Ticket prices for first Women’s EHF FINAL4 announced
Handball fans can enjoy two days of world class sport from about 32 euro when the first Women’s EHF FINAL4 throws off in Budapest’s Papp Laszlo Sportarena on 3 and 4 May 2014.
Tickets for the inaugural final weekend of Europe’s top women’s club handball competition, the Women’s EHF Champions League, will go on sale later in February and can then be purchased via the official EHF FINAL4 website, www.ehffinal4.com.
Tickets, that are always valid for both playing days, are available in four categories:
• Category 1 tickets 34,990 Hungarian Forint (approx. 112 euro)
• Category 2 tickets 24,990 Hungarian Forint (approx. 80 euro)
• Category 3 tickets for 17,990 Hungarian Forint (approx. 58 euro)
• Category 4 tickets for 9,900 Hungarian Forint (approx. 32 euro)
EHF President Jean Brihault said: “We are convinced that this event will be a great success in its first year. Handball has a huge following in Hungary and we know that this first event will attract fans from across Europe. We're looking forward to a fantastic atmosphere in Budapest in May.”
EHF Secretary General Michael Wiederer said: “The Women’s EHF FINAL4 is the first of a number of changes in the playing format for the Women’s EHF Champions League. For example, from next season onwards the main round will be followed by quarter-finals. All these changes are intended to make the competition more attractive to fans, TV as well as to potential partners and sponsors."
Managing Director of EHF Marketing Peter Vargo said: “We are expecting a huge demand for tickets. Just look at second leg of last year’s final in the Women’s EHF Champions League when there were 15,000 requests for tickets. Furthermore there are promotional activities to attract the women’s handball fans in Europe and Hungary in the pipeline.”
President of Hungarian Handball Federation Iván Vetési added: “Thanks to leading Hungarian clubs, such as Veszprém, Szeged, Győr and FTC, Hungary is among the strongest countries in European handball. Hosting the first Women’s EHF FINAL4 makes our country even more prominent on Europe’s handball map.
“We are proud to show how vivid sports life in Hungary and Budapest is as well as the awesome atmosphere created by our handball fans, who will warmly welcome everyone to the event in May.”
“Furthermore I’d like to thank the Hungarian government for their support as they not only provided Papp Laszlo Sportarena free of charge but also the Hungarian Handball Federation with financial support of 50 million Forint (approx. 160,000 euro).”
The two-day event will be played in Papp Laszlo Sportarena in Hungary’s capital, Budapest. The arena, which is one of the most modern halls in Central Europe, played host to the final weekend of the Women's EHF European Championship in 2004 and will once again host the event in December 2014.
The first edition of the Women’s EHF FINAL4 is organised by event management company, Hungarofest, together with the Hungarian Handball Federation (MKSZ) and in close cooperation with EHF Marketing GmbH, the marketing arm of the European Handball Federation.
Semi-finals will be played on Saturday, 3 May 2014, the third place match and the final will follow on Sunday, 4 May 2014. Playing times will be confirmed at a later stage.
Eight contenders for four places
All four semi-finalists have to book their places through the Women's EHF Champions League Main Round, which is played in six rounds between 1 February and 16 March.
The defending champions Györi Audi ETO KC are in Group 2 together with three former winners - Slovenia's RK Krim Mercator Ljubljana, Montenegro's Buducnost Podgorica and Norway's Larvik HK. Denmark's FC Midtjylland, Macedonian side WHC Vardar SCBT Skopje, Sweden's IK Sävehof and German club Thüringer HC have been drawn to Group 1.
The two top ranked teams from each group will qualify for the Women's EHF FINAL4. In the semi-finals the first ranked team from Group 1 will meet the second team from Group 2 and vice versa.
Photos: Regina Koszta
TEXT: EHF / ts
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