EHF European League Men qualification throws off with exciting clashes

Three months after the thrilling end of the EHF European League Men 2023/24 season, when SG Flensburg-Handewitt won the trophy in a thrilling German duel against Füchse Berlin, the competition is now back for the first leg of the qualification round.

Each year, Europe’s second-tier competition brings lots of excitement and this season is no exception, as a few big names have to fight through the qualification matches to reach the group stage: the Danish from Bjerringbro-Silkeborg who reached the play-offs last season, the 2022/23 runners-up Fraikin BM. Granollers and the titleholders of the EHF European Cup, Valur.

Nine matches will take place on Saturday, 31 August, while the match from the "special path" qualification is scheduled for Sunday, 1 September. The return leg is scheduled for the following weekend (7/8 September).

QUALIFICATION LEG 1:

Bjerringbro-Silkeborg (DEN) vs FTC-Green Collect (HUN)
Saturday 31 August, 14:00 CEST

• the Danish reached the play-offs in the 2023/24 season, but were eliminated by future EHF Finals participants Dinamo Bucuresti
• FTC have less European experience than their opponents and pride themselves on reaching the semi-finals of the EHF European Cup last season
• Silkeborg featured in the qualification round in three previous seasons, between 2020-2022, but each time they stopped in qualification round 2
• during the summer, the Danish side has lost their top scorer from the previous season, William Bogojevic, who joined OTP Bank-PICK Szeged
• it is the first time the two sides meet in European competitions

IFK Kristianstad (SWE) vs Fraikin BM. Granollers (ESP)
Saturday 31 August, 15:00 CEST

• both teams have been a steady appearance in European competitions in the last years
• after making it to the EHF Finals 2023 and winning the silver medal, the Spanish failed to reach the group phase last season after a surprising elimination from CSM Constanta
• during their three previous stints in the EHF European League, Kristianstad have only failed to reach the group phase once, in 2022/23
• the winner of the two-leg clash will feature in group B alongside Montpellier, Górnik Zabrze and the victorious side between Bjerringbro-Silkeborg and FTC-Green Collect
• this will be the first time Kristianstad and Granollers meet

Mors-Thy Håndbold (DEN) vs VfL Gummersbach (GER)
Saturday 31 August, 16:00 CEST

• the two sides have little experience on the international stage in recent years and they will fight for their first appearance in the EHF European League group phase
• the Danish participated in the qualification round 2 of the competition in 2021/22, but failed to progress further after losing against the more-experienced country rivals GOG
• after a thrilling run between 2008 and 2012, when they won the Cup Winners' Cup three times and finished as runners-up once, Gummersbach haven’t been in a European competition for the past 12 years
• Gummersbach are one of the four German teams in the EHF European League this season, alongside Flensburg, Kiel and Melsungen; the last one will also start from the qualification round
• there are no previous meetings between the two sides

Ystads IF HF (SWE) vs Maritimo da Madeira Andebol/SAD (POR)
Saturday 31 August, 16:00 CEST

• the Portuguese dream of reaching the EHF European League group phase for the first time, but they have a difficult challenge ahead against Ystads
• Ystads come as favourites in this qualification clash, as the team with the more European experience
• the Swedish side failed to reach the group phase twice before, but delivered a big surprise in 2022/23 when they qualified to the Last 16
• on the other hand, Madeira’s only two previous experiences were in the 2002/03 and 2008/09 seasons of the Challenge Cup
• it is the first time these opponents meet on the European stage

ABC de BRAGA (POR) vs Abanca Ademar Leon (ESP)
Saturday 31 August, 18:00 CEST

• Braga returned to the EHF European League last season after a six-year break, but couldn’t progress further than the group stage
• the Spanish side’s last appearance in the competition was in 2021/22, when they stopped in the qualification; previously, they featured in the Last 16 and lost against Kristianstad
• both teams are eager to gain more experience in the new format of the second-tier competition
• the most notable achievement for the Portuguese has been winning the Challenge Cup in 2016, while Ademar Leon’s last trophy came in 2005, when they won the Cup Winners' Cup
• Saturday marks the first clash between the two teams

HC Kriens-Luzern (SUI) vs GC Amicitia Zürich (SUI)
Saturday 31 August, 18:00 CEST

• the only national derby in the qualification
• last season was the first time Kriens-Luzern featured in the group phase of the European League, after failing to get past the qualification round twice
• GC Amicitia Zürich fight to make a comeback in European competitions, as they also stopped in the qualification matches in 2022/23; before that, their last appearance in a competition was in the EHF Cup 2010/11
• the two teams have met before, and Kriens-Luzern was victorious in their last domestic encounter in May, winning 24:21; a week before, Zürich claimed a clear win (35:28)

MT Melsungen (GER) vs Elverum Håndball (NOR)
Saturday 31 August, 18:30 CEST

• with only four previous participations in European competitions, Melsungen start their journey in the second-tier competition as underdogs against Elverum
• the Norwegians’ experience will be a key asset in this meeting, as they took part in last season’s group phase, after playing in the EHF Champions League for eight seasons straight
• while Elverum count on a mostly Norwegian roster, Melsungen hope to put on a great show with a more international team, including former Veszprém line player Adrián Sipos
• this is the first time they meet in a European competition

RK Trimo Trebnje (SLO) vs Limoges Handball (FRA)
Saturday 31 August, 19:30 CEST

• Limoges delivered one of the biggest surprises last season in the French league, after finishing fifth in the standings
• the French come to the second-tier competition with little expectations, as this is their first appearance on the European stage
• in the past three years, Trimo Trebnje struggled to get past the qualification round; they managed to do this in their first EHF European League campaign in 2020/21, when they played in the group phase
• Trebnje came second in the Slovenian league last year, just one point behind Gorenje Velenje
• Trimo Trebnje and Limoges meet for the first time on Saturday

Valur (ISL) vs RK Bjelin Spacva Vinkovci (CRO)
Saturday 31 August, 19:30 CEST

• Valur arrive in the EHF European League qualification round after a fantastic campaign in the EHF European Cup last season, when they won the trophy against Olympiacos SFP
• as the less experienced side, Vinkovci will have a tough challenge ahead against Valur to join the other two Croatian teams in the group phase  — Sesvete and Nexe
• twice before, Valur failed to progress from qualification, but managed to do so on their third try in 2022/23, when they reached the Last 16
• the Croatians only have one previous attempt at playing in the EHF European League group phase, in 2020/21, but they lost against HC Metalurg in qualification round 1
• the two sides have not met before

HCB Karvina (CZE) vs HC Izvidac (BIH)
Sunday 1 September, 17:00 CEST

• Izvidac had their first experience in the second-tier competition last season, when they featured in a difficult group with Füchse Berlin, Dinamo Bucuresti and Chambery
• the Czechs have participated in the last four seasons of the EHF European Cup and now hope to take a bigger step and reach the EHF European League group phase on their first try
• Karvina reached the Last 16 of the EHF European Cup twice and the quarter-finals once, in 2022/23
• this is the first time the two sides meet

Photos © Porfirio Ferreira, CSM Constanta, Elverum Handball