Playing schedule released for EHF European League Men group phase

The EHF European League Men enters the 2026/27 season with a changed playing format. The competition now consists of five phases — group phase, play-offs, Last 16, quarter-finals and EHF Finals Men — and 12 teams relegated from the EHF Champions League will be added to the field for the play-offs and two more for the Last 16.

However, the group phase under the new system is similar to the former "group matches" under the previous format, with eight round-robin groups of four teams each. All top-two ranked teams will advance to the play-offs; the European season for the other 16 teams ends here.

While Tuesday remains the official playing day for the EHF European League Men like in previous years, the start of the 2026/27 season in the last week of September will be spread over two days to celebrate the occasion.

With no matches in the EHF Champions League Men scheduled that week, round 1 of the EHF European League Men group phase will be played on Tuesday and Wednesday, 29 and 30 September 2026.

Numerous promising clashes to look forward to

When last month's draw set up the eight groups, it gave handball fans a lot to look forward to, with numerous promising clashes taking part across Europe this autumn — and round 1 is no exception.

On Wednesday 30 September at 18:45 CEST, two-time former champions and last season's EHF Finals Men contenders SG Flensburg-Handewitt take on Fraikin BM. Granollers, who upset Flensburg in the 2022/23 quarter-finals to keep the German side away from the EHF Finals when they were hosting it.

On the same day, former top-flight regulars Kadetten Schaffhausen host CSM Bucuresti in Switzerland at 18:45 CEST, two hours before former EHF Champions League title holders IRUDEK Bidasoa Irun open their campaign against FH Hafnarfjordur at 20:45 CEST.

The group phase ends with round 6 on 1 December. The full playing schedule for all six rounds is available here. 

photos © VfL Gummersbach (main); St. Raphaël Var Handball, Fraikin BM. Granollers (in-text)