EHF Champions League throws off

The summer break is almost over and the long expected 2010/11 EHF Champions League season will begin over 3/4/5 September 2010. In four tournaments three teams will be able to secure their tickets to the EHF Men’s Champions League and two teams will proceed to Qualification Tournament 2 of the EHF Women’s Champions League.

EHF Women’s Champions League Qualification Tournament 1

A total of 18 teams take part in the 2010/11 EHF Women's Champions League Qualification, divided into two tournament phases. The EHF Women’s Champions League Qualification Tournament 1 is hosted by IK Sävehof will take place in the Partillebohallen in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Match Schedule
(all times are local)

3 September 2010
17:30 hrs: CDES Gil Eanes/Lagos dos Descobrim (POR) VS. T+A/VOC Amsterdam (NED)
19:30 hrs: LK Zug Handball (SUI) VS. IK Sävehof (SWE)

4 September 2010
15:00 hrs: IK Sävehof (SWE) VS. CDES Gil Eanes/Lagos dos Descobrim (POR)
17:00 hrs: T+A/VOC Amsterdam (NED) VS. LK Zug Handball (SUI)

5 September 2010
12:00 hrs: CDES Gil Eanes/Lagos dos Descobrim (POR) VS. LK Zug Handball (SUI)
14:00 hrs: T+A/VOC Amsterdam (NED) VS. IK Sävehof (SWE)

The winner of the EHF Women’s Champions League Qualification Tournament 1 will go into Qualification Tournament 2 Group 3 to meet "U" Jolidon Cluj Napoca (ROU), Byåsen HE (NOR) and HC Metalurg Skopje (MKD). The tournament is hosted by HC Metalurg Skopje (MKD) and will take place in "Avtokomanda Sport hall" in Skopje.

The second placed team of the EHF Women’s Champions League Qualification Tournament 1 will go into Qualification Tournament 2 Group 2 to meet Zvezda Zvenigorod (RUS), BM. Elda Prestigio (ESP) and A.C. Ormi-Loux Patras (GRE). The tournament is hosted by A.C. Ormi-Loux (GRE) and will take place in "Olympionikis Dimitris Tofalos arena" in Patras (GRE).

All four EHF Women’s Champions League Qualification Tournaments 2 will be played on 17/18/19 September 2010. Find more information here.

EHF Men’s Champions League Qualification Tournament Group 1

A total of eight teams take part in the two 2010/11 Men's EHF Champions League Qualification Tournaments, divided into two groups of four teams each. The EHF Men’s Champions League Qualification Group 1 is hosted by A1 Bregenz and will take place in the Handballarena Rieden-Vorkloster, Austria.

Match Schedule
(all times are local)

3 September 2010
18:00 hrs: Drammen HK (NOR) VS Besiktas JK (TUR)
20:00 hrs: Tatran Presov (SVK) VS A1 Bregenz (AUT)

4 September 2010
18:00 hrs: Besiktas JK (TUR) VS Tatran Presov (SVK)
20:00 hrs: A1 Bregenz (AUT) VS Drammen HK (NOR)

5 September 2010
14:00 hrs: Tatran Presov (SVK) VS Drammen HK (NOR)
16:00 hrs: A1 Bregenz (AUT) VS Besiktas JK (TUR)

The winner of this Qualification Group 1 will proceed to Men's EHF Champions League Group B, to meet three last year’s Quarterfinalists MKB Veszprém KC (HUN), Montpellier Agglomeration HB (FRA), HSV Hamburg (GER) as well as KIF Kolding (DEN) and newcomers IK Sävehof (SWE).

Find more information here.

EHF Men’s Champions League Qualification Tournament Group 2

The EHF Men’s Champions League Qualification Group 1 is hosted by FC Porto/Vitalis and will take place in the Dragão Caixa, Portugal.

Match Schedule
(all times are local)

3 September 2010
(NEW MATCH TIMES ON DAY 1 DUE TO PTV BROADCAST)
18:30 hrs: ZTR Zaporozhye (UKR) VS FC Porto (POR)
20:30 hrs: HC Metalurg (MKD) VS HC Dínamo-Minsk (BLR)

4 September 2010
15:00 hrs: FC Porto (POR) VS HC Metalurg (MKD)
17:00 hrs: HC Dínamo-Minsk (BLR) VS ZTR Zaporozhye (UKR)

5 September 2010
15:00 hrs: HC Metalurg (MKD) VS ZTR Zaporozhye (UKR)
17:00 hrs: HC Dínamo-Minsk (BLR) VS FC Porto (POR)

The winner of this Qualification Group 2 will proceed to Men's EHF Champions League Group C, to meet AaB Handball (DEN), a newcomer to the EHF Champions League, as well as four teams with experience in the EHF Men’s Champions League: last year’s EHF FINAL4 participant Chekhovskie Medvedi (RUS), Cuatro Rayas BM Valladolid (ESP) who reached the round of the Last 16, Pick Szeged (HUN) from last year’s Group A and the runner’s up in last year’s Qualification Group Q, Kadetten Schaffhausen (SUI).

Find more information here.

EHF Men’s Champions League Wild Card Tournament

Parallel to the two Qualification Tournaments a Wild Card Tournament will be organised by the Rhein-Neckar Löwen in the Europahalle in Karlsruhe, Germany.

Match Schedule
(all times are local)

3 September 2010
18:00 hrs: Reale Ademar (ESP) VS. Bjerringbro-Silkeborg (DEN)
20:15 hrs: Rhein-Neckar Löwen (GER) VS. RK Gorenje Velenje (SLO)

4 September 2010
17:00 hrs: RK Gorenje Velenje (SLO) VS. Reale Ademar (ESP)
19:30 hrs: Bjerringbro-Silkeborg (DEN) VS. Rhein-Neckar Löwen (GER)

5 September 2010
15:00 hrs: Bjerringbro-Silkeborg (DEN) VS. RK Gorenje Velenje (SLO)
17:45 hrs: Reale Ademar (ESP) VS. Rhein-Neckar Löwen (GER) (live on ehfTV.com)

The winner of the EHF Men’s Champions League Wild Card will proceed to Men's EHF Champions League Group A, to meet title defenders THW Kiel (GER), last season’s second finalist F.C. Barcelona Borges (ESP), HC Celje Pivovarna Lasko (SLO), Chambery Savoie HB (FRA) and KS Vive Targi Kielce (POL).

Find more information here.