20 teams made an earlier start in the competition, as they had to go through an intense qualification round to fight for the last 10 tickets to the group matches. After the two-legged ties, the final participants were settled – Ystads, Fraikin BM. Granollers, MT Melsungen, HC Kriens-Luzern, Valur, Limoges Handball, HCB Karvina, VfL Gummersbach, Bjerringbro-Silkeborg and Abanca Ademar Leon joined the other 22 teams on the path to the main round.
With three German champions in the last four seasons, the trophy has a high chance of going to another German team this year as well. Four participants are coming from the German Bundesliga – MT Melsungen and VfL Gummersbach joined THW Kiel and defending champions SG Flensburg-Handewitt after the qualification round. The only non-German winner of the EHF European League Men so far, Sport Lisboa e Benfica, will start in group C and hope to get back to their top form.
The fate of the 32 participants was decided back in July 2024, when the draw for the group matches took place in Vienna. Group matches will start on 8 October and will culminate on 26 November with the sixth round. After this, 16 teams will continue their EHF European League Men journey in the main round. The schedule for the group matches is available here.
EHF European League Men 2024/25 group phase
GROUP A
GOG (DEN)
RK Gorenje Velenje (SLO)
Abanca Ademar Leon (ESP)
HC Kriens-Luzern (SUI)
GROUP B
Montpellier Handball (FRA)
Gornik Zabrze (POL)
Bjerringbro-Silkeborg (DEN)
Fraikin BM Granollers (ESP)
GROUP C
Kadetten Schaffhausen (SUI)
Tatran Presov (SVK)
Sport Lisboa e Benfica (POR)
Limoges Handball (FRA)
GROUP D
Bidasoa Irun (ESP)
CSM Constanta (ROU)
KGHM Chrobry Glogow (POL)
Ystads IF HF (SWE)
GROUP E
RK Nexe (CRO)
THW Kiel (GER)
Bathco BM Torrelavega (ESP)
HC Vojvodina (SRB)
GROUP F
FC Porto (POR)
HC Vardar 1961 (MKD)
MT Melsungen (GER)
Valur (ISL)
GROUP G
SG Flensburg-Handewitt (GER)
MOL Tatabanya KC (HUN)
MRK Sesvete (CRO)
HCB Karvina (CZE)
GROUP H
IK Sävehof (SWE)
FH Hafnarfjordur (ISL)
Fenix Toulouse Handball (FRA)
VfL Gummersbach (GER)
