05.12.2013, 12:28
Foxes go hunting in Romania, France and Slovakia after group phase draw

DRAW REVIEW: Several big names of European handball learned their fate in the second edition of the EHF Cup Group Phase as the draw defined all four groups. The hosts of the 2014 EHF Cup Finals will play with Constanta, Chambery and Hlohovec.

Foxes go hunting in Romania, France and Slovakia after group phase draw

Romanian champions HCM Constanta, traditional EHF Champions League team Chambery Savoie Handball and the only team who started in the first qualification round Sporta Hlohovec from Slovakia are the three new hunting-grounds of Füchse Berlin in the EHF Cup after Thursday's draw determined all four groups of the group phase.

The draw took place at the Gartenhotel Altmannsdorf 2 in Vienna and was carried out by the EHF Secretary General Michael Wiederer together with the chairman of the Competition Commission Leopold Kalin and the chairman of the Professional Handball Board Joan Marin.

As the new edition of the EHF Cup Group Phase is packed with several household names of European top handball, the hunt of Berlin players in Group D can easily turn into a fox chase, if they underestimate their opponents.

Regardless their success or failure in the group phase Berlin will host the EHF Cup Finals on 17/18 May in the Max-Schmeling-Halle.

The next hot contenders for the final tournament and for the trophy too are the 2003 EHF Champions League winners Montpellier Agglomeration HB who will face two-time Challenge Cup winners Skjern Haandbold from Denmark, Macedonian HC Zomimak-M and former Challenge Cup winners Sporting CP from Portugal in Group B.

The draw has also put the Hungarian powerhouse Pick Szeged together with perennial Slovakian champions Tatran Presov, last season's EHF Cup runners-up and the hosts of the premiere EHF Cup Finals HBC Nantes and IFK Kristianstad in only their second season in Europe to Group C.

The debutants on European stage TSV Hannover-Burgdorf will play in Group A with two-time Cup Winners' Cup holders Reale Ademar Leon, Sweden's Lugi Handboll and another European "rookies" Csurgoi KK from Hungary

The 2013/14 EHF Cup Group Phase Overview

Start right after EHF EURO

Just two weeks after the gold medal match of the EHF EURO in Denmark the EHF Cup Group Phase action will start with the Round 1 matches. The group phase will be played in a round-robin system with six rounds.

Playing dates of group phase

Round 1 (8/9 February 2014): 1 – 3 and 2 – 4

Round 2 (15/16 February 2014): 4 – 1 and 3 – 2

Round 3 (22/23 February 2014): 2 – 1 and 4 – 3

Round 4 (15/16 March 2014): 1 – 2 and 3 – 4

Round 5 (22/23 March 2014): 3 – 1 and 4 – 2

Round 6 (29/30 March 2014): 1 – 4 and 2 – 3

(EHF reserves the right to adapt the schedule in each group)

More images from the group phase draw can be found here.

Key to quarter-finals

According to the competition’s regulations and as in the previous season, the host of the EHF Cup Finals can qualify directly for the EHF Cup Finals semi-finals from the Group Phase if they finish in first place in their group or as one of the three best-ranked second placed teams.

In this case only three quarter-final matches will be played and the worst second ranked team will be eliminated. All matches in their respective group will be counted in the ranking of the second teams.

If the event organiser finishes as the worst second placed team then they must play in the quarter-finals to qualify.

If Berlin finish third or fourth in their group, there will be also four quarter-finals. Füchse will not take part at the final tournament, but still they will host the event.

TEXT: EHF / br