Following a meeting of the Evaluation Group on Friday last week, the EHF Executive Committee on Monday has confirmed the 16 teams each participating in the men’s and women’s EHF Champions League in the 2022/23 season.

In both competitions, nine teams had a fixed place while seven places were awarded via upgrades, taking into consideration factors such as ‘venue’, ‘TV’, ‘past results in EHF competitions’ and ‘product management and digital’ according to the regulations.

Given that the Covid-19 pandemic still impacted the 2021/22 season, it was agreed not to take the category ‘spectators’ into consideration for the present evaluation.

EHF Champions League Men

With the summary of the Evaluation Group at hand, the EXEC confirmed upgrades for the following seven teams in the EHF Champions League Men (in the alphabetic order according to the country codes).

• HC PPD Zagreb (CRO)
• Aalborg Håndbold (DEN)
• HBC Nantes (FRA)
• Telekom Veszprém HC (HUN)
• Elverum Handball (NOR)
• ORLEN Wisla Plock (POL)
• RK Celje Pivovarna Lasko (SLO)

They will join the nine teams with a fixed place in the competition: GOG (DEN), Barça (ESP), Paris Saint-Germain Handball (FRA), SC Magdeburg, THW Kiel (both GER), Pick Szeged (HUN), Lomza Vive Kielce (POL), FC Porto (POR), CS Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU).

The upgrade requests of the following clubs were not taken into consideration: Fraikin BM. Granollers (ESP), Sporting CP (POR), CS Minaur Baia Mare (ROU), Kadetten Schaffhausen (SUI), Ystads IF HF (SWE).

The Evaluation Group opted not to evaluate the team of HC Motor (UKR) taking into consideration the requirements for EHF Champions League matches, as there are too many organisational uncertainties given HC Motor’s current situation.

HC Motor is set to play next season in the second German handball league, with home matches likely to be played in Dusseldorf and will have a fixed place in the EHF European League Men group phase. The five teams whose upgrade requests have been rejected also have a place in the EHF European League.

EHF Champions League Women

In the EHF Champions League Women, upgrade requests of the following teams have been confirmed.

• DHK Banik Most (CZE)
• Brest Bretagne Handball (FRA)
• FTC Rail-Cargo Hungaria (HUN)
• Storhamar Handball Elite (NOR)
• CSM Bucuresti (ROU)
• RK Krim Mercator (SLO)
• Kastamonu Belediyesi GSK (TUR)

Teams with a fixed place include: RK Lokomotiva Zagreb (CRO), Odense Håndbold, Team Esbjerg (both DEN), Metz Handball (FRA), SG BBM Bietigheim (GER), Györi Audi ETO KC (HUN), Buducnost BEMAX (MNE), Vipers Kristiansand (NOR), CS Rapid Bucuresti (ROU).

The upgrade request of Borussia Dortmund (GER) was not confirmed. The club subsequently has a place in the EHF European League Women.

Next steps

The draw for the men’s and women’s EHF Champions League will take place on 1 July at 11:00 hrs CEST in Vienna. For both competitions, teams will be drawn in two groups of eight.

The first playing day for the EHF Champions League Women is the weekend of 10-11 September 2022. The men’s teams will play their first matches on 14-15 September 2022.