After a three-month break, the Machineseeker EHF Champions League is back. While many players have been out playing at the Olympics with their respective national teams, the others have been preparing hard. And all have only one thought in mind: to lift the trophy at the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 in June.

Reigning champions Barça will be playing in Group B and will travel to Kolstad for their first game of the new season. Aalborg, last season’s finalists, will also feature in the same group and will host HBC Nantes on Wednesday night for the first Match of the Week of the season.

The opening round of group A will see many premieres: Fredericia will have their first international match, the Costa brothers play their first-ever EHF Champions League match with Sporting CP, as well as Mathias Gidsel with Füchse Berlin, who end their 11-year absence with the top duel against Veszprém.