fraikin BM Granollers (ESP)

Maccabi Rishon (ISR) vs HC CSKA (RUS)

Rhein-Neckar Löwen (GER) vs Spor Toto SK (TUR)

RK Trimo Trebnje (SLO) vs TTH Holstebro (DEN)

RK Porec (CRO) vs Valur Iceland (ISL)

ALPLA HC Hard (AUT) vs Fenix Toulouse Handball (FRA)