0 debutants, 4 top scorers, 11 nations, 30th anniversary
The Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2022/23 starts with 16 teams from 11 countries, including five (former) champions. With the competition heading into its anniversary 30th season, here are the 30 most important facts and figures before the throw-off on 14/15 September.
0 debutants are among the 16 teams.
1 new title sponsor has become partner of the competition, which is called the Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2022/23, culminating in the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 2023.
1 team has finally managed to win the EHF FINAL4 in back-to-back years: Barça won the title in 2021 after beating Aalborg in the final, and again in 2022 after defeating Kielce in a penalty shootout.
1 former player and current coach has won the EHF FINAL4 in both capacities: Filip Jicha, as Kiel player in 2010 and 2012, and as Kiel coach in 2020.
1 more draw will be needed in the rest of the season: for the semi-final pairings at the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 2023 on 17/18 June; the play-offs and quarter-finals will be determined based on the group phase standings.
2 EHF FINAL4 finals ended in a penalty shootout, both times with Kielce being involved: in 2016, they won against Veszprém; in 2022, they lost against Barça.
2 coaches have won the EHF Champions League with different teams: Alfred Gislason with Magdeburg (2002) and Kiel (2010 and 2012); Talant Dujshebaev with Ciudad Real (2006, 2008, 2009) and Kielce (2016).
2 teams per group – the winners and the runners-up – will directly advance to the quarter-finals.
2 Barça players won their fourth EHF Champions League title last season: Aitor Arino and Gonzalo Perez de Vargas. Three players from teams taking part in the 2022/23 group phase have won the title three times: Aron Palmarsson (Aalborg), Nikola Karabatic (PSG), and Ivan Cupic (Zagreb).
4 (former) EHF Champions League top scorers are part of the 2022/23 group phase: Kielce’s Alex Dujshebaev, Aalborg’s Mikkel Hansen, PSG’s Nikola Karabatic, and Barça’s Aleix Gomez; also, two current coaches were top scorers in the past: Kiel’s Filip Jicha and Veszprém’s Momir Ilic.
4 times only in 13 editions, the champions managed to return to the EHF FINAL4 the following season: Barça in 2012 and 2022, Kiel in 2013, and Vardar in 2018.
4 men have won the EHF Champions League as a player and a coach: Carlos Ortega, Talant Dujshebaev, Roberto Parrondo, and Filip Jicha.
4 of the 16 coaches in the 2022/23 group phase have won the EHF Champions League title as coach: Barça’s Carlos Ortega with Barça, Kielce’s Talant Dujshebaev with Ciudad Real and Kielce; Dinamo’s Xavi Pascual with Barça, and PSG’s Raul Gonzalez with Vardar.
4 throw-off times have been set for the group phase: Wednesdays and Thursdays at 18:45 and 20:45 CET/CEST.
5 of the 16 coaches have won the EHF Champions League as a player: Barça’s Carlos Ortega with Barça, Kielce’s Talant Dujshebaev with Santander, and Veszprém’s Momir Ilic, Kiel’s Filip Jicha, and Børge Lund all with Kiel.
5 nations are represented by two teams each in the 2022/23 group phase: Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, and Poland.
5 teams that did not take part in the 2021/22 group phase are back for on the starting grid for the 2022/23 season: Celje, GOG, Magdeburg, Nantes, and Plock.
5 teams in the 2022/23 group phase have combined won the trophy 17 times in the past: Barça (10 titles), Kiel (4), Magdeburg, Celje, and Kielce (1 each).
6 countries are represented by the 29 EHF Champions League winners so far: Spain (16 titles), Germany (7), France, North Macedonia (2 each), Poland, and Slovenia (1 each).
9 of 13 EHF FINAL4 winners so far are part of the 2022/23 group phase; the four teams missing are Hamburg, Flensburg, Montpellier, and Vardar.
10 titles (1995-2000, 2011, 2015, 2021, 2022) make Barça the record winners of the EHF Champions League; Kiel (2007, 2010, 2012, 2020) are next with four titles.
11 nations are represented by the 16 teams in the 2022/23 group phase; two fewer than in 2021/22.
16 times, the EHF Champions League trophy went to a team from Spain: Barça (10), Ciudad Real (3), Santander, Irun, and Portland (1 each).
16 or 18 matches long is the road to the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 2023 on 17/18 June, depending on whether the team in question has skipped the play-offs or not.
20 wins from 20 matches is the season record set by Barça in 2020/21.
29 participations (including 2022/23) make Zagreb the record holders, ahead of Veszprém (28), C elje (27), Barça (26), and Kiel (25).
132 matches are scheduled for the 2022/23 season: 112 in the group phase, eight in the play-offs, eight in the quarter-finals, four at the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 2023.
267 wins (plus 22 draws and 61 defeats) give Barça the lead in the all-time EHF Champions League standings.
280 goals were scored at the EHF FINAL 4 2022, more than ever before – remarkably, three of the four matches ended in 37:35.
7,652 goals were scored in the 2021/22 season: 6,408 in the group phase; 478 in the play-offs; 486 in the quarter-finals; 280 at the EHF FINAL4.
