13.10.2015, 04:00
14 champions, two debutants and 104 matches

FACTS AND FIGURES: All you need to know ahead of the start of the Women’s EHF Champions League Group Matches

14 champions, two debutants and 104 matches

14 national champions from all over Europe were seeded directly for the 2015/16 group matches of the Women’s EHF Champions League, and the last two open spots were taken by two-time Champions League winners Györ (Hungary) and Romanian runners-up Baia Mare, both winners of the qualification tournaments. Right before the start of the group matches, here are the most important facts and figures.

1 draw only is needed until the Women’s EHF FINAL4 in Budapest, the draw for the final event. The 12 teams which make it to the main round will play in two groups of six. Later-on the quarter-finals are composed by the final ranking of the main round and the four quarter-final winners will be in the pot for the draw of the two semi-finals in Budapest.

1 person can become the first female to win the EHF Champions League as a player and a coach: Indira Kastratovic, who won the trophy as a player of Kometal Skopje and now is coach of Vardar.

2 nations are represented by two teams each, Hungary (FTC and Györ) and Romania (Bucharest and Baia Mare).

2 of the 16 group matches participants have been part of both FINAL4 tournaments in 2014 and 2015 so far: defending champions Buducnost (MNE) and Vardar (MKD). Györ, Midtjylland and Larvik were part of the final event once.

2 group phase debutants are among those 16 teams: Bucharest (Romania) and Rostov-Don (Russia), both domestic champions for the first time.

3 teams per group will proceed to the main round. Groups A and B will compose Group 1 of the main round, while Groups C and D will compose Group 2. Teams will take the results of those matches against the opponents which also qualify for the main round with them.

3 - for the third time in a row, the Papp Laszlo Arena in Budapest will be the hosting venue for the Women’s EHF FINAL4 in May 2016.

4 former Women’s Champions League top scorers are on court in the 2015/16 group matches: Anita Görbicz (2014: 87 goals, 2012: 133), Heidi Löke (2011: 99), Zsuzsanna Tomori (2013: 95), all playing for Györ and Cristina Neagu (2015: 102) for Buducnost.

6 former Women’s EHF Champions League winners, representing 12 titles are part of the 2015/16 group stage: Hypo (1994, 1995, 1998, 2000), Podravka (1996), Krim (2001, 2003), Larvik (2011), Buducnost (2012, 2015) and Györ (2013, 2014)

8 former of current female World Handball Player of the Year are part of the 2015/16 season: Eduarda Amorim (Györ/2014), Andrea Lekic (Vardar/2013), Alexandra do Nascimento (Baia Mare/2012), Heidi Löke (Györ/2011), Cristina Neagu (Buducnost/2010), Allison Pineau (Baia Mare/2009), Gro Hammerseng-Edin (Larvik/2007), Anita Görbicz (Györ(2005)

8 consecutive times from the 2006/07 to the 2014/15 season, Györ had at least qualified for the semi-finals of the Women’s EHF Champions League until the previous season, when eliminated in the newly created quarter-final by Vardar.

10 nations represent the previous winners of the Women’s EHF Champions League: Denmark (6 titles), Austria (4), Hungary (3), Slovenia (2), Montenegro (2), Norway, FYR Macedonia, Spain, Croatia and Russia (one title each).

11 clubs, which were part of the 2014/15 group matches, are back again: Györ, Buducnost, Vardar, Hypo, Podravka, Thüringer HC, Larvik, Lublin, Baia Mare, Lublin and Sävehof. Compared to last season, those teams failed to qualify: Dinamo, Viborg, Leipzig, Metz and Zagreb.

14 different nations are part of the group matches, the same number and even exactly the same nations as in the previous season.

15 multiple EHF Champions League winners are in the 16 squad lists, including each four times winners Katrine Lunde (Rostov) and Katarina Bulatovic (Buducnost).

23 times (so in every year since the Women’s EHF Champions League was inaugurated in 1993) Hypo Niederösterreich were part of the competition. Buducnost play their 20^th consecutive Champions League season.

48 matches of the group matches will decide those in total 12 teams (three per group) which proceed to the main round.

104 matches (including qualification) will be played until the 2015/16 winner of the Women’s EHF Champions League will be confirmed. Eight qualification matches already took place, followed by 48 matches in the group matches, 36 main round, eight quarter-final matches and four at the Women’s EHF FINAL4 in Budapest in May 2016.

TEXT: Björn Pazen / cor