Thrilling groups set for Machineseeker EHF Champions League
Just 18 days after the final of the 2023/24 season, all eyes turned to the new campaign on Thursday when the group phase for the Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2024/25 was drawn. The season is set to start on 11/12 September 2024.
The draw set up a thrilling group phase as the 16 participants were divided into two groups.
Titleholders Barça start their chase for a record-extending 12th EHF Champions League title in group B, which contains two more teams that competed just weeks ago at the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 2024 in Cologne – runners-up Aalborg Håndbold and 2023 champions SC Magdeburg.
Also in this half of the competition are 2016 champions Industria Kielce and record EHF Champions League participants HC Zagreb, as well as OTP Bank - Pick Szeged, HBC Nantes, and Kolstad Håndball.
In group A, former finalists Veszprém HC and Paris Saint-Germain Handball start another attempt to win their first EHF Champions League trophy. They are set to meet several teams that rocked the EHF European League in recent years: Füchse Berlin, Sporting CP, and Dinamo Bucuresti.
This group is completed by Orlen Wisla Plock, Fredericia Håndbold Klub, and HC Eurofarm Pelister.
Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2024/25 group phase
GROUP A:
Orlen Wisla Plock (POL)
Veszprém HC (HUN)
Paris Saint-Germain Handball (FRA)
Fredericia Håndboldklub (DEN)
Füchse Berlin (GER)
Sporting CP (POR)
Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU)
HC Eurofarm Pelister (MKD)
GROUP B:
Aalborg Håndbold (DEN)
SC Magdeburg (GER)
Barça (ESP)
Industria Kielce (POL)
OTP Bank - Pick Szeged (HUN)
HBC Nantes (FRA)
HC Zagreb (CRO)
Kolstad Håndball (NOR)
The 16 teams were allocated over three pots ahead of the draw. Under the country protection rule, the two teams from Hungary, France, Germany, Denmark, and Poland, respectively, could not be drawn into the same group to avoid national derbies at this stage of the competition.
The group phase includes 14 rounds being played between 11/12 September 2024 and 5/6 March 2025. The EHF will reveal the match schedule with playing dates and throw-off times in due course.
Like in previous seasons of the men’s top flight, the numbers one and two in the final standings of both groups advance to the quarter-finals directly; the teams finishing between third and sixth meet in the play-offs for the remaining four quarter-final tickets; and the numbers seven and eight see their European season come to an end after the group phase.
photo © Anze Malovrh / kolektiff
