Women’s EHF Cup 2018/19 Group Phase Media Guide Table of contents

Welcome words 3 GROUP C

Media contacts 4 Head-to-head stats 36

Map of participating clubs 5 Larvik 37

2018/19 Playing system diagram - stages & dates 6 ES Besançon Feminin 40

Important regulations - ranking of teams 8 Viborg HK 43

Preview 9 Kuban 46

GROUP A GROUP D Head-to-head stats 10 Head-to-head stats 49 SG BBM Bietigheim 11 HC Podravka Vegeta 50 14 SCM Craiova 53 Storhamar Elite 17 Super Amara Bera Bera 56 SC Magura Cisnadie 20 Nykobing Falster Handbold 59

GROUP B Qualification top scorers 62

Head-to-head stats 23 Past seasons’ winners 63

IK Sävehof 24

Siófok KC 27

TUSSIES Metzingen 30

Herning-Ikast Handbold 33

2 Welcome words

Dear Media Representative,

Welcome to the third season of the Women’s EHF Cup in the new format. EHF Cup Media Contact Before the 2016/17 season the Cup Winners’s Cup has merged with the Vladislav Brindzak Women’s EHF Cup into one competition - the new Women’s EHF Cup. EHF Media and Communications Just like in the men’s version of the EHF Cup, the new competition also [email protected] included the group phase preceded by qualification rounds and followed +43 1 80 151 161 by quarter-finals. The semi-finals and the final are played in a home and away games format. Online europeancup.eurohandball.com Starting the new season, the competition sees several clubs returning www.twitter.com/EHF to the group phase with one or two seasons’ experience, with three www.facebook.com/ national champions and also the defending champions, SCM Craiova. EuropeanHandballFederation The impressive line-up of 16 teams in the group phase boasts no fewer than 18 European Cup trophies between them; Danish team, Viborg, leads the way with three EHF Champions League and three EHF Cup titles in addition to a Cup Winners’ Cup trophy.

In the following media information you will find the essential facts you will require for the final two games and the participating teams.

Additional information can be found on the revamped website europeancup.eurohandball.com.

Media portal

All media representatives are invited to register for the EHF media portal on http://members.ehf.eu. The European Handball Federation’s media portal is a one-stop-shop for media representatives offering all the EHF’s media news such as press releases, event flash quotes directly after matches, press conference highlights, draw reactions and downloads of all relevant information including, but not limited to, media guides and event logos. Furthermore photographs that are free for editorial use will be available for download.

For further information or assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the EHF Media and Communications Department and we will be happy to help you with any information you may require.

3 EHF/M Media contacts

Media matters TV and Radio

Vlado Brindzak Miguel Mateo Marcellán Media and Communications Media Manager European Handball EHF Marketing GmbH Federation +43 1 80 151 224 +43 1 80 151 161 [email protected] [email protected] Twitter: @ehfmedia

Clubs – Media contacts

GROUP A GROUP B GROUP C GROUP D

SG BBM Bietigheim IK Sävehof Larvik HK HC Podravka Vegeta Torsten Nick Hanna Fogelström/Frederik Sahlin Bjoern W Bjune Bozica Palcic [email protected] +46 704 284786 +47 479 38800 +385 98 831463 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Team Esbjerg Siófok KC Hungary E.S Besancon Feminin SCM Craiova Per Kristiansen Miklos Bitter Gregory Tervel Petrisor Albu +45 22 833135 +36 30 4900155 +33 381 473585 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Storhamar Handball Elite TusSies Metzingen Viborg HK Super Amara Bera Bera Kamilla Sundmoen Ferenc Rott Rikke Sörensen Tatiana Garmendia Lopez +47 921 47377 [email protected] +45 20 705712 +34 670 274540 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Sports Club Magura Cisnadie Herning-Ikast Handbold Kuban Nykøbing Falster Håndbold Danut Mihai Filip Jakob Mølgaard Christensen Sergey Valter Kristian Jakobsen clubsportivmaguracisnadie@ +45 25 600035 +7 861 2591121 [email protected] yahoo.com [email protected] [email protected]

4

2018/2019 WOMEN'S EHF CUP Qualification Qualification Qualification Group Quarter Semi Finals Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Phase finals finals 28 teams 32 teams 24 teams 16 teams 8 teams 4 teams 2 teams 08/09.09.2018 13/14.10.2018 10/11.11.2018 R1: 05/06.01.2019 02/03.03.19 06/07.04.19 04/05.05.19 first leg first leg first leg R2: 12/13.01.2019 first leg first leg first leg R3: 19/20.01.2019 15/16.09.2018 20/21.10.2018 17/18.11.2018 R4: 26/27.01.2019 09/10.03.19 13/14.04.19 11/12.05.19 NATION second leg second leg second leg R5:02/03.02.2019 second leg second leg second leg R6:09/10.02.2019 DRAWS: 17.07.2018 17.07.2018 23.10.2018 22.11.2018 12.02.2019 12.02.2019 16.04.2019 1 DEN Team Esbjerg 2 RUS HC Lada 3 2nd CL QT1 2nd CL QT1 4 2nd CL QT2 2nd CL QT2 5 HUN Erd HC 6 3rd CL QT1 3rd CL QT1 7 3rd CL QT2 3rd CL QT2 8 CZE DHK Banik Most 9 4th CL QT1 4th CL QT1 10 4th CL QT2 4th CL QT2 11 AUT Hypo Niederösterreich 12 DEN Herning-Ikast Handbold 13 ROU SCM Ramnicu Valcea 14 RUS Astrakhanochka 15 GER Buxtehuder SV 16 HUN Dunaujvarosi KKA 17 FRA ES Besancon Feminin 18 NOR Storhamar Handball Elite 19 DEN Nykobing Falster Handbold 20 ROU CS Magura 21 RUS Kuban 22 GER Borussia Dortmund 23 HUN Siofok KC 24 FRA Nantes Atlantique Handball 25 NOR Byasen Handball Elite 26 ROU HC Zalau 27 DEN Viborg HK 28 RUS Zvezda Zvenigorod 29 GER TUSSIES Metzingen 30 HUN GVM Europe-Vac 31 FRA Issy Paris Hand NOR Fredrikstad Ballklubb 32 Winners2 of Semifinals

33 CZE DHC Slavia Praha Winners4 of Quarterfinals 34 TUR Kastamonu Belediyesi GSK 35 POL Metraco Zaglebie Lubin 36 SWE Höörs HK H65 37 SUI Spono Eagles 38 ESP Mecalia Atletico Guardes 16 Winners of Qualification Round 2 Round of Qualification 16 Winners 39 BLR HC BNTU-BelAZ Minsk 40 NED OTTO Workforce / VOC 41 SVK Iuventa Michalovce Matches Group the of group each of teams placed 2nd and 1st 42 CRO RK Lokomotiva Zagreb 43 UKR HC Galytchanka Lviv 44 AZE HC Azersu 45 MKD WHC Metalurg KH Shqiponja Gjakove 46 KOS matches group ChL the of teams placed 4th four and 3 Round Qualification of Winners 12 47 ISR Maccabi Arazim Ramat gan 14 Winners of Qualification Round 1 Round of Qualification 14 Winners 48 BIH HZRK Grude 49 CYP Youth Union Athienou 50 LUX HB Kaerjeng 51 AUT UHC Müller Bau Stockerau 52 SUI LC Brühl Handball 53 NED Morrenhof Jansen Dalfsen 54 SUI LK Zug Handball

6

published version, 10.07.2018 7 Important regulations

Scoring of the matches and ranking

General After completion of the Group Phase if three or more teams All matches of the Women’s EHF Cup shall be played in 2 x 30 have scored the same number of points: minutes with a half-time break of 10 minutes. The EHF reserves the right to extend the half-time break in special circumstances a) number of points in matches of all teams directly involved to 15 minutes. b) goal difference in matches of all teams directly involved c) higher number of plus goals in matches of all teams directly The matches shall be scored as follows: a) win = 2 points b) involved draw = 1 point c) loss = 0 points d) goal difference in all matches of the group e) higher number of plus goals in all matches of the group; Teams’ rankings are obtained by adding up the number of points won. If the ranking of one of these teams is determined, the criteria are consecutively followed until the ranking of all teams is Group Phase determined.

If two or more teams have scored the same number of points, If no ranking can be determined, a decision shall be obtained the ranking will be determined as follows: by drawing lots. Lots shall be drawn by the EHF, if possible in the presence of a responsible of each club. During the Group Phase: If one of the participating clubs is the organiser of the EHF a) higher goal difference in all matches; Cup Finals the ranking of the 2nd ranked teams of the Group b) greater number of plus goals in all matches; Phase is as follows:

After completion of the Group Phase if two teams have a) number of points in matches against all teams of the group; scored the same number of points: b) goal difference in those matches as mentioned in a); c) greater number of plus goals in those matches as mentioned a) number of points in matches of the two teams directly in a); involved b) goal difference in matches of the two teams directly involved If no ranking can be determined, a decision shall be obtained c) higher number of goals scored in the away match by drawing lots. Lots shall be drawn by the EHF, if possible in d) goal difference in all matches of the group the presence of a responsible of each club. e) higher number of plus goals in all matches of the group Find all the Women’s EHF Cup regulations on eurohandball.com

8 Group phase opens with Nordic clash

Sixteen teams from ten countries are set to play in the group Herning-Ikast are another team to be reckoned with – despite stage of the Women’s EHF Cup in the third season with this changing the name from FC Midtjylland prior to this season, stage of the competition. the Danish side have stayed strong and intend to progress to at least the EHF Cup quarter-final. Germany’s Metzingen have The opening game will take place on Friday 4 January in started the tournament in Qualification Round 1, and they have , where Larvik HC will host Viborg HK in a Nordic duel. won all six qualifying matches against Bosnia’s Grude, Russia’s Four matches will be played on Saturday, while three more Astrakhanochka and Czech Republic’s Banik Most. Now the games are scheduled for Sunday. 2015/16 EHF Cup finalists aim to continue their winning streak in the Group Phase, even if they realise how challenging it will Many matches will be streamed live on ehfTV.com throughout be. the season. GROUP C GROUP A For the second straight year, Larvik started their European Bietigheim play their just third season in European club campaign in the Women’s EHF Champions League, but have competitions, but they have already produced some impressive to continue in the EHF Cup. Last season, the Norwegian team results. In the 2016/17, the German side became the EHF Cup progressed to the quarter-final of that competition, where they finalists, and the following season they reached the main round lost to Viborg, and now they hope to achieve at least the same of the Women’s EHF Champions League. result. Now they will face Viborg again, this time already in the Group Phase. The Danish team, who play their 26th season in a This season, the team of coach Martin Albertsen have been row in European club competitions, also hope to emulate their eliminated from the continental top flight after the group last-year result, when they reached the EHF Cup semi-final. matches. Now their goal is to redeem themselves by going far Similar to Metzingen, Viborg have reached the Group Phase in the EHF Cup. However, the team has to play without Daniela from Qualification Round 1, winning all six matches in autumn. Gustin and , who are both sidelined due to serious injuries. In the opening match, Bietigheim will face Kuban are another strong contender for a quarter-final spot, Storhamar, who return to European club competitions after an as the Krasnodar-based side have three EHF EURO 2018 silver eight-year absence. During the qualification, they beat fellow medalists in their squad, and Russia national coach Evgenii Norwegian side Byasen as well as Hungary’s ERD, and now Trefilov at the helm. Notably Kuban are the only Russian team Storhamar hope to get more experience playing in their maiden left in the competition, and also the only club to participate in Women’s EHF Cup Group Phase. EHF Cup Group Phase for the third straight season.

Esbjerg, who are one of the four Danish teams left in the GROUP D tournament, come across as a very ambitious side. They reached the EHF Cup final in 2013/14, and now they aim to Playing their just second season in European club competitions, write history by winning their first ever European title. In Craiova created a major surprise last spring, winning the winter, Esbjerg have signed the 33-year-old Norwegian Marit Women’s EHF Cup. Now the Romanian side have to defend the Malm Frafjord out of retirement, and her experience should title, and it will be definitely a hard task. Craiova have already benefit the team. faced tough opposition in Qualification Round 3, where they claimed two narrow wins against Borussia Dortmund. GROUP B The 24-time Croatian champions Podravka are also determined Sävehof started the season in the Women’s EHF Champions to do well in Group D. The team coached by Zlatko Saracevic League, but finished fourth in Group B after losing all six were frustrated by an early exit in the continental top flight, but matches there. Now the Swedish champions continue in the that setback gives them an extra motivation to shine in the EHF EHF Cup, yet their young coach Rasmus Overby has rather Cup. For Nykøbing, this is only the third European season, and modest expectations, and his goal is just to claim as many the second in EHF Cup where they managed to reach the semi- points as possible. Indeed, Partille-based team will face some final in maiden 2016/17 campaign. Now the Danish side beat tough opposition. Despite playing their first EHF Cup Group Slovakia’s Michalovce and Sweden’s Höör in qualification, and Phase ever, Siofok have a solid budget, a very strong squad and they obviously intend to progress from the group. an experienced Norwegian coach Tor Odvar Moen. Bera Bera failed to reach the EHF Cup Group Phase in the two previous seasons, but their third attempt was more successful. The Hungarian side have already showed their class in the Now the Spanish team feel like their goal for the European qualification, where they eliminated Lada Toliatti, and they are season has been fulfilled, yet they do not mind to create some widely seen as favourites to win the competition. bonus surprises. Sergey Nikolaev 9 Group A head-to-heads Historic encounters of the Group A opponents in the EC

No previous encounters in European competitions SG BBM Bietigheim vs Team Esbjerg SG BBM Bietigheim vs Storhamar Handball Elite SG BBM Bietigheim vs SC Magura Cisnadie Team Esbjerg vs Storhamar Handball Elite Team Esbjerg vs SC Magura Cisnadie Storhamar Handball Elite vs SC Magura Cisnadie

10 GROUP A SG BBM Bietigheim (GER) German runners-up SG BBM Bietigheim do not boast a long history in European club competitions, in fact it is their just third season on the continental stage, but they have already produced some impressive results. In their maiden 2016/17 campaign, the team reached the EHF Cup Final, where they lost to Rostov. The following season, Bietighheim made their debut in the Women’s EHF Champions League and progressed to the main round.

This year, the German side bolstered their squad with quality players such as , Laura van der Heijden and , while stars Kim Naidzinavicius and returned after a long-term injury and pregnancy respectively.

Playing in the VELUX EHF Champions League again, Bietigheim hoped to emulate their last-year success and at least reach the main round. In the group with CSM Bucuresti, and FTC-Rail Cargo Hungarian, the team of coach Martin Albertsen enjoyed a good start, snatching a point at Vipers and beating CSM at home.

However, four defeats in the four remaining games led to their elimination from the top flight, but a silver lining for Bietigheim is a chance to shine in the Women’s EHF Cup. “We want to reach the EHF Cup Final once again,” said coach Albertsen. To achieve the goal, Bietigheim must first progress from the group where they will Playing hall face two Nordic teams Storhamar and Esbjerg as well as Romania’s Magura Cisnadie. MHP Arena Ludwigsburg "This is a strong group. We know Danish, Norwegian and Romanian handball, and will Schwieberdinger Straße 30 thoroughly prepare for the games. 71636 Ludwigsburg Germany Road to the Group Phase Capacity: 4,185 4th ranked from the EHF Champions League Group Matches Club Address: GROUP D SG BBM Bietigheim @ Vipers Kristiansand D27:27 (14:15) Mühlwiesenstrasse 10 vs CSM Bucuresti W30:28 (16:12) 74321 Bietigheim-Bissingen vs FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria L25:28 (14:13) Germany @ FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria L33:30 (17:13) vs Vipers Kristiansand W26:34 (12:16) Media contact: @ CSM Bucuresti L32:24 (14:13) Torsten Nick [email protected] EHF Champions League, Qualification Tournaments Group 1 Online information: Semi-final: vs Super Amara Bera Bera W33:27 (17:15) Website: www.sgbbm.de Final: vs MKS Perla Lublin W34:19 (20:11)

Newcomers Dina Eckerle (Thüringer HC) Past achievements Daniela Gustin (Randers HK) Laura van der Heijden (FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria) EHF Cup: Kit colours Kim Braun (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) Finalists: 2016/17 Light Player shirt: white Left the club: Other Player short: black Nicole Roth (Neckarsulmer SU) Champions League: Main round: Goalkeeper shirt: red (Odense Handbold) 2017/18, Group matches: 2018/19 Dark Player shirt: black Mille Hundahl (both Molde HK) German league: 1 title (2017) Player short: black Nina Müller (Randers HK) Goalkeeper shirt: yellow Cecile Woller (Ajax Kopenhagen) Susann Müller (Silkeborg) Mia Biltoft (unknown)

11 SG BBM Bietigheim (GER) Team roster

No. First Name Surname Nat. Position Date of Birth Place of Birth Height 16 Joelle Noemi Arno GER Goalkeeper 2/12/01 Spaichingen, GER 175 34 Kim Braun GER Left Wing 2/6/97 Eupen, BEL 175 12 Dinah Eckerle GER Goalkeeper 10/16/95 Leonberg, GER 174 22 Daniela Gustin SWE Right Wing 5/11/94 Backa, SWE 181 9 Ines Ivancok AUT Left Back 4/14/98 Wien, AUT 182 14 Karolina Kudlacz-Gloc POL Left Back 1/17/85 Wabrzezno, POL 178 6 Ann Kynast GER Right Wing 6/6/01 Ludwigsburg, GER 174 5 GER Line Player 10/3/88 Hablensleben, GER 170 10 GER Centre Back 11/18/84 Kempen, GER 165 26 Antje NED Right Wing 1/31/93 Spankenburg, NED 174 15 Kim Naidziniavicius GER Centre Back 4/6/91 Gelnhausen, GER 183 29 Leonie Patorra GER Centre Back 7/26/01 Esslingen, GER 174 4 Charris Rozemalen NED Right Back 4/16/91 Utrecht, NED 176 23 Valentyna Salamakha AZE Goalkeeper 4/23/86 Kirowograd, UKR 176 20 Jana Scheib GER Right Back 10/10/00 Ludwigsburg, GER 180 13 GER Line Player 9/14/90 Altenburg, GER 190 11 Laura Van der Heijden NED Right Back 6/27/90 Amersfoort, NED 173 3 Maura Visser NED Centre Back 6/1/85 s-Gravenhage, NED 178 21 DEN Left Wing 9/17/92 Herning, DEN 171

12 SG BBM Bietigheim (GER) Coach and key players profiles

Martin Albertsen Dinah Eckerle coach goalkeeper • previously coached Viborg, Randers and Leipzig • arrived in the summer of 2018 to succeed on before joining Bietigheim in December 2014 from Dutch goalkeeper Tess Wester Kobenhavn • previously played for German champions • won the EHF Cup with Viborg in 2003/04 Thüringer HC and competed in her first CL match at age 17 • cousin of triple Olympic champion • named best goalkeeper of the under-20 WCh 2014 • works as TV expert for TV2 at major events • is the new No. 1 goalkeeper in the German • combines job at Bietigheim with coaching national team national Swiss team since 2017

EC trophies: EHF Cup 2004 (as coach)

Anna Loerper Laura van der Heijden centre back right back • joined the club midway through the 2017/18 • club’s biggest signing, arriving from Hungarian CL season quarter-finalists FTC • played for Leverkusen, Oldenburg, and • previously played for Esbjerg, Oldenburg and VOC Metzingen before Amsterdam • voted German player of the year twice, in 2015 • gave debut for Dutch national team at age 17 and 2016 • was top scorer and All-star right back of the • was captain of the German national team but under-20 WCh 2010 ended her international career after 246 matches

EC trophies: EHF Cup 2013, Challenge Cup 2005 EURO: S 2016, B 2018, WCh: S 2015, B 2017 WCh: B 2007

13 GROUP A Team Esbjerg (DEN) When Team Esbjerg made their debut in the Women's EHF Champions League two years ago, the club from the far west of Denmark reached the main round. After a one-year absence, this season Esbjerg are back in a European Cup competition in the Women's EHF Cup, where they reached the final in 2013/14.

Having signed several reinforcements ahead of this season as well as during the winter break, Team Esbjerg want to win the Danish championship and the EHF Cup this season. Team Esbjerg and their fans received a great Christmas present as the club succeeded in signing a contract with for the rest of this season. After leaving CSM Bucuresti at the end of last season, the 33-year-old former Norwegian international had ended her career, but the Esbjerg management were able to persuade the experienced line player and defender to return to handball for at least another six months. As left back Kristine Breistøl, right wing Marit Røsberg Jacobsen, line player Vilde Mortensen Ingstad and left wing Sanna Solberg already play for Esbjerg, Frafjord completes a quintet of Norwegian internationals in Western Jutland.

Head coach Jesper Jensen, a former Danish international himself, is looking forward Playing hall to Esbjerg playing in Group A, and the team will face some notable players along the Blue Water Dokken way. “We are in a very strong group, but our main goal is to move on from the group Gl. Vardevej 82 stage. To have this success we have to have a strong base when playing at home in 6700 Esbjerg Blue Water Dokken. Furthermore, we are very excited to present some top teams Denmark and top players to our home crowd. In Storhamar there is former Team Esbjerg player Capacity: 2,949 Betina Riegelhuth and the international star throughout the last decade, Heidi Løke. Cisnadie have some strong national players from Brazil. In Bietigheim there is both the former Team Esbjerg player Laura van der Heijden and the Danish national player Fie Club Address: Woller. To participate in the strongest tournaments against some of the top teams is Team Esbjerg definitely an important thing for both the club and the team," Jensen said. Gammel Vardevej 82 6700 Esbjerg Road to the Group Phase Denmark EHF Cup, Qualification Round 3 Media contact: 1st leg: vs W29:28 (13:12) Per Kristiansen 2nd leg: @ Paris 92 W25:31 (13:16) [email protected] Aggregate score: 60:53

Online information: Website: www.teamesbjerg.dk Newcomers: Clara Monti Danielsson (Randers HK), Rikke Past achievements Marie Granlund (Oppsal), Kristine Breistøl (Larvik HK), Emma Cecilie Nielsen (Gudme EHF Cup Kit colours HK), Line Jørgensen (CSM Bucuresti), Marit Runners-up (1): 2013/14 Røsberg Jacobsen (Byasen Handball Elite), Light Quarter-final (2): 2010/11, 2014/15 (own youth team), Annette Player shirt: white Last 16 (1): 2011/12 Player short: black Jensen (TTH Holstebro), Marit Malm Frafjord (from retirement) Goalkeeper shirt: green Other Champions League: main round Dark Left the club: 2016/17, Player shirt: red Mette Hjort Knudsen (SIF Ansager), Sofie qualification tournament 2015/16 Player short: black Blichert-Toft (Skanderborg Håndbold), Ine Cup Winners’ Cup: Last 16 2012/13, Goalkeeper shirt: blue Karlsen Stangvik (E.S Besancon Feminin Round 3 2015/16 / Molde HK), Lara Gonzalez Ortega (E.S Besancon Feminin), Anne Brinch-Nielsen (EH Danish league: 1 title Aalborg), Lærke Møller, , Danish cup: 1 title Rikke Zachariassen, Ida Bjørndalen Karlsson (all retired), , , Kathrine Lange Sørensen, Laura Kirchhoff Madsen 14 Team Esbjerg (DEN) Team roster No. First Name Surname Nat. Position Date of Birth Place of Birth Height 14 Kristine Breistøl NOR Left Back 8/23/93 Oslo, NOR 193 12 Rikke Marie Granlund NOR Goalkeeper 11/14/89 Oslo, NOR 172 23 Elma Halicevic DEN Left Wing 6/18/00 Esbjerg, DEN 168 42 Jane Maria Harkes Mayes GBR Goalkeeper 1/10/89 Esbjerg, DEN 174 51 Vilde Mortensen Ingstad NOR Line Player 12/18/94 Oslo, NOR 178 20 Marit Røsberg Jacobsen NOR Right Wing 2/25/94 Narvik, NOR 168 29 DEN Centre Back 9/24/91 Frederica, DEN 176 25 Rut Jónsdóttir ISL Right Back 7/21/90 Reykjavik 176 19 Line Anna Ryborg Jørgensen DEN Right Back 12/31/89 Hvidovre, DEN 183 21 Ida Björndalen Karlsson NOR Right Back 5/6/83 Sarpsborg, NOR 178 71 Kristina Liscevic SRB Centre Back 10/20/89 Sombor, SRB 173 6 Clara Monti Danielsson SWE Line Player 1/30/92 Uppåkra, SWE 175 3 Christina Mørup Nielsen DEN Line Player 11/8/97 Esbjerg, DEN 171 17 Emma Cecilie Nielsen DEN Right Wing 6/20/99 Holstebro, DEN 173 33 Lene Østergaard Nielsen DEN Left Back 10/8/98 Varde, DEN 180 79 NED Left Back 8/5/92 Arnhem, NED 173 24 Sanna Charlotte Solberg NOR Left Wing 6/16/90 Bærum, NOR 178 4 Line Mølgaard Thorius DEN Left Back 11/30/81 Tårnby, DEN 183 1 DEN Goalkeeper 10/18/89 Gribskov, DEN 174 26 Maria Mose Vestergaard DEN Left Wing 5/21/95 Esbjerg, DEN 174

15 Team Esbjerg (DEN) Coach and key players profiles

Jesper Jensen Sandra Toft coach goalkeeper • her 25th birthday on 18 October 2014 marked her • former Danish international was part of the debut in the CL (against Metz); successful 2008 team that won the EURO and • 2014/15 was her 1st season outside her native finished seventh at the Olympic Games Denmark after she came from Holstebro • retired in 2011 after 120 games for the Danish • named on the EHF EURO 2016 All-star Team as national team she helped Denmark reach the semi-finals • in 2017 switched from coaching the men's team • broke a neck vertebra in a car accident in 2009 of Aalborg to Esbjerg women and was close to being paralysed from the neck down – she was back on the court in five months • joined Team Esbjerg from Larvik HK in 2017

EURO: G 2008, B 2006, WCh: B 2007

Kristina Liscevic Marit Malm Frafjord centre back line player • joined from Hungarian Kisvarda • joined Team Esbjerg from retirement in December 2018 • has played more than 80 internationals for Serbia, but has not been called up lately • played for CSM Bucuresti in 2017/18 and Larvik before • fast and inventive playmaker, good at adding pace to the attack and good at seeking her own chance • used to play for Larvik’s rivals Byasen, but joined as well Larvik in 2014 after a three-year long foreign adventure at Viborg HK • has plenty of international club handball experience from playing the Champions League with Metz and the EHF Cup with Russian Kuban.

EC trophies: CL 2016 EC trophies: Cup Winners’ Cup 2014, OG: G 2008, 2012, B 2016, EURO: G 2006, WCh: B 2013 2008, 2010, 2016, S 2012, WCh: G 2011, S 2007, B 2009

16 GROUP A Storhamar Handball Elite (NOR)

It has been eight years since Storhamar Handball Elite – from the Norwegian town of Hamar – were last in a European Cup competition. Back then, in the 2009-10 season, the club reached the quarter-final of the Women's Cup Winners' Cup. This happened a year after the team were eliminated from the Women's EHF Cup in Round 3.

This season, Storhamar are back in European handball, having qualified for the group phase of the Women's EHF Cup for the first time in their history. With this achievement, the club has already reached one of its main objectives for this season. Another goal is improving upon last season's third place in the domestic league. “We are a team on the way up and forth, and I'm absolutely sure that matches at this level will make us even better. In addition, we are proud to put Hamar and Storhamar on the European map of handball. I would also assume that interest in the team will continue to grow through participation in this tournament,” said head coach Arne Senstad about the importance of being in the EHF Cup.

Playing hall Senstad expects tough competition in the group phase, but he also views these Boligpartner Arena matches as a great way to mature and develop his players. “To us, it's a lot about Kornsilovegen 58 getting the opportunity to play matches at this level, against good international 2316 Hamar teams. We know it will be tough, but it is through such matches we will develop,” Norway said Senstad. To help the team in the expectedly tough group matches, Senstad has Capacity: 1,626 experienced players such as Norwegian line player Heidi Løke, former Norwegian international back court player Betina Riegelhuth and the experienced Brazilian Club Address: goalkeeper Chana Masson. On the negative side, he must make do without left back Storhamar Handball Elite Anna Sofie Sandberg, line player Kristin Høybakken and right back Tina Engan due to Kornsilovegen 58 long-term injuries. Kornsilovegen 58 2316 Hamar Road to the Group Phase

Media contact: EHF Cup, Qualification Round 3 Kamilla Sundmoen 1st leg: @ ÉRD HC L 29:28 (12:14) +47 921 47377 2nd leg: vs ÉRD HC W32:27 (15:12) [email protected] Aggregate score: 60:56

Online information: EHF Cup, Qualification Round 2 Website: storhamar.topphandball.no 1st leg: vs Byasen Handball Elite W29:20 (13:12) 2nd leg: @ Byasen Handball Elite W14:22 (8:12) Aggregate score: 51:34

Newcomers: Kit colours Kristin Venn (Byasen Handball Elite), Past achievements Light Anna Sofie Sandberg (Flisa), Chana Player shirt: yellow Masson (Odense HC), Synne Fossheim EHF Cup: Player short: blue (Gjovik), Guro Nestaker (Oppsal), Round 3 (1): 2008/09 Goalkeeper shirt: red Simona Szarkova (left in December – DHK Banik Most), Stine Liden Dark (comeback) Other Player shirt: blue Cup Winners' Cup: quarter-final 2009/10 Player short: blue Left the club: Goalkeeper shirt: white Andrea Næss, Martine Hovden, Hilde Egseth, Anne Kjersti Suvdal (all unknown), Inga Presker (Grane Arendal), Aleksandra Zimny (Volda), Simona Szarkova (left in December – DHK Banik Most), Kamilla Sundmoen

17 Storhamar Handball Elite (NOR) Team roster

No. First Name Surname Nat. Position Date of Birth Place of Birth Height 4 Malene Aambakk NOR Right Back 5/13/93 Orsta, NOR 180 13 Tina Engan NOR Right Back 6/29/90 Trondheim, NOR 160 11 Tonje Enkerud NOR Centre Back 8/21/94 Elverum, NOR 176 7 Ellen Marie Folkvord NOR Line Player 5/18/90 Tonsberg, NOR 168 15 Synne Fossheim NOR Line Player 3/21/98 Gjovik, NOR 180 21 Moa Amanda Fredriksson SWE Line Player 12/17/91 Gothenburg, SWE 173 12 Alma Hasanic Grizovic MNE Goalkeeper 5/13/89 Sije, BIH 176 14 Kristin Hoybakken NOR Line Player 6/27/95 Baerum, NOR 180 3 Gabriella Juhasz HUN Left Wing 3/19/85 Kisvarda, HUN 170 1 Stine Liden NOR Goalkeeper 5/31/88 Lorenskog, NOR 184 5 Heidi Loke NOR Line Player 12/12/82 Tonsberg, NOR 177 16 Lea Lokke-Owre NOR Goalkeeper 1/12/01 Kristiansand, NOR 169 39 Chana Franciela Masson De Souza BRA Goalkeeper 12/18/78 Capinzal, BRA 182 9 Anna Mortvedt NOR Line Player 11/3/00 Elverum, NOR 170 33 Guro Nestaker NOR Left Back 8/15/98 Gjovik, NOR 181 22 Betina Riegelhuth NOR Left Back 6/17/87 Oslo, NOR 178 8 Anne Sofie Sandberg NOR Left Back 11/1/99 Oslo, NOR 173 6 Elise Skinnehaugen NOR Right Wing 6/3/96 Hamar, NOR 168 20 Mia Solberg Svele NOR Centre Back 4/16/01 Elverum, NOR 174 23 Simona Szarkova SVK Left Back 1/2/92 Nové Zámky 174 10 Kristin Venn NOR Left Wing 3/5/94 Trondheim, NOR 168

18 Storhamar Handball Elite (NOR) Coach and key players profiles

Arne Senstad Chana Masson coach goalkeeper • joined from league rivals Oppsal in 2015 • joined from Danish Odense HC in the summer of 2018 • with experience from many years as a coach • former Brazilian international, but played great • tactically skilled and good a communicating with parts of her career in Denmark his players • turned 40 last December, but is extremely good • married to Lise Løke, sister of Storhamar line at using her experience in goal, where she is still player Heidi Løke at a very high level

Betina Riegelhuth Heidi Løke left back line player • returned to Storhamar in 2016 after a year in • joined Storhamar from Györi Audi ETO in 2017 Danish Team Esbjerg • World Handball Player of the Year (2011) and • has played 53 internationals for Norway, but famous daughter in a big handball family as both has not been called up by national coach Thorir of her siblings are professional players and all of Hergeirsson lately them are line players • tall backcourt player with a good shot and • in 2011 she took the title with Larvik as the CL top obvious defensive qualities as well. scorer, and in 2012 she only narrowly missed it with Győr only to achieve it one year later • the younger sister of former Norwegian international Linn-Kristin Riegelhuth Koren • member of the All-Star teams at the London Olympics, 2011 WCh and EHF EURO 2010, 2012 & 2014

EHF EURO: G 2014 EC trophies: CL 2011, 2013, 2014 OG: G 2012, B 2016, WCh: G 2011, 2015, S 2017, EURO: G 2008, 2010, 2014, S 2012

19 GROUP A SC Magura Cisnadie (ROU) There is great pride for a town with a population of 20,000 to be represented in a European Cup competition – and that is exactly what Sports Club Magura Cisnadie accomplished last season in the Romanian league. Magura, a young club founded just four years ago, had the best season in the club's short history in 2017/18, when they finished third in the domestic league to earn their first ever European berth.

Three years after being promoted and assembling a team that relied heavily on experienced players, Alexandru Weber’s side managed to take on a huge challenge and duly delivered, after eliminating Zvezda Zvenigorod, the former Women’s EHF Champions League winners, on their way to the EHF Cup Group Phase. “This means the world to our local community. It is a huge pride for the team, for the players and also for me, as a coach, to be here. It is also a huge chance to take in an European experience and we hope to leave every game with our head held up high,” said Alexandru Weber after Magura progressed to the group phase.

However, Magura’s work will be cut out after a difficult start to the season in the Romanian League. They are currently third after ten games, but Magura’s recent form has slipped with three losses in their past four games. A thin roster suffered three more blows in late December: line player Ionela Goran decided to retire, while right back and right wing left to join SCM Craiova. That left Cisnadie with only 13 players to play in both the Romanian League and the Women’s EHF Cup. Currently, the Romanian team’s roster has an average age of 28.1 years old. “Our objective was to Playing hall reach the group stage, now every game is a bonus for us and for our players,” said Weber. Polivalent Hall Magura Cisnadie The EHF Cup is probably the best place for outsiders to strike and Cisnadie could be the Maguril Nr. 105, surprise package, as they try to emulate what fellow Romanian side SCM Craiova did last Cisnadie, Jud Sibiu year, yet there is also a chance that this could just be a transitional season for a team that Romania relies on experience if their thin roster is exposed. Capacity: 1,254 “I think we were drawn in the toughest group with teams from Germany, Norway and Denmark. Talking about chances? We will try and play every game at our best and enjoy Club Address: the competition. We will fight for every point we can,” said an upbeat Weber. Sports Club Magura Cisnadie Piata Revolutiei nr 1 Road to the Group Phase 555300 Cisnadie Romania EHF Cup, Qualification Round 3 1st leg: @ Zvezda Zvenigorod L29:24 (14:13) Media contact: 2nd leg: vs Zvezda Zvenigorod W26:18 (10:10) Danut Mihai Filip Aggregate score: 50:47 clubsportivmaguracisnadie@yahoo. com EHF Cup, Qualification Round 2 1st leg: @ DHC Slavia Praha W25:28 (12:16) Online information: 2nd leg: vs DHC Slavia Praha W29:20 (18:11) Website: www.cisnadie.ro Aggregate score: 57:45

Newcomers: Gabriela Moreschi (Larvik HK), Jasna Boljevic Kit colours (CSM Roman), Iulia Matei (CS Dinamo Bucuresti), Ionela Goran (Gloria Buzau) Light Player shirt: light green Past achievements Left the club: Player short: black Dragica Tatalovic (Corona Brasov), Ivana Goalkeeper shirt: grey EHF Cup Bozovic (Pogon Szczeczin), Larisa Serban, - Dark Maria Ilea (both Universitatea Resita), Mirela Player shirt: red/blue Pasca (pregnant), Deonise Fachinello, Mariana Other Player short: black/blue Costa (both SCM Craiova), Ionela Goran - Goalkeeper shirt: red/blue (retired), Alexandra Subtirica (unknown)

20 SC Magura Cisnadie (ROU) Team roster No. First Name Surname Nat. Position Date of Birth Place of Birth Height 99 Oana-Valentina Apetrei ROU Line Player 11/13/85 Fagaras, ROU 175 20 Larissa Fais Munhoz Araujo BRA Left Wing 7/1/92 Curitiba, BRA 167 9 Jasna Boljevic MNE Right Back 3/16/89 Podgorica, MNE 189 81 Deonise Cavaleiro Fachinello BRA Right Back 6/20/83 Santa Rosa, RS, BRA 180 77 Paula Chirila ROU Centre Back 2/7/91 SEBES, ROU 175 88 Mariana Costa BRA Right Wing 10/14/92 Sao Paulo/SP, BRA 170 94 Larissa Inae Da Silva BRA Right Wing 4/4/94 JUNDIAI/SP, BRA 169 1 Gabriela Goncalves Dias Moreschi BRA Goalkeeper 7/8/94 Maringa/PR, BRA 190 80 ROU Centre Back 5/28/80 CRAIOVA, ROU 172 11 Ionela Victoria Goran ROU Line Player 8/18/77 BUZAU, ROU 178 13 Paula Bianca Hoha ROU Left Wing 3/31/93 BISTRITA NASAUD, ROU 175 7 Maria Iulia Matei ROU Left Wing 12/31/97 RM VALCEA, ROU 168 14 Ada Emilia Moldovan ROU Right Back 11/15/83 Focsani, ROU 175 89 Elena Cristina Sorina Popovici ROU Goalkeeper 10/19/89 Bucuresti, ROU 176 23 Alexandra Georgiana Subtirica-Iovanescu ROU Line Player 12/8/87 Constanta, ROU 170 25 Andrada ROU Line Player 7/30/91 Baia Mare, ROU 180 16 Elena Gabriela Voicu ROU Goalkeeper 4/28/90 Slobozia, ROU 178

21 SC Magura Cisnadie (ROU) Coach and key players profiles

Alexandru Weber coach left back • has been coaching Magura since 2014, when • never left Romania during her playing career, also the Romanian side was promoted to the first winning the bronze medal at the EHF EURO 2010 league with the national team • this is his first European season, as he only • was the top goal scorer of the Romanian national coached Alba Sebes, a second-league team, league in three consecutive years, 2008, 2009 and his current team and 2010 • 41-year old coach is considered one of the top • stopped playing for a year, between 2011 and young coaches in Romania 2012, to give birth to a boy, Raul

EURO: B 2010

Roxana Gatzel Gabriela Diaz Moreschi centre back goalkeeper • 38-year old captain is one of the most • tall goalkeeper (190 cm) joined Cisnadie from experienced players in Cisnadie, plying her trade Larvik before the 2018/19 season for six seasons at Oltchim Ramnicu Valcea, whom • spent two seasons with the Norwegian title she played the CL final with, in 2010 record holders and won one national league title • three seasons ago, Gatzel became the Romanian and two Norwegian cups with them league top goal scorer • part of golden Brazilian team at the South • creative and intelligent player, Gatzel suffered American Games in 2018 three season-ending injuries in her career, two of them being cruciate ligaments tears

EURO: B 2010

22 Group B head-to-heads Historic encounters of the Group B opponents in the EC

No previous encounters in European competitions IK Sävehof vs TusSies Metzingen IK Sävehof vs Herning-Ikast Handbold IK Sävehof vs Siofok KC Hungary Siofok KC Hungary vs TusSies Metzingen Siofok KC Hungary vs Herning-Ikast Handbold Herning-Ikast Handbold vs TusSies Metzingen

23 GROUP B IK Sävehof (SWE) IK Sävehof have been Swedish champions 13 times. They have been in the Women’s EHF Champions League Group Matches eight times, reaching the main round on three occasions. They also started this season in the EHF Champions League after reclaiming the Swedish championship from H 65 Höörs HK last season.

After finishing fourth in Group B of the EHF Champions League, the Women’s EHF Cup Group Phase is now on the menu for the large club from the Gothenburg area. Despite their rather dominating position in women’s handball in Sweden, Sävehof’s ambitions are rather modest. Finishing in the top three in the domestic league, reaching the final of the Swedish championship play-offs and gaining as many points as possible in the EHF Cup Group Phase are Sävehof’s objectives for this season.

Playing in the EHF Cup is not a new experience for Sävehof, but the Swedish club have never made it any further than the group phase in the competition. Still, head coach Rasmus Overby is looking forward to entering the competition once again. “IK Sävehof have been playing EHF Cup before. However, for many of our players and for me as a coach it is the first time. The EHF Cup is a good challenge – and it will develop our young players and give us experience we can use in our national league,” he said. Playing hall Partille Arena While he has a positive outlook on the challenge ahead, Overby believes it will be hard Arenatorget 2 for Sävehof to progress any further. “We are looking forward to continue play matches 43338 Partille on a high level. The EHF Cup is a very good challenge for us, and we will try to do our Sweden best against the very good teams we are going to meet. Siófok and Herning-Ikast are a Capacity: 4,100 bit better than Metzingen and we are, however,” said the Danish coach.

Club Address: Road to the Group Phase IK Sävehof Partille Arena 4th ranked from the EHF Champions League Group Arenatorget 2 Matches 43322 Partille GROUP B Sweden @ Rostov-Don L30:21 (15:11) vs Kobenhavn Handball L22:36 (8:20) Media contact: vs Brest Bretagne Handball L27:39 (16:19) Hanna Fogelström/ Frederik Sahlin @ Brest Bretagne Handball L34:26 (19:14) +46 704 284786 vs Rostov-Don L26:32 (15:14) [email protected] @ Kobenhavn Handball L33:22 (19:6)

Online information: Newcomers: Past achievements Website: www.savehof.se Tilda Olsson (Skövde HF), Nina Dano (Torslanda HK) EHF Cup: Elin Karlsson, Ella Frykmer, Lina Cardell (all Group phase (1): 2016/17 Sävehof Akademi) Round 4 (1): 2009/10 Round 3 (1): 2006/07 Kit colours Left the club: Round 2 (1): 2008/09 Light Ida Oden (retired) Player shirt: yellow Julia Eriksson (Randers HK) Player short: black/yellow Julia Walstern (Kungälvs HK) Other Goalkeeper shirt: blue Amanda Thorp (Skara HF) Champions League: 2Main round 2013/14, Filippa Nyman (Skövde HF) 2014/15, 2015/16, group matches 2007/08, Dark 2010/11, 2012/13, 2016/17, 2018/19 Player shirt: black/grey Cup Winners‘ Cup: Last 16 2011/12 Player short: black Goalkeeper shirt: green or orange Swedish league: 13 titles (1993, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018)

24 IK Sävehof (SWE)

Team roster No. First Name Surname Nat. Position Date of Birth Place of Birth Height 22 SWE Centre Back 10/3/87 Göteborg, SWE 175 2 Lina Cardell SWE Right Wing 2/19/01 Skeda, SWE 165 17 Nina Dano SWE Right Back 6/12/00 Masthuggs, SWE 172 28 Johanna Einarsson SWE Right Wing 5/22/01 Nödinge, SWE 165 3 Emma Ekenman-Fernis SWE Right Wing 7/24/96 Stockholm, SWE 172 1 Christina Elm DEN Goalkeeper 6/16/95 Greve, DEN 187 30 Emilia Eriksson SWE Goalkeeper 5/26/00 Ålidhem, SWE 182 8 Johanna Forsberg SWE Line Player 10/16/95 Göteborg, SWE 177 15 Ella Frykmer SWE Centre Back 2/13/99 Nylöse, SWE 173 13 Elin Hallagård SWE Centre Back 1/4/89 Göteborg, SWE 180 9 Elin Karlsson SWE Left Back 2/19/99 Sävedalen, SWE 178 7 Thess Krönell SWE Line Player 5/30/96 Umeå, SWE 177 16 Wilma Kroon Andersson SWE Goalkeeper 7/14/98 N Lundby, SWE 179 5 Joanna Lindvall-Haggren SWE Right Wing 6/28/94 Göteborg, SWE 175 11 Amelia Lundbäck SWE Centre Back 9/22/98 Stensjön, SWE 175 29 Nora Lundell SWE Line Player 4/24/00 Johannes, SWE 178 21 Ebba Lundstedt SWE Line Player 2/18/98 Kållered, SWE 170 19 Olivia Mellegård SWE Left Wing 6/17/96 Göteborg, SWE 178 12 Isabella Mouratidou SWE Goalkeeper 8/5/97 Stockholm, SWE 179 10 Hanna Örtorp SWE Left Wing 12/20/97 Göteborg, SWE 163 26 Tilda Olsson SWE Left Back 3/15/96 Mölndal, SWE 177 14 Linnea Petterson SWE Left Back 7/28/95 Kiruna, SWE 181 31 Louise Rundcrantz SWE Left Wing 3/5/00 Partille, SWE 172 27 Cajsa Sällström SWE Left Back 2/19/01 Fors, SWE 170

25 IK Sävehof (SWE) Coach and key players profiles

Rasmus Overby Wilma Kroon Andersson coach goalkeeper • became head coach in summer of 2018 but • joined from Swedish league rivals Skara HF in already worked as a coach at Sävehof’s own 2017 academy • despite only being 20 years old, she made • replaced , who wanted to focus impressive performances in the CL Group entirely on his job as Swedish national coach Matches during the autumn 2018 • in his playing career, he was a centre back with • with her 179 cm, she is relatively tall for a female various Danish league clubs goalkeeper, and she is good at making use of her height and reach to make her goal look small from • lives together with Sävehof playmaker Johanna the angle of the shooter Ahlm

Johanna Ahlm Olivia Mellegård centre back left wing • started career at Sävehof, and returned to the • started in nearby Önnered but has spent entire club in 2016 senior career with Sävehof • had eight-year spell in Denmark from 2008-16, • at 22, she already has CL experience with Sävehof playing for four different clubs in 2015/16 and 2016/17 • was out for nearly 18 months in 2016/17 due to a • efficient from the wing and good at using her torn ACL and maternity leave height to achieve the best possible angle for her shots • an experienced, versatile and inventive playmaker • regular player for the Swedish national team • is in a relationship with the team’s Danish head coach, Rasmus Overby

EURO: B 2014

26 GROUP B Siofok KC (HUN) While Hungarian sides Györi Audi ETO KC and FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria belong to the top table in the Women’s EHF Champions League, Siofók KC Hungary is another club with ambition. “Participation in our first EHF Cup Group Phase means a lot for us, everyone is so excited. Siofok would like to appear on the European handball map in the next years,” says head coach Tor Odvar Moen.

Siofók have never won any titles – the team has been playing in the Hungarian top division only since 2009, and this is their just fourth season in Europe. Yet the club have done a good job in bolstering the squad with quality players last summer. Russian playmaker Tatiana Khmyrova and Croatian left back Andrea Kobetic (Penezic) moved from Vardar, while Norwegian goalkeeper joined from Paris. Coach Moen is also in his first season at Siofok after moving from Larvik in the summer. The 53-year-old Norwegian signed a long-term contract with the club, where he is in charge of every aspect of handball.

In the Women’s EHF Cup qualification, his team easily beat GVM Europe-Vas in a Hungarian derby before eliminating strong Russian outfit Lada, a big signal of intent from Siofok. A number of the big names played an important role in their national Playing hall team's EHF EURO 2018 campaign. None more than club captain , Kiss Szilard Sportcsarnok who top scored for France en route to a home gold medal. Szekrenyessy ut 1 8600 Siofok Now they face Herning, Metzingen and Sävehof in Group B and coach Moen is Hungary determined to do well. “Our main goal is to go through and reach the semi-finals. Capacity: 1,500 I think we have the players to do it. Herning are very strong, they have some Norwegian players and play some really good handball. Metzingen are the club I know the least, but German handball has been growing continuously in recent years. It is a tough and interesting group in a positive way.”This year, Siofók have Club Address: not just reinforced their squad, but improved their infrastructure. Their new ‘Kiss Siófok KC Hungary Szilard’ arena was opened in March and it will need to become a fortress for them if Szekrényessy Kálmán utca 1. progression from the group is to become a reality. 8600 Siófok Hungary Road to the Group Phase Media contact: Miklos Bitter EHF Cup, Qualification Round 3 +36 30 4900155 1st leg: @ L30:26 (15:16) [email protected] 2nd leg: vs Handball Club Lada W37:26 (18:12) Aggregate score: 63:56 Online information: Website: www.siofokkc.hu EHF Cup, Qualification Round 2 1st leg: @ GVM Europe-Vac W22:35 (12:18) 2nd leg: @ vs GVM Europe-Vac W32:26 (15:15) Aggregate score: 67:48

Newcomers: Andrea Kobetic (HC Vardar) Past achievements Kit colours (SPR Lublin SSA) Light Silje Solberg (Issy-Paris Hand) EHF Cup Player shirt: orange Mireya Gonzalez (Erd) Last 16: 2015/16 Player short: grey Tatiana Khmyrova (HC Vardar) Round 3: 2012/13 Goalkeeper shirt: grey Dark Left the club: Player shirt: grey Erdősi Ildikó (DKKA) Other Player short: grey Ferenczy Fruzsina (DKKA) - Goalkeeper shirt: blue Szemerey Zsófi (FTC) Camilla Maibom (retired) Gercsó Nóra (Szent István)

27 Siofok KC (HUN) Team roster No. First Name Surname Nat. Position Date of Birth Place of Birth Height 13 Camille Aoustin FRA Left Wing 2/13/90 Cherbourg, FRA 170 39 Dorina Barkoczi HUN Left Back 6/19/99 Siófok, HUN 180 8 Simone Böhme DEN Right Wing 8/17/91 Randers, DEN 169 16 Denisa-Stefania Dedu ROU Goalkeeper 9/27/94 Brasov, ROU 182 20 Joanna Drabik POL Line Player 10/28/93 Wloszczowa, POL 180 6 Asma Elghaoui HUN Line Player 8/29/91 Monastir 175 5 Melinda Anamaria Geiger ROU Right Back 3/28/87 Baia Mare, ROU 174 99 Mireya Gonzalez Alvarez ESP Right Back 7/18/91 Leon, ESP 178 88 Andjela Janjusevic SRB Right Back 6/18/95 Beograd, SRB 178 17 Katarina Jezic CRO Line Player 12/19/92 Rijeka, CRO 173 71 Tatiana Khmyrova RUS Centre Back 2/6/90 Volgograd, RUS 178 32 Andrea Kobetic CRO Left Back 11/13/85 Zagreb, CRO 186 44 Laura Lapos HUN Right Back 2/12/02 Siófok, HUN 176 85 Laura Nemes HUN Centre Back 7/18/02 Keszthely, HUN 168 27 Estelle Nze Minko FRA Centre Back 8/11/91 Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, FRA 176 22 ROU Left Back 6/20/94 Braila, ROU 186 47 Nanetta Sarosi HUN Left Wing 6/12/98 Dorog, HUN 167 12 Silje Margaretha Solberg NOR Goalkeeper 6/16/90 Bærum, NOR 178 23 Nelli Such HUN Right Wing 5/12/92 Bekescsaba, HUN 178 10 Eszter Takacs HUN Right Back 7/30/00 Siófok, HUN 170 55 Kira Wald HUN Left Wing 5/2/01 Siófok, HUN 161

28 Siofok KC (HUN) Coach and key players profiles

Tor Odvar Moen Silje Solberg coach goalkeeper • the Norwegian head coach joined Siofok KC in the • just like her coach, the Norwegian player joined summer of 2018 Siofok KC in 2018 during summer • spent 19 years in Larvik and won once the CL and • the 28-year-old athlete won the world once the Cup Winners’ Cup besides many championships (2015) and the European domestic titles championships (2014, 2016) • at the Scandinavian powerhouse, he led them in • active member of the national team since her many different roles, such as underage coach, debut in 2011 against Russia team manager, head coach, assistant and many others

EC trophies: CL 2011 EURO: G 2014, 2016, WCh: G 2015

Andrea Kobetic (Penezic) Estelle Nze Minko left back centre back • the Croatian shooter led the team in goals in the • Olympic silver medallist and world champion Hungarian league after nine rounds (62) player with the French team • joined Siofok KC after four seasons in Vardar • joined Siofok in 2016 • former stalwart of the Croatian national team • won the Challenge Cup in 2011 with Mios-Biganos • twice the CL top scorer • scored already 56 goals in the domestic league • had an important role in Vardar when the club collected two bronze and two silver medals in the last four FINAL4s EC trophies: Challenge Cup 2011 OG: S 2016, EURO: G 2018, B 2016, WCh: G 2017

29 GROUP B TusSies Metzingen (GER) In their maiden international voyage, TusSies Metzingen made it to the final of the Women’s EHF Cup. A season later, they were semi-finalists again in the newly merged format of the competition. Now their aim is to proceed to the knockout stage after an unexpected early elimination last season in Qualification Round 3.

The German side is the only club other than three-time Women's EHF Champions League winners Viborg HK from Denmark to reach the group phase from Qualification Round 1 – and Metzingen won all six qualification matches, including two challenging matches against former Russian champions Astrakhanochka in Qualification Round 2.

The face of the Metzingen squad has changed since last season. Promising young players have arrived, such as German U20 goalkeeper Madita Kohorst, who has just returned from a six-month injury break, and the 22-year-old Dutch line player Tamara Haggerty. Fellow Dutch player and club teammate recently won her first international medal at the Women’s EHF EURO 2018 – a bronze with the – and scored 14 goals in the championship. In contrast, one experienced Metzingen star will miss the group phase and possibly the rest of the season: Serbian international Marija Obradovic is out with a torn cruciate ligament. Playing hall Paul Horn Arena In Group B, TusSies Metzingen will face strong opponents Siófok KC Hungary, IK Sävehof Europastraße 50 and Herning-Ikast. New coach Andre Fuhr is aware of those high hurdles on the way to 72072 Tübingen the quarter-final stage. He said: “All four teams have a chance to reach the quarter-finals. Germany Sävehof and Herning-Ikast have a lot of international experience. Siófok have maybe the Capacity: 2,408 team with the highest quality of all participants in the EHF Cup. To reach the quarter-final will be a difficult mission for my young team, but we will try our best." Club Address: TusSies Metzingen Road to the Group Phase Wilhelmstraße 5 72555 Metzingen EHF Cup, Qualification Round 3 Germany 1st leg: @ DHK Banik Most W19:28 (8:11) 2nd leg: vs DHK Banik Most W35:24 (15:13) Media contact: Aggregate score: 63:43 Ferenc Rott [email protected] EHF Cup, Qualification Round 2 1st leg: @ Astrakhanochka W27:28 (14:13) Online information: 2nd leg: vs Astrakhanochka W38:26 (17:11) Website: www.handball-tussies.com Aggregate score: 66:53

EHF Cup, Qualification Round 1 1st leg: @ HZRK Grude W24:43 (10:24) 2nd leg: vs HZRK Grude W47:17 (26:7) Aggregate score: 90:41

Newcomers: Anika Niederwieser (Thüringer HC), Madita Past achievements Kohorst (VFL Oldenburg), Julia Harsfalvi (DVSC Debrecen), Tamara Haggerty (HSG Bad Kit colours EHF Cup Wildungen), Annabelle Sattler (Neckarsulmer Light Finalists: 2015/16 SU), Patricia Kovacs (NKSE Vac), Jesse van de Player shirt: mint Semi-finals 2016/17 Polder (Virto Quintus) Player short: pink Goalkeeper shirt: black Other Left the club: - Dark Annika Ingenpaß (HSG Bad Wildungen), Player shirt: pink Jasmina Jankovic (Toulon Saint-Cyr Var Player short: black Handball), Ina Großmann (Thüringer HC), Goalkeeper shirt: mint Stina Karlsson (HSG Kleenheim)

30 TusSies Metzingen (GER)

Team roster

No. First Name Surname Nat. Position Date of Birth Place of Birth Height 5 Delaila Amega NED Centre Back 9/21/97 Heerhugowaard 170 66 Katharina Beddies GER Left Wing 2/7/94 Reutlingen 163 93 GER Line Player 3/28/93 Mannheim 180 5 Tamara Haggerty NED Line Player 4/29/96 Haarlem 178 9 Julia Harsfalvi HUN Left Wing 11/12/96 Zalaegerszeg 168 8 Monika Kobylinska POL Right Back 4/9/95 Zary 177 95 Dorina Korsos HUN Left Wing 9/3/95 Kecskemét, HUN 168 9 Patricia Kovacs AUT Right Back 5/26/96 Lustenau, AUT 178 13 Ewgenija Minevskaja GER Left Back 10/31/92 Minsk 183 51 Marija Obradovic SRB Left Back 8/6/92 Beograd 182 26 GER Goalkeeper 7/26/90 Erlenbach/Main 177 98 Annabelle Sattler GER Goalkeeper 1/4/98 Bretten, GER 168 2 Jesse Van de Polder NED Goalkeeper 7/3/98 Amsterdam 171 31 Kelly Vollebregt NED Right Wing 1/1/95 Delft 165 22 GER Left Back 5/22/94 Stuttgart 177 11 Miriam Welser GER Centre Back 11/9/98 Nürtingen, GER 164 2 GER Right Wing 1/6/90 Landau 170

31 TusSies Metzingen (GER) Coach and key players profiles

Andre Fuhr Isabell Roch coach goalkeeper • coached only one club before in his previous • her father Siegfried was goalkeeper of career: HSG Blomberg-Lippe from 2002 until 2018 Großwallstadt and the German national team, winning the Olympic silver medal in 1984 • steered Blomberg from the second division to the EHF Cup • was part of the youth academy of Thüringer HC from the age of 15 to 18, then played for • well-known for developing talents and forming Dortmund, Blomberg and Bietigheim young players to stars • joined Metzingen in 2017 • more than a third of the current German women’s national team players had been coached by Fuhr, • new number 1 after Dutch Jasmina Jankovic left such as , or Franziska the club before this season Müller • had her debut in the German women’s team in March and played her first major tournament at the EHF EURO 2018 in France

Ewgenija Minevskaja Delaila Amega left back centre back • born in Minsk, she arrived at Germany at the age • arrived from Dutch side Quintus at Metzingen at of five the age of 18 • her mother Svetlana was three times World • previously had been educated in the famous Champion with the Soviet Union, her father Dutch academy at Papendal Andrej Olympic Champion with EUN • her father is from Ghana, her mother (a former • was part of all age categories in the German YAC handball player) from Netherlands national teams • had her debut in the Dutch women’s team in 2017 • was part of the youth academy of Thüringer HC, at the age of 20 then transferred to Metzingen for the first time in • new number 1 on her position at Metzingen, after 2013, played for Leipzig for two years before she Anna Loerper left the club returned to Metzingen • at the age of 22, was Bundesliga top scorer with 239 goals EURO: B 2018

32 GROUP B Herning-Ikast Handbold (DEN) From this summer, the public have had to get used to a new name for one of the strongest women's handball teams in Denmark. After new investors took over the team from Central Jutland prior to this season, the club that used to be known as FC Midtjylland is now named Herning-Ikast Handbold.

However, with the club's objectives of finishing in the top four in the Danish league and reaching at least the quarter-final in the Women’s EHF Cup, the change in set-up has not resulted in a reduction of the Danish club's ambitions. Kristian Kristensen is still the head coach – as he has been since September 2016 – and one of his biggest challenges this season has been filling the gap created by 's departure. The Norwegian international left back, who joined back-to-back Women’s EHF Champions League winners Györi Audi ETO KC after last season, was the backbone of Midtjylland’s back court line. Tonje Loeseth and Helene Fauske, two Norwegian back court players, have been sharing the demanding duty, with the pair achieving a certain amount of success so far.

At right back, Danish international has had some extra work after Norwegian newcomer Stine Skogrand became pregnant, which has also created an extra challenge for Herning-Ikast in defence. Having reached the group phase, the first Playing hall objective for Herning-Ikast is to progress to the quarter-final, although the head coach IBF Arena realises that this will be a tough task in Group B with Siófok KC from Hungary, Swedish Stadion Allé 2b champions IK Sävehof and TusSies Metzingen from the German Bundesliga. 7430 Ikast “The expectations are that we will get six international matches at a high international Denmark level. Sävehof is well-known and that will be a classic Scandinavian clash. Metzingen is a Capacity: 2,250 strong team with a lot of international players, so it will be a nice challenge as well. And, finally, Siófok from Hungary is one of the strongest teams if you analyse the line-up,” Club Address: said head coach Kristensen. Herning-Ikast Handbold Stadion Alle 2B Road to the Group Phase 7430 Ikast Denmark EHF Cup, Qualification Round 3 1st leg: vs SCM Ramnicu Valcea W22:16 (7:5) Media contact: 2nd leg: @ SCM Ramnicu Valcea W19:21 (14:10) Jakob Mølgaard Christensen Aggregate score: 43:25 +45 25 600035 [email protected] EHF Cup, Qualification Round 2 1st leg: vs Metraco Zaglebie Lubin W31:19 (15:9) Online information: 2nd leg:@ Metraco Zaglebie Lubin L26:21 (13:9) Website: http://www. Aggregate score: 52:45 herningikasthaandbold.dk Newcomers: Past achievements Stine Skogrand (Silkebrog-Voel KFUM), (Nykøbing Falster Håndbold EHF Cup - NFH), Michaela Elsberg Møller (Herning- Winner (2): 2001/02, 2010/11 Ikast Handbold U-19), Emilie Steffensen Runners-up (1): 2006/07 (Herning-Ikast Handbold U-19) Kit colours Semi-final (2): 2007/08, 2012/13 Quarter-final (1): 2005/06 Light Left the club: Player shirt: white Veronica Kristiansen (Györi Audi ETO Other Player short: purple KC), Sabine Pedersen (Randers HK), Linn Champions League: EHF FINAL4 2013/14, Goalkeeper shirt: blue/red/yellow Blohm (Kobenhavn Handball), Louise semi-final 2002/03, quarter-final 1998/99, Ellebaek (Silkeborg-Voel KFUM), Helene Dark 2004/05, 2016/17, 2017/18 Kindberg (Silkeborg-Voel KFUM) Player shirt: purple Cup Winners’ Cup: winner 2003/04, Player short: black 2014/15, semi-final 1999/00 Goalkeeper shirt: blue/red/yellow Danish league: 4 titles Danish cup: 7 titles

33 Herning-Ikast Handbold (DEN) Team roster No. First Name Surname Nat. Position Date of Birth Place of Birth Height 24 DEN Left Wing 7/19/88 Hedensted, DEN 179 17 Mathilde Bjerregaard DEN Line Player 8/9/93 Århus, DEN 185 6 Cecilie Hojgaard Brandt DEN Right Wing 11/16/01 Viborg, DEN 173 27 Louise Katharina Burgaard DEN Right Back 10/17/92 Esbjerg, DEN 178 16 GER Goalkeeper 11/27/81 Aschaffenburg, GER 183 8 Helene Gigstad Fauske NOR Centre Back 1/31/97 Bærum, NOR 176 15 Emma Cecilie Uhrskov Friis DEN Left Wing 10/31/99 Herning, DEN 160 13 Julie Horslund Gantzel Pedersen DEN Line Player 4/13/94 Ikast-Brande, DEN 173 11 Sarah Iversen DEN Line Player 4/10/90 Frederiksberg, DEN 177 19 Annika Jakobsen DEN Right Wing 2/25/97 Horsens, DEN 169 32 Louise Bak Jensen DEN Goalkeeper 10/2/01 Thisted, DEN 180 2 Maja Edling Lauritsen DEN Left Wing 5/21/01 Ikast-Brande, DEN 174 25 Tonje Loeseth NOR Left Back 1/1/91 Bergen, NOR 180 4 Michala Elsberg Moller DEN Centre Back 2/16/00 Aalborg, DEN 175 23 DEN Right Wing 10/25/92 Galten, DEN 174 12 Clara Bak Pedersen DEN Goalkeeper 2/1/99 Ikast-Brande, DEN 177 1 Jessica Ryde SWE Goalkeeper 5/18/94 Lund, SWE 183 9 Olivia Simonsen DEN Left Back 8/14/00 Ringkøbing-Skjern, DEN 185 7 Stine Ruscetta Skogrand NOR Right Back 3/3/93 Bergen, NOR 175 14 Emilie Bodholdt Steffensen DEN Left Back 5/22/01 Ikast-Brande, DEN 180 5 DEN Left Back 5/2/85 Ringkobing-Skjern, DEN 172

34 Herning-Ikast Handbold (DEN) Coach and key players profiles

Kristian Kristensen Sabine Englert coach goalkeeper • has been working as assistant coach in the club • former German national team player started for two years playing at the age of five in Aschaffenburg, in the same mixed team with Nantes winger Dominik • started in August 2016 as a temporary head Klein coach as left, shortly after he was made permanent head coach • only a few days after signing the contract with FCM in the early spring 2008, she played in her • has the highest coaching exam in Europe, EHF future home, the Ikast Brande Arena, with Hypo Master Coach NÖ • has experience as men’s as well as women’s • on the same occasion she sustained a knee injury, coach in several clubs in Denmark as well as but since then, she has had happier memories of abroad the hall • in between, he had found time to work as a TV commentator beside his coaching job EC trophies: Cup Winners’ Cup 2015 EHF Cup 2011, Challenge Cup: 2005 WCh: B 2007

Helene Fauske Louise Burgaard centre back right back • joined from Norwegian Stabæk IF in 2017 • made her first appearances in the Danish league at 17 with KIF Vejen; joined FCM from Viborg in • has been included in Norwegian national coach 2015, played also for Team Tvis Holstebro ´s squad several times, latest (summer 2013) for the EHF EURO 2018 in France • debuted in the Denmark national team at 19, • together with fellow Norwegian Tonje Løseth, later became a regular in the squad she is filling out the gap left by a third Norwegian, Veronica Kristiansen who left for Györ Audi ETO • won her first senior Danish titles with Viborg – KC before the 2018/19 season Danish cup and Danish championship 2013/14 • already in her first season in FC Midtjylland, now Herning-Ikast, she scored 29 goals in the CL EC trophies: Cup Winners’ Cup 2014 WCh: B 2013 • is studying commercial finance besides playing handball

35 Group C head-to-heads Historic encounters of the Group C opponents in the EC

Larvik vs ES Besançon Feminin 3-0-1 (114:99) 09.01.2005 Larvik HK vs E.S.B.F. Besancon, Cup Winners's Cup – Round 3 26:23 (11:13) 16.01.2005 E.S.B.F. Besancon vs Larvik HK, Cup Winners's Cup – Round 3 22:30 (11:16) 19.01.2002 Larvik HK vs E.S.B.F. Besancon, EHF Champions League – Group A 31:27 (13:13) 10.02.2002 E.S.B.F. Besancon vs Larvik HK, EHF Champions League – Group A 27:18 (16:8)

Larvik vs Viborg HK 5-0-7 (314:311) 10.03.2018 Larvik vs Viborg HK, EHF Cup – 1/4 finals 26:23 (13:15) 03.03.2018 Viborg HKvs Larvik, EHF Cup – 1/4 finals 28:21 (9:8) 08.03.2015 Viborg HK A/S vs Larvik, EHF Champions League – Group 2 23:29 (14:12) 07.02.2015 Larvik vs Viborg HK A/S, EHF Champions League – Group 2 31:18 (18:10) 05.11.2011 Larvik vs Viborg HK, EHF Champions League – Group B 19:20 (10:12) 01.10.2011 Viborg HK vs Larvik, EHF Champions League – Group B 34:28 (22:10) 17.04.2010 Larvik HK vs Viborg HK, EHF Champions League – Semi-final 27:26 (10:13) 10.04.2010 Viborg HK vs Larvik HK, EHF Champions League – Semi-final 27:21 (13:13) 24.02.2007 Viborg HK A/S vs Larvik HK, EHF Champions League – Group A 32:31 (17:14) 20.01.2007 Larvik HK vs Viborg HK A/S, EHF Champions League – Group A 31:19 (13:7) 29.01.2006 Viborg HK A/S vs Larvik HK, EHF Champions League – Group A 30:27 (15:17) 15.01.2006 Larvik HK vs Viborg HK A/S, EHF Champions League – Group A 23:31 (13:16)

Kuban vs ES Besançon Feminin 1-0-1 (52:48) 08.11.1997 "Kuban" Krasnodar vs E. S. Besancon, Cup Winners's Cup – 1/8 finals 33:22 (17:10) 16.11.1997 E. S. Besancon vs "Kuban" Krasnodar, Cup Winners's Cup – 1/8 finals 26:19 (13:9)

No previous encounters in European competitions Larvik vs Kuban ES Besançon Feminin vs Viborg HK Viborg HK vs Kuban

36 GROUP C Larvik (NOR) For Larvik HK, life in European Cup handball has been the same as last year so far. Last season, the 19-time former Norwegian champions, who won the Women's EHF Champions League in 2010/11, finished fourth in their EHF Champions League group and continued in the Women's EHF Cup, where they reached the quarter-final and lost to Viborg HK.

This season, the pattern has repeated itself as Larvik finished fourth in Group A of the EHF Champions League and they are now entering the EHF Cup Group Phase. In Group C of the EHF Cup, Larvik will be up against Danish club Viborg HK, whom they have met in many an EHF Champions League match in the past, as well as Russian club Kuban and French club E.S Besancon Feminin.

New head coach Geir Oustorp, who took over from Tor Odvar Moen before this season started, is missing two key players – as he has been from almost the start of the season. Early in the season, playmaker Cassandra Tollbring tore her anterior cruciate ligament, while veteran , who is another crucial back court player for Larvik, is pregnant. This situation makes the coach cautious, but he remains rather optimistic before the group phase.

“We are in a strong group with good opponents. We lost against Viborg in the Playing hall quarter-final last year, and they still have a very strong team. Kuban have a young Boligmappa Arena Larvik team and a good coach. They are a team for the future. Besancon play a 5-1 in their Hoffsgate 6 defence, and we will have to see how we handle that," said Oustorp about Larvik's N-3262 Larvik rivals in Group C. Norway Capacity: 4,000 Road to the Group Phase

4th ranked from the EHF Champions League Group Matches Club Address: GROUP A Larvik HK @ L31:20 (16:8) Hoffs gate 6 vs Buducnost W23:22 (12:12) N-3262 Larvik vs Odense HC L25:33 (13:16) Norway @ Odense HC L27:23 (13:13) vs Metz Handball L21:31 (9:15) Media contact: @ Buducnost L26:25 (13:16) Bjørn Bjune +47 479 38800 Newcomers: [email protected] Mari Molid (Randers HK) Past achievements Karoline Lund (Aker) Online information: Yesminee Gluic (Follo) EHF Cup: Website: www.larvikhk.no Sara Møller (Follo) Runners-up (1): 1995/96 Quarter-final (1): 2017/18 Left the club: Kristine Breistøl (Team Esbjerg) Other Thea Mørk (Kobenhavn Handball – recently Champions League: winner 2010/11, Kit colours retired) runners-up 2014/15, 2012/13, semi-final Light 2001/02, 2003/04, 2009/10, 2011/12, Player shirt: white quarter-final 2000/01, 2002/03, 2006/07, Player short: red 2015/16, 2016/17 Goalkeeper shirt: green Dark Cup Winners‘ Cup: winner 2004/05, Player shirt: black 2007/08, runners-up 2008/09, semi-final Player short: black (2): 1996/97, 2005/06 Goalkeeper shirt: orange Norwegian league: 19 titles Norwegian cup: 17 titles

37 Larvik (NOR) Team roster No. First Name Surname Nat. Position Date of Birth Place of Birth Height 5 June Andenaes NOR Line Player 6/9/83 Gloppen, NOR 176 2 Ingrid Helene Bakkerud NOR Line Player 9/21/00 Tønsberg, NOR 163 30 Victoria Solli Berg NOR Goalkeeper 10/10/01 Oslo, NOR 177 28 Desiree Bergene NOR Line Player 10/15/01 Tønsberg, NOR 168 4 Mari Finstad Bergum NOR Back 3/16/98 Gjøvik, NOR 178 29 Julianne Bjornoe NOR Left Back 1/28/00 Skien, NOR 173 27 NOR Back 4/13/93 Oslo 176 19 Marte Siren Figenschau NOR Line Player 3/12/00 Drammen, NOR 180 12 Yasminee Gluic SWE Goalkeeper 5/5/97 Stockholm, SWE 175 25 Jenny Osnes Graesholt NOR Right Wing 1/5/89 Oslo, NOR 167 31 Mari Hansen NOR Left Back 6/6/01 Skien, NOR 173 32 Hedvig Riiser Hegge NOR Left Wing 3/8/01 Oslo, NOR 169 33 Ine-Victoria Hem-Jacobsen NOR Right Back 3/11/00 Tønsberg, NOR 165 23 Maria Hjertner NOR Right Back 7/3/96 Oslo, NOR 178 34 Martine Hvaara NOR Left Wing 5/24/00 Skien, NOR 170 35 Emilie Kristin Stoa Jensen NOR Line Player 4/9/01 Skien, NOR 171 36 Nora Hoyesen Jorgensen NOR Left Wing 5/27/00 Skien, NOR 171 11 Linn-Kristin Koren Riegelhuth NOR Right Wing 8/1/84 Lorenskog, NOR 178 7 Hege Loken NOR Right Wing 8/31/93 Ålesund, NOR 168 13 Sofie Lowe NOR Back 8/29/01 Skien, NOR 176 10 Karoline Lund NOR Left Back 5/31/99 Oslo, NOR 184 3 Sara Möller NOR Left Wing 2/26/94 Stavanger, NOR 167 8 Mari Kristine Søbstad Molid NOR Back 8/8/90 Trondheim, NOR 178 37 Thina Helene Kolas Oyesvold NOR Right Back 10/7/00 Skien, NOR 178 15 Guro Ramberg NOR Right Wing 8/4/01 Tønsberg, NOR 164 9 Mathilde Rivas Toft NOR Right Back 4/16/97 Lørenskog, NOR 171 38 Frida Evelina Rosenberg SWE Back 11/17/00 Skien, NOR 175 21 Tonje Roth Berglie NOR Left Wing 8/11/92 Tønsberg, NOR 168 1 Guro Rundbraten NOR Goalkeeper 4/18/90 Drammen, NOR 170 17 Tine Stange NOR Back 5/14/86 Tonsberg, NOR 178 39 Sara Steinbakken NOR Wing 2/20/01 Skien, NOR 170 22 Cassandra Tollbring SWE Back 3/19/93 Rimbo, SWE 170 72 Renee Warhaug NOR Goalkeeper 2/7/01 Flekkefjord, NOR 172 18 Martine Wolff NOR Line Player 6/20/96 Oslo, NOR 175

38 Larvik (NOR) Coach and key players profiles

Geir Oustorp Guro Rundbråten coach goalkeeper • became head coach in 2018 after being assistant • joined in the summer of 2017 from Glassverket, to Tor Odvar Moen in 2017/18 also played for Byåsen until 2013 • joined from Glassverket in the summer of 2017 • returned to active duty after cruciate ligament surgery in 2016 • also in charge of the Norwegian women’s U19 team • has played 48 junior international games for Norway • was a versatile backcourt player, who had 91 caps for the Norwegian national team • tall keeper with good reactions and a fine ability to read the shooters • calm and communicative coach with fine tactical skills

Mari Molid Sara Møller centre back left wing • returned to Larvik in the summer of 2018 after • joined from Norwegian league colleagues Follo in two years in Danish Randers HK the summer of 2018 • has represented three other Norwegian league • has got extra responsibility after Tonje Roth clubs, Kolstad, Levanger and Byasen as well Berglie is out for several months due to injury • inventive playmaker with a hard shot, and also a • was actually born in Larvik, but moved away with player with obvious defensive qualities her parents when she was very young • works as a physiotherapist besides playing • fast and technically skilled wing who also handball possesses considerable defensive qualities

EURO: G 2010, WCh: G 2011, 2015

39 GROUP C ES Besançon Feminin (FRA) E.S Besancon Feminin returned to European club competition last season after an eight- year absence. The French team had hoped to reach the Women’s EHF Cup group phase, but they were eliminated by Handball Club Lada in the Qualification Round 3. Besancon wanted to achieve more this season, and they have already succeeded. The team coached by Raphaëlle Tervel qualified for the group phase, which was their main goal for the current European season, after beating Fredrikstad Ballklubb and MKS Perla Lublin in the EHF Cup qualification.

However, they do not want to now relax and become complacent. “We are always focused on helping the team to progress match by match and do things better every day. Now that we are in the group phase every match will be important, and if we manage to finish in the top two of the group, it will be great.” said the 39-year-old coach Raphaëlle Tervel, who won the World Championship in 2003 with France in her playing days. She is perfectly aware that Besancon have been drawn into a tough group, so it will take a huge effort to advance to the quarter-final. “It will be complicated as we will face strong and experienced teams: Larvik coming from the Champions League, Viborg with their numerous international players and Kuban have a very experienced coach,” said Tervel.

Playing hall Besancon had the most successful period in the club's history in the early 2000s when Palais des Sports Besancon the team won a number of domestic competitions, which included French league titles 42 Avenue Leo Lagrange in 2001 and 2003, and reached the Cup Winners’ Cup final in 2003. Now they are excited 25 000 Besancon to play on the European stage again. “First of all, reaching the group stage means that France our team is continuing to progress. We will also have six more tough matches; very Capacity: 3,300 interesting for our young team which lacks international experience," said Raphaëlle Tervel.

Club Address: Road to the Group Phase E.S Besancon Feminin 42 Avenue Leo Lagrange / BP 5118 EHF Cup, Qualification Round 3 25003 Besancon Cedex 3 1st leg: @ MKS Perla Lublin D22:22 (11:11) France 2nd leg: vs MKS Perla Lublin W31:28 (16:14) Aggregate score: 53:50 Media contact: Gregory Tervel EHF Cup, Qualification Round 2 +33 381 473585 1st leg: vs Fredrikstad Ballklubb W31:23 (17:9) [email protected] 2nd leg: @ Fredrikstad Ballklubb W26:22 (13:14) Aggregate score: 53:49 Online information: Website: www.esbf.fr Newcomers: Past achievements Lara Gonzalez Ortega (Team Esbjerg) Lindsay Burlet (Brest Bretagne Handball) EHF Cup Monika Rajnohova (Le Havre) Quarter-finals: 1999/2000 Erika Rajnohova (Trencin) Last 16: 2003/04 Qualification: 2017/18 Kit colours Left the club: Light Ine Karlsen Stangvik (Molde) Other Player shirt: red Champions League: quarter-finals Player short: red 1998/99, group matches 2001/02, Goalkeeper shirt: yellow qualification: 2003/04 Cup Winners’ Cup: runners-up Dark 2002/03 Player shirt: dark Player short: dark French league: 4 titles (1988, 1998, Goalkeeper shirt: green 2001, 2003) French cup: 4 titles (2001, 2002, 2003, 2005)

40 ES Besançon Feminin (FRA) Team roster

No. First Name Surname Nat. Position Date of Birth Place of Birth Height 6 Chloe Bouquet FRA Left Wing 4/19/95 Morteau, FRA 165 66 Lindsay Burlet FRA Right Back 6/6/94 Villepinte, FRA 180 10 Louise Cusset FRA Line Player 6/25/98 Rueil Malmaison, FRA 182 17 Marine Dupuis FRA Left Wing 4/18/92 Pontarlier, FRA 165 30 Juliette Faure FRA Centre Back 10/23/99 Nimes, FRA 165 1 Roxanne Frank FRA Goalkeeper 1/14/98 Strasbourg 178 7 Alizee Frecon FRA Centre Back 7/6/94 Besançon, FRA 165 27 Lara Gonzalez Ortega ESP Left Back 2/22/92 Santa Pola, ESP 184 28 Lucie Granier FRA Right Wing 6/11/99 Nimes, FRA 165 19 Ilona Kieffer FRA Left Back 5/19/97 strasbourg, FRA 180 15 Amanda Kolczynski FRA Right Wing 8/10/93 angers, FRA 170 51 Aissatou Kouyate FRA Right Back 4/19/95 Clichy-la-Garenne 184 97 Alice Leveque FRA Left Back 5/9/89 Mulhouse, FRA 182 88 Maria Nuñez Nistal ESP Line Player 11/27/88 MOGAN (LAS PALMAS), ESP 172 72 Erika Rajnohova SVK Centre Back 8/1/98 Zilina, SVK 177 31 Monika Rajnohova SVK Centre Back 5/26/93 Zilina 173 23 Pauline Robert FRA Line Player 12/12/96 lure, FRA 170 16 Ine Stangvik Karlsen NOR Goalkeeper 4/4/90 Oslo, NOR 178 22 Zeljana Stojak CRO Goalkeeper 4/22/95 Ljubuski, CRO 184 32 Djeneba Toure MLI Back 10/22/97 Bougouni, MLI 170

41 ES Besançon Feminin (FRA) Coach and key players profiles

Raphaëlle Tervel Amanda Kolczynski coach right wing • her record is one of the most impressive • at 25, has never played for any other club than in French women’s handball: 2 CL, one world Besançon champion title and two European bronze medals • was part of the French national team which with France finished third at the EHF EURO 2016 • started coaching in 2015, Besançon is her first • elected best right winger of the French league club as a head coach in 2016 • her assistant is Sandrine Mariot-Delerce, another former French national player • has the reputation to help young talents grow up and become important players, which is what she’s done since she arrived

EC trophies: CL 2013, 2014 EURO: B 2016 EURO: B 2002, 2006, WCh: G 2003, S 2009, 2011

Chloe Bouquet Alizee Frecon left wing centre back • arrived in the club when she was 16 and has not • her mom was part of the Besançon team which moved since won the first trophy for the club in 1988, while her grandfather founded the club she now plays • at 23, is one of the brightest hopes on the left in wing for France • as a consequence, she started playing handball • still a student to become a special education as soon as she started walking teacher • aged 24, she’s part of the generation which learnt • played for France at the EHF Beach Handball everything in the club and is now playing for the EURO in 2017 first time in the EHF Cup group phase

42 GROUP C Viborg HK (DEN) There is no Danish handball club with a prouder tradition in women's handball than Viborg HK. Not only have the club from the central parts of Jutland won the Women's EHF Champions League three times, but this is the 26th season in a row that Viborg HK have participated in a European Cup competition. After progressing through all three qualification rounds, the team from one of Denmark's oldest towns are ready for the group phase of this season's Women's EHF Cup. After a poor start in the Danish league, which resulted in Jakob Vestergaard replacing Allan Heine as head coach, Viborg have improved considerably over the autumn. During qualification for the Women's EHF Cup Group Phase, they left no doubt as to their quality as they won all six matches. Head coach Jakob Vestergaard, who was also in charge of the team when the club won the EHF Champions League in 2008/09 and 2009/10, understands the importance for Viborg to be competing in Europe once again. “To Viborg HK, it is always important to be a part of the European tournaments. It is part of our DNA. I see the EHF Cup as having grown stronger over the past couple of years and, therefore, the tournament has become even more interesting for teams to Playing hall participate in,” said Jakob Vestergaard. Vibocold Arena Tingvej 5 8800 Viborg Road to the Group Phase Denmark Capacity: 2,863 EHF Cup, Qualification Round 3 1st leg: vs ZORK Jagodina W31:26 (15:8) 2nd leg: ZORK Jagodina W11:26 (5:14) Club Address: Aggregate score: 57:37 Viborg HK Tingvej 5, 1. sal EHF Cup, Qualification Round 2 8800 Viborg 1st leg: vs Buxtehuder SV W27:24 (10:14) Denmark 2nd leg: @ Buxtehuder SV W25:32 (11:16) Aggregate score: 59:49 Media contact: Rikke Sörensen EHF Cup, Qualification Round 1 +45 20 705712 1st leg: vs HC Galytchanka Lviv W33:22 (16:8) [email protected] 2nd leg: @ HC Galytchanka Lviv W22:33 (10:14) Aggregate score: 66:44 Online information: Website: www.vhk.dk Newcomers: Past achievements Ida-Marie Dahl (Ajax Copenhagen) Moa Högdahl (Byasen Handball Elite) EHF Cup Stine Andersen (TTH Holstebro), Winner (3): 1993/94, 1998/99, Pauline Boegelund (TTH Holstebro) 2004/04 Semi-final (1): 2017/18 Kit colours Left the club: Qualification Round 3 (1): 2016/17 Light Mathilde Storgaard (EH Aalborg) Player shirt: white Nikoline Lundgreen (TTH Holstebro) Other Player short: black Natasha Nolevska (Ringkøbing Handball) Champions League: winner 2005/06, Goalkeeper shirt: blue (retired) 2008/09, 2009/10, runners-up Sidsel Bodholt Nielsen (retired) 1996/97, 2000/01, semi-final Dark Clara Hoeg-Poulsen (retired) 2002/03, quarter-final 1997/98, Player shirt: green 2004/05, 2006/07, 2014/15 Player short: black Cup Winners’ Cup: winner 2013/14 Goalkeeper shirt: black Runners-up 2011/12 Danish league: 14 titles Danish cup: 10 titles

43 Viborg HK (DEN) Team roster

No. First Name Surname Nat. Position Date of Birth Place of Birth Height 7 Stine Andersen DEN Right Wing 3/25/93 Odense, DEN 166 22 Pauline Boegelund DEN Right Back 2/17/96 Egedal 178 1 Hanna Karin Daglund SWE Goalkeeper 4/3/94 Badelunda 179 31 Ida-Marie Moesgaard Dahl DEN Line Player 3/19/98 Hvidovre, DEN 174 45 Caroline Dalsager DEN Centre Back 8/10/99 Viborg, DEN 165 46 Camilla Kolding Gregersen DEN Right Wing 5/10/00 Viborg, DEN 170 14 Amalie Groen Hansen DEN Left Wing 10/30/96 Fredericia, DEN 170 11 DEN Left Back 11/11/94 Skive 177 54 Marianne Haugsted DEN Left Back 1/10/01 Skive, DEN 178 6 Moa Högdahl NOR Right Back 3/14/96 Trondheim 179 44 Clara Hoeg-Poulsen DEN Centre Back 5/26/98 Viborg, DEN 175 43 Anne Kjelstrup Hykkelbjerg DEN Line Player 1/16/00 Viborg, DEN 175 93 Line Uno Jensen DEN Centre Back 10/19/93 Kolding 179 47 Anne Ziegler Jörgensen DEN Centre Back 7/9/01 Viborg, DEN 160 10 Kristina Jörgensen DEN Left Back 1/17/98 Horsens 185 48 Mai Frank Laursen DEN Right Wing 3/31/01 Viborg, DEN 170 49 Maria Molgaard Lindberg DEN Centre Back 7/13/00 Viborg, DEN 168 50 Emma Simonsen Mark DEN Line Player 8/26/00 Viborg, DEN 170 62 Anne Sofie Moldrup Nielsen Filtenborg DEN Right Wing 12/30/98 Randers, DEN 179 9 Nielsen DEN Line Player 11/8/89 Aabenraa 180 23 Ann Grete Norgaard Osterballe DEN Left Wing 9/15/83 Viborg, DEN 162 24 Josephine Nordstrom Skov Olsen DEN Goalkeeper 5/7/98 Køge, DEN 185 51 Julie Stokkendal Poulsen DEN Goalkeeper 6/6/01 Viborg, DEN 170 12 Rikke VestergaardPoulsen DEN Goalkeeper 4/20/86 Holstebro 177 52 Caroline Hojer Sörensen DEN Left Back 1/23/01 Bjerringbro, DEN 165 8 Carin Strömberg SWE Centre Back 7/10/93 Nacka 184 53 Julie Thinggaard DEN Left Wing 3/18/00 Viborg, DEN 160

44 Viborg HK (DEN) Coach and key players profiles

Jakob Vestergaard coach goalkeeper • in September 2018 he returned to Viborg, whom • has been playing in Viborg since 2014, when she he steered to two CL titles in 2009 and 2010 joined from another league club, Vejen EH • had two stints in Romania, after coaching Oltchim • also represented TTH Holstebro and SK Aarhus in Râmnicu Vâlcea in the 2013/14 season he was the Danish league also at the helm of CSM Bucuresti in 2016 • gave birth to a boy in July 2017, but is back on • also the technical director for CSM between 2014 court now and 2015, when he left to coach Germany’s • used to be a regular in the Danish national team national team before her maternity leave • assistant coach at FC Midtjylland between 2011 • known for movability and her fast reactions and 2012 • had a one-month stint as a coach of a men’s team, Aalborg in 2011

EC trophies: CL 2009, 2010 WCh: B 2013

Kristina Jørgensen Pauline Bøgelund left back right player • joined from league rivals Skanderborg Håndbold • joined from Danish league rivals TTH Holstebro in in the summer of 2017 the summer of 2018 • has played 25 internationals for Denmark, as left • has played seven internationals for Denmark, back as well as in the playmaker position most of them as right wing, however • despite only being 20 years old, she has • tall and movable type of backcourt player with already developed into a backcourt player of an a good variety of shots, good one-on-one and at internationally high level break-throughs • with her 186 cm, she is very tall for a female • works in the office by the local police besides her handball player, and she is good at using her handball career height to shoot above the defence and make her shot hard to read for the goalkeeper • very versatile backcourt player with a huge shooting repertoire

45 GROUP C Kuban (RUS) For the traditionally strong Russian clubs, qualification for the Women’s EHF Cup was extremely disappointing this season. While Handball Club Lada, Zvezda Zvenigorod and Astrakhanochka were all eliminated, Kuban became the only team from Russia to successfully qualify for the group phase.

Kuban were also on the brink of failure in Qualification Round 3 after a home loss to Mecalia Atletico Guardes (27:26), but they turned the tie around in the second leg in Spain (33:31) and squeezed into the group phase with a one-goal aggregate win.

“We participate in the EHF Cup Group Phase for the third year in a row, and we are the only team in Europe who does it. It is very important for us because competing with the strongest teams is beneficial for our club,” said Kuban’s head coach Evgenii Trefilov. The 63-year-old is also Russia’s national coach – and the Russian team finished as runners- up at the Women’s EHF EURO 2018 in France. Three Kuban players – Yaroslava Frolova, Antonina Skorobogatchenko and Ekaterina Barkalova – received EHF EURO silver medals.

Now the focus for those involved in the EHF EURO returns to the club competitions, including the EHF Cup. Two years ago, Kuban progressed from the group phase to the quarter-final, where they lost against SG BBM Bietigheim. However, last season the Russian side took third place in their group, finishing behind eventual EHF Cup winners SCM Craiova and Brest Bretagne Handball. Playing hall Palace of Sports "Olimp" Krasnodar Beregovaja str. 144 Road to the Group Phase 350007 Krasnodar, Russia Capacity: 2,500 EHF Cup, Qualification Round 3 1st leg: vs Mecalia Atletico Guardes L26:27 (14:16) 2nd leg: @ Mecalia Atletico Guardes W31:33 (11:16) Club Address: Aggregate score: 59:58 Kuban Radio str., 5 EHF Cup, Qualification Round 2 350038 Krasnodar 1st leg: vs BNTU-BeIAZ Minsk Reg. W29:22 (15:12) Russia 2nd leg: @ BNTU-BeIAZ Minsk Reg. W20:25 (12:18) Aggregate score: 54:42 Media contact: Sergey Valter Newcomers: +7 861 2591121 Olga Bashkirova (Rostov-Don) Past achievements [email protected] Ekaterina Levchina (Zvezda Zvenigorod) Mariia Dudina (Zvezda Zvenigorod) EHF Cup Online information: Quarter-final (4): 2008/09, 2009/10, Website: www.whckuban.ru Left the club: 2012/13, 2016/17 Liubov Arishina (retired) Last 16 (1): 2010/11 Ekaterina Fanina (SV Union Halle-Neustadt) Group phase (1): 2017/18 Margarita Kushnir (AGU-Adiyif) Round 3 (2): 2002/03, 2007/08 Irina Mikhaylyuta (Handball Club Lada) Julia Nalivko (Ankara Yenimahalle BSK) Other Kit colours Alina Sinelnikova (Zvezda Zvenigorod) Cup Winners’ Cup: Final 1999/2000 Light Snezhana Makhneva (retired) quarter-final 1997/98, 1998/99, Player shirt: yellow Elizaveta Sobina (Stavropolie) 2000/01 Player short: green City Cup: semi-final 1995/96, quarter- Goalkeeper shirt: red final 1996/97

Dark Russian league: 2 titles (1989, 1992) Player shirt: green Russian cup: 1 title (1988) Player short: green Goalkeeper shirt: blue

46 Kuban (RUS) Team roster

No. First Name Surname Nat. Position Date of Birth Place of Birth Height 88 Liubov Arishina RUS Centre Back 5/7/88 Samara, RUS 177 66 Ekaterina Barkalova RUS Left Back 6/5/95 Kropotkin, RUS 182 21 Olga Bashkirova RUS Left Wing 1/11/95 Novotsimlyanskaya, RUS 174 4 Alexandra Davidenko RUS Left Wing 7/7/98 Timashevsk, RUS 169 34 Adelina Davletbaeva RUS Left Wing 10/20/99 Lesozavodsk, RUS 170 31 Elizaveta Diachenko RUS Goalkeeper 2/3/01 RUS 64 Mariia Dudina RUS Right Wing 10/22/98 Saint-Petesburg, RUS 181 24 Anna Efimkina RUS Right Wing 1/25/99 Krymsk, RUS 173 77 Yaroslava Frolova RUS Centre Back 5/18/97 Volgograd, RUS 178 10 Julia Gariaeva RUS Right Back 5/24/96 Primorsko-Axtarsk, RUS 180 11 Yulia Golikova RUS Right Back 2/24/97 Ufa, RUS 186 7 Diana Golub RUS Right Wing 11/25/92 Krasnodar, RUS 172 1 Victoriia Kalinina RUS Goalkeeper 12/8/88 Krasnodar Reg, RUS 183 12 Polina Kaplina RUS Goalkeeper 8/16/99 Irkutsk, RUS 179 97 Valeriia Khristenko RUS Goalkeeper 2/14/97 Krasnodar, RUS 185 71 Ekaterina Levchina RUS Left Wing 1/12/00 Saint-Retersburg, RUS 172 19 Ekaterina Matlashova RUS Line Player 9/25/94 Astrakhan, RUS 181 70 Alina Moroz RUS Left Wing 12/22/97 Krasnodar, RUS 165 33 Milana Rzaeva RUS Right Wing 11/25/98 Krasnodar, RUS 175 99 Victoria Samarskaya RUS Goalkeeper 2/15/94 Krasnodar, RUS 182 5 Lada Samoilenko RUS Left Back 6/10/98 Tikhoretsk, RUS 174 8 Iana Savinova RUS Left Wing 1/3/91 Samarskaya, RUS 169 39 Antonina Skorobogatchenko RUS Right Back 2/14/99 volgograd, RUS 181 22 Valentina Vernigorova RUS Line Player 6/15/97 Volgograd, RUS 185 17 Liudmila Vydrina RUS Left Back 9/18/96 Krasnodar, RUS 188 20 Viktoriya Zhilinskayte RUS Left Back 3/6/89 Uray, RUS 188

47 Kuban (RUS) Coach and key players profiles

Evgenii Trefilov Yaroslava Frolova coach centre back • one of the most renowned and experienced • born in Volgograd, she played as a goalkeeper and coaches in the present-day handball wing as a child • moved to Kuban from Astrakhanochka in • started her career at Dinamo Volgograd before the summer of 2016, after helping the team moving to Kuban in 2017 from Astrakhan to win the Russian League • silver medalist and MVP of the IHF Junior World • has been coaching Russia national team since Championship in 2016 1999, with a brief interruption in the 2012/13 • EURO 2018 was her first major tournament with season, and led them to a number of titles Russia national team • known for his temper and emotional style of coaching

EC trophies: CL 2008, Cup Winners’ Cup 2002, EHF Cup 2007, 2012 EURO: S 2018 OG: G 2016, EURO: S 2018, WCh: G 2001, 2005, 2007, 2009

Diana Golub Antonina Skorobogatchenko right wing right back • the 26-year-old is one of very few home-grown • the 19-year-old is one of the biggest Russian players at Kuban talents • following the departure of many experienced • like Frolova, she was born in Volgograd and players n 2016, she became one of the key figures started her career at local Dinamo and top scorers of the team • moved to Kuban in 2017 • known as Diana Zakaryan before the current • at the age of 17, she already played for senior season, she changed her last name after marrying Russia national team at EURO 2016 Alexei Golub, an ex-player of SKIF Krasnodar

EURO: S 2018

48 Group D head-to-heads Historic encounters of the Group D opponents in the EC

RK Podravka Vegeta vs SCM Craiova 1-0-0 (21:22) 09.09.2018 SCM Craiova vs RK Podravka Vegeta, EHF Champions League, Qualification Tournaments - Group 2 21:22 (14:12)

RK Podravka Vegeta vs Super Amara Bera Bera 3-0-3 (177:163) 17.11.2013 Balonmano Bera Bera vs RK Podravka Vegeta, EHF Champions League - Group D 28:19 (11:11) 12.10.2013 RK Podravka Vegeta vs Balonmano Bera Bera, EHF Champions League - Group D 29:18 (14:7) 18.02.2006 Podravka Vegeta vs AKABA Bera Bera, EHF Cup - 1/8 final 35:26 (19:9) 11.02.2006 AKABA Bera Bera vs Podravka Vegeta, EHF Cup - 1/8 final 32:29 (16:12) 17.01.2004 Bera Bera S.Sebastian vs Podravka Vegeta, EHF Cup - Round 3 32:31 (15:14) 10.01.2004 Podravka Vegeta vs Bera Bera S.Sebastian, EHF Cup - Round 3 34:27 (15:15)

No previous encounters in European competitions RK Podravka Vegeta vs Nykobing Falster Handbold SCM Craiova vs Super Amara Bera Bera SCM Craiova vs Nykobing Falster Handbold Super Amara Bera Bera vs Nykobing Falster Handbold

49 GROUP D HC Podravka Vegeta (CRO) After a three-year absence, HC Podravka Vegeta played in the Women's EHF Champions League Group Matches this season, but the Croatian side finished bottom of their group and will now continue their European campaign in Group D of the Women's EHF Cup. In the summer, the club brought in a number of new players as well as a new coach Zlatko Saracevic, hoping to do well in the continental top flight.

After a good start with three points in as many matches, Podravka lost their final three matches and missed the chance to progress to the main round. Finishing level with Thüringer HC on three points, they ended up behind the German team due to an inferior head-to-head record.

Despite the obvious disappointment, Saracevic now focuses on the next challenge: "The Women's EHF Cup is also one of the most respectable elite club competitions in Europe. After the group matches of the Champions League, we are glad to have an opportunity to continue the season in European competition. We have a chance to get more experience for our team, especially for young players."

The 24-time Croatian champions HC Podravka Vegeta have been drawn in a strong group with defending EHF Cup champions SCM Craiova along with former Women's EHF Champions League participants Nykøbing Falster Håndbold - NFH and Super Playing hall Amara Bera Bera. "Our opponents are strong and respectable teams, and every game Sports Hall Fran Galovic will be hard. We will try to finish among the top two teams in the group, and if we do Zeljka Selingera bb it, then we will go step by step," said Saracevic. 48000 Koprivnica Croatia Road to the Group Phase Capacity: 2,500 4th ranked from the EHF Champions League Group Matches GROUP C Club Address: @ Thüringer HC W26:28 (11:12) HC Podravka Vegeta vs Györi Audi ETO KC L27:33 (15:17) Zeljka Selingera 3A vs RK Krim Mercator D27:27 (15:13) 48000 Koprivnica @ RK Krim Mercator L27:20 (14:10) Croatia vs Thüringer HC L23:31 (10:14) @ Györi Audi ETO KC L37:17 (17:9) Media contact: Bozica Palcic EHF Champions League Qualification tournament 2 +385 98 831463 Semi-final: vs Muratpasa Belediyesi SK W35:22 (18:12) [email protected] Final: vs SCM Craiova W21:22 (14:12) Newcomers: Online information: Past achievements Website: www.rk-podravka.hr Maria Holesova (IUVENTA Michalovce) Karyna Yezhykava (DVSC-TVP Debrecen) Natalia Chigirinova (Astrakhanochka) EHF Cup: Jovana Risovic (Kecskemeti KSE) Runners-up (2): 2000/01, 2005/06 Selena Milosević (Maccabi Rishonu) Quarter-finals (1): 2001/02 Dejana Milosavljevic (ZRK Koka) Last 16 (1): 2003/04 Kit colours Nikolina Zadravec (ZRK Bjelovar) Other Light Player shirt: red/white Left the club: Champions League: winner 1995/96 Player short: red Ivana Kapitanoviс (Metz Handball) Runners-up 1994/95, semi-finals 1997/98, Goalkeeper shirt: white/turquoise-blue Dora Krsnik (RK Krim Merkator) quarter-finals 1996/97 Ivana Dezic (SPR Pogon Baltica Szczecin) Dark Marijeta Vidak (SCM Gloria Buzau) Player shirt: blue Cup Winners‘ Cup: runners-up 2004/05, Elena Nemaskalo (retired) Player short: blue/black semi-finals 2007/08 Ana Toth (RK Tresnjevka) Goalkeeper shirt: black Magdalena Horvat (ZRK Bjelovar) Croatian league: 24 titles Lara Pavlović (ZRK Bjelovar) Croatian cup: 23 titles

50 HC Podravka Vegeta (CRO) Team roster

No. First Name Surname Nat. Position Date of Birth Place of Birth Height 29 Natalia Chigirinova RUS Centre Back 7/20/93 Togliatti, RUS 171 31 Ana Debelic CRO Line Player 1/9/94 Rijeka, CRO 183 9 Dragica Dzono CRO Line Player 5/24/87 Mostar, BIH 186 16 Magdalena Ecimovic CRO Goalkeeper 7/24/98 SPLIT, CRO 182 14 Lea Franusic CRO Right Back 9/7/00 DUBROVNIK, CRO 182 4 Maria Holesova SVK Left Wing 4/24/93 Zilina 163 30 Alena Ikhneva RUS Left Back 7/30/95 Novotroïtsk, RUS 183 5 Korina Karlovcan CRO Left Wing 10/18/98 ZAGREB, CRO 168 10 Dejana Milosavljevic CRO Right Back 11/23/94 Pozega, CRO 173 8 Selena Milosevic CRO Centre Back 6/9/89 PULA, CRO 176 18 Tena Petika CRO Left Back 6/16/00 KOPRIVNICA, CRO 190 6 Elena Popovic CRO Line Player 5/29/00 KOPRIVNICA, CRO 180 12 Jovana Risovic SRB Goalkeeper 10/7/93 Beograd, SRB 171 1 Antonia Tucakovic CRO Goalkeeper 5/9/92 Split, CRO 172 3 Ana Turk CRO Right Wing 6/29/89 Jakarta, IDN 169 73 Karyna Yezhykava BLR Right Back 8/7/90 Babruysk, BLR 180 2 Nikolina Zadravec CRO Right Wing 9/2/97 CAKOVEC, CRO 168

51 HC Podravka Vegeta (CRO) Coach and key players profiles

Zlatko Saracevic Jovana Risovic coach goalkeeper • Croatian handball legend, who won Olympic gold • Serbian international who joined from Hungarian in 1996 DVSC-TVP • came to Podravka from PPD Zagreb, taking over • replaced Ivana Kapitanovic, who left the club to from Snjezana Petika, for his first coaching job join Metz in France with a women’s team • named best goalkeeper at Junior WCh 2012 • was assistant coach to Lino Cervar at Croatian • previously also played for Radnicki Kragujevac, national team during EHF EURO 2018 Maks, Randers and KNKSE • top scorer of CL twice (98/99, 99/00), and also twice named best Croatian player (1999, 2002)

OG: B 1988, G 1996, EURO: B 1994, WCh: G 1986, S 1995 WCh: S 2013

Alena Ikhneva Ana Turk left back right wing • joined Podravka midway through 2017/18 to • born in Jakarta, Indonesia, previously played for reinforce the left back position club rivals Lokomotiva Zagreb • at age 24, already an experienced Russian • 2017/18 was her first season after pregnancy, her international husband is a youth handball coach in Podravka • also played in France (Fleury Loiret Handball) and • also gained experience in Hungary, playing for FYR Macedonia (Vardar) Szekesfehervar and Vac • won EHF Cup (2013/14) with Togliatti, and played at three EHF FINAL4 events (14/15, 15/16, 16/17) with Vardar

EC trophies: EHF Cup 2014

52 GROUP D SCM Craiova (ROU) Nobody expected SCM Craiova to go all the way last season in the Women’s EHF Cup and win first trophy in their history. But Bogdan Burcea’s side did exactly that, becoming one of the biggest underdog stories ever in a European Cup competition. However, the target is now on their back, and with the team struggling to replace in time five influential players who had departed, the pre-season did not exactly help Craiova live up to their expectations.

“We are not thinking about winning the EHF Cup this time. We are just thinking of playing good and helping our young players improve,” said Bogdan Burcea, Craiova’s coach, before the start of the group phase.

Surely, the fans will flock to the arena again to create one of the finest atmospheres in the competition, but the team looks severely weakened after goalkeeper Yuliya Dumanska and playmaker Andreea Pricopi left to join SCM Ramnicu Valcea, while experienced left wing Valentina Elisei, the vice-captain of the Romanian national side, chose Gloria Bistrita. As a result, Craiova had chemistry issues in both the national league – where they sit fifth after nine matches – and in the Women’s EHF Playing hall Champions League’s Qualification Tournament, where they lost the decisive game Sala Polivalenta Craiova against HC Podravka Vegeta, 22:21, despite holding a three-goal lead during the first Bvd. Stirbei Voda, No. 32 half. Craiova Romania “There are many new faces in our team, and I expect them to be more experienced Capacity: 4,215 after the tough clashes in this group while our more experienced players help guide them through this process,” added Burcea. The Romanian side added some much- Club Address: needed experience at the end of December, signing Brazilian duo Deonise Fachinello SCM Craiova and Mariana Costa from Magura Cisnadie. Ana Maria Ticu’s injury will surely hamper Cod Fiscal 21119218 the creativity and the attacking nous of the Romanian team, but as was highlighted Brestei, Nr. 4 in their win against Borussia Dortmund in Qualification Round 3 (38:35), Craiova’s 200581 Craiova defence is once again their best weapon. Romania Road to the Group Phase Media contact: EHF Cup, Qualification Round 3 Petrisor Albu 1st leg: @ Borussia Dortmund W17:19 (9:9) [email protected] 2nd leg: vs Borussia Dortmund W19:18 (10:9) Aggregate score: 38:25 Online information: Website: www.scmcraiova.ro Newcomers: Past achievements Ekaterina Dzhukeva (Kisvardai KC), Timea Tatar (Corona Brasov), Ana-Maria EHF Cup Tanasie (SCM Ramnicu Valcea), Andrea Winners: 2017/18 Seric (Kastamonu Belediyesi GSK), Elena Gjorgjievska (Alba Fehérvár), Bianca Other Kit colours Curment (SCM Timisoara) Cup Winners' Cup: 2015/16 Last 16 Light Left the club: Player shirt: white Romanian league: - Yuliya Dumanska (SCM Ramnicu Player short: black Romanian cup: - (runners-up 2017) Goalkeeper shirt: yellow/deep blue Valcea), Dana Pricopi (SCM Ramnicu Valcea), Bobana Klikovac (FTC-Rail Dark Cargo Hungaria), Valentina Ardean- Player shirt: blue Elisei (Gloria Bistrita), Nicoleta Tudor Player short: black (Dunarea Braila), Aura Popescu (HC Goalkeeper shirt: red/white Zalau), Cristina Lung (HC Zalau)

53 SCM Craiova (ROU) Team roster

No. First Name Surname Nat. Position Date of Birth Place of Birth Height 19 Alexandra Ionela Colac ROU Left Wing 1/19/98 MOTRU, ROU 169 12 Bianca Tomina Curment ROU Goalkeeper 6/12/97 FILIASI, ROU 182 1 Ekaterina Dzhukeva BUL Goalkeeper 5/8/88 Dupnistsa, BUL 186 18 Elena Gjeorgjievska MKD Right Back 3/27/90 Struga 179 2 Maria Andreea Ianasi ROU Right Back 12/2/92 Tirgu Carbunesti, ROU 170 14 Zeljka Nikolic SRB Right Wing 7/12/91 Priboj, SRB 168 6 Carmen Gabriela Selaru ROU Left Wing 9/24/91 Caracal, ROU 170 15 Andrea Seric CRO Line Player 8/3/85 Split, CRO 184 16 Florentina Stanciu ISL Goalkeeper 7/28/82 CRAIOVA, ROU 184 55 Beatrice Lorena Stoican ROU Right Back 7/29/98 CRAIOVA, ROU 174 9 Ana-Maria Tanasie ROU Left Wing 4/6/95 Hunedoara, ROU 172 23 Timea Judita Tatar ROU Line Player 7/28/89 Baia Mare, ROU 175 11 Ana Maria Ticu ROU Centre Back 2/23/92 Rimnicu Vilcea, ROU 170 5 Jelena Trifunovic SRB Right Back 8/4/91 Kraljevo, SRB 182 88 Patricia Maria Vizitiu ROU Right Back 10/15/88 Petrosani, ROU 176 89 Florina Cristina Zamfir ROU Left Back 9/29/89 Slatina, ROU 184

54 SCM Craiova (ROU) Coach and key players profiles

Bogdan Burcea Ekaterina Dzhukeva coach goalkeeper • former Corona Brasov coach, one of the most • a globetrotter, Dzhukeva has played in Iceland, respected coaches in Romania Spain, Norway, Poland and Hungary • once was assistant coach under • started playing handball at age eight and moved at the Romanian national team to Iceland when she was only 17 • started working under Tadici again at the • her brother, Yanko Dzhukev, is a basketball player women’s under-21 team in December 2017 but • once had save rate of 75% at Spanish side Marina left after six months Park Santander, prompting sponsors to put • became honorary citizen of Craiova after the up billboards in the town saying “she stops team won the Women’s EHF Cup in 2017/18 everything”

Cristina Zamfir Elena Gjeorgievska left back right back • started with handball at age 11, and initially • joined Craiova in the summer of 2018 from played as a goalkeeper Fehervar KC • prefers the number 89 on her jersey, the year she • is in her second stint in Romania, after playing for was born Baia Mare between 2014 and 2016 • top scorer of the Romanian League in 2016/17, • the Macedonian national team player is going with 186 goals into her 10th CL season • second-best top scorer in EHF Cup 2017/18, with • has won the competition once, while playing for 69 goals, nine less than Linn Jorum Sulland Buducnost in 2012

EC trophies: EHF Cup 2018 EC trophies: CL 2012

55 GROUP D Super Amara Bera Bera (ESP) In the two previous seasons, Super Amara Bera Bera tried to reach the Women’s EHF Cup Group Phase, but they stumbled against Brest Bretagne Handball in Qualification Round 3 in 2016/17 and against Kastamonu Belediyesi GSK in Qualification Round 2 in 2017/18. The Spanish champions started this season in the continental top flight but were unable to qualify for the group matches. However, Bera Bera did better in the Women’s EHF Cup, beating Hungary’s Dunaújvárosi Kohász KA in Qualification Round 3 to reach the group phase.

“For Bera Bera, playing in the group phase is a goal fulfilled. In the last two years, we were eliminated by powerful teams in the qualification and our desire was to be among the best 16 teams. We want to enjoy this phase,” said head coach Imanol Alvarez. Bera Bera are possibly the underdogs in a competitive Group D. They will meet HC Podravka Vegeta, who started the season in the Women’s EHF Champions League, current title holders SCM Craiova and Danish club Nykøbing Falster Håndbold, who are seen by head coach Alvarez as favourites for this season’s Women's EHF Cup alongside Siófok KC Hungary and SG BBM Bietigheim.

However, the Spanish team’s coach does not intend to give up before the start. “Once we are in the group, our next goal is to reach the quarter-final,” he said. Playing hall “Our group has some high-level teams. However, our injured players are going to Polideportivo Jose A. GASCA recover. Let’s play without pressure and we can surprise you,” added Alvarez. Indeed, Paseo de Anoeta, 8 Bera Bera can now rely again on right wing Maitane Etxeberria and left back Nora 20 014 San Sebastián Azurmendi who were sidelined earlier in the season due to injuries. On the other Spain hand, Brazilian right back Priscila Dos Santos has undergone an operation and will not Capacity: 2,448 be able to play in the group phase.

Club Address: Super Amara Bera Bera Road to the Group Phase Travesia Rodil, 8 20013 Donostia/Gipuzkoa EHF Cup, Qualification Round 3 Spain 1st leg: @ Dunaújvárosi Kohász KA W18:26 (11:12) 2nd leg: vs Dunaújvárosi Kohász KA L22:23 (11:10) Media contact: Aggregate score: 48:41 Tatiana Garmendia Lopez +34 670 274540 [email protected] Newcomers: Past achievements Judith Sans (FC Midtjylland), Nekane Terés Online information: (Aula Alimentos de Valladolid), Yunisleidy EHF Cup Website: www.balonmanoberabera. Camejo Rodriguez (Helvetia Alcobendas), Last 16 (4): 2004/05, 2005/06, 2011/12, com Priscila Dos Santos (Kielce), Renata Arruda 2014/15 (Liberbank Gijon), (SG Round 4 (2): 2001/02, 2002/03 BBM Bietigheim) Round 3 (4): 2000/01, 2003/04, 2008/09, Kit colours 2015/16 Left the club: Qualification (2): 2016/17, 2017/18 Light Silvia Ederra (Sporting La Rioja), Ane Encina Player shirt: black (HGB Prosetecnisa Zuazo), Andrea Zaldua Other Player short: black (Aiala Zarautz), Giulia Guarieiro (KH7 Champions League: group matches Goalkeeper shirt: yellow BM Granollers), Ligia Costa (US Altkirch), 2013/14, qualification tournament Dark Monica Ausas (Balonmano La Roca) 2012/13, 2016/17, 2018/19 Player shirt: orange Cup Winners' Cup: semi-final 2007/08 Player short: black quarter-final 1996/97, 2012/13 Goalkeeper shirt: green Spanish league: 5 titles Spanish cup: 5 titles

56 Super Amara Bera Bera (ESP) Team roster No. First Name Surname Nat. Position Date of Birth Place of Birth Height 27 Silvia Arderíus Martin ESP Centre Back 7/11/90 Madrid, ESP 168 3 Esther Arrojeria Arantzazistroke ESP Centre Back 2/11/94 USURBIL (GIPUZKOA), ESP 164 22 Estitxu Berasategui Eizaguire ESP Left Back 8/7/99 Usurbil (Gipuzkoa), ESP 181 23 Yunisleidy Camejo Rodriguez CUB Line Player 2/15/90 Pinar del Rio, CUB 179 21 Adriana Cardoso de Castro BRA Right Wing 10/29/90 FORTALEZA, BRA 167 38 Mercedes Castellanos Soanez ESP Goalkeeper 7/21/88 Ciudad Real, ESP 183 87 Renata Lais de Arruda BRA Goalkeeper 2/18/99 Recife, BRA 179 33 Priscila Eduardo Dos Santos BRA Right Back 11/18/93 Virghina, BRA 178 15 Maitane Etxeberria Martinez ESP Right Wing 1/15/97 Lezo (Gipuzkoa), ESP 168 7 Uxue Ezkurdia Álvarez ESP Left Wing 1/22/94 Donostia -San Sebastián, ESP 162 89 Fernanda Franca da Silva BRA Left Wing 9/25/89 Sao Bernardo, BRA 177 13 Elke Josseline Karsten ARG Left Back 5/15/95 Corrientes, ARG 177 8 Alba Menéndez Martínez ESP Right Back 11/14/91 Zarautz (Gipuzkoa), ESP 170 4 Judith Sans Serra ESP Line Player 3/31/94 Ascò (Tarragona), ESP 176 6 Nekane Terés Rodanes ESP Line Player 1/5/92 Andosilla (Navarra), ESP 170 16 Maite Zugarrondo Etxeberria ESP Goalkeeper 5/4/89 Pamplona (Navarra), ESP 173

57 Super Amara Bera Bera (ESP)

Coach and key players profiles

Imanol Alvarez Mercedes Castellanos coach goalkeeper • won the treble (championship, cup, Super Cup) • joined Bera Bera in 2017/18 and immediately won with Bera Bera in 2013/14 her first club trophy, the Spanish title • returned to the club in 2018 to replace Montse • best goalkeeper of World University Puche Championship 2016 after winning title with Spain • dedicated entire career to Basque teams, only • names Javier Hombrados, David Barrufet and coaching in Bera Bera and men’s team Arrate Arpad Sterbik as her favourite goalkeepers • is also coach of Spanish junior women’s team • her dream is to represent Spain at the Olympic since 2017 Games one day • EURO in France 2018 was her first big tournament with the national team

Silvia Arderius Maitane Etcheberria centre back right wing • MVP of Liga Iberdrola 2017/18 • raised in Bera-Bera, had the official debut with the first team in 2013 at only 16 years of age • in 2016/17, while playing for Aula Valladolid, was named best centre back and top scorer of Spanish • best right wing of Liga Iberdrola 2017/18 league with 198 goals • played for Guerreras first team since 2017, but • since she arrived in Bera Bera in the summer of she played in all younger age categories before 2017, she is not scoring goals as much as she did • one of the promises of Spanish Handball missed in the past, but she is still a key player for the the EHF EURO in France due to finger injury Basque team thanks to her intelligence on the court • had a limited participation at the EHF EURO 2018 with just 33 minutes • her debut with the Spanish National Team was in 2014 for a EHF EURO qualification but she did not get another call until 2017.

58 GROUP D Nykøbing Falster Handbold (DEN) In the 2016/17 season, Nykøbing Falster Håndbold – NFH made a successful debut in Europe. In the same season, the team from the far south of Denmark reached the semi- final of the Women's EHF Cup and won the Danish championship for the first time.

After last season’s EHF Champions League adventure which took them to the main round of the competition, Nykøbing are back in the EHF Cup this season and have qualified for the group phase. The team from the island of Falster are chasing the championship play- offs in the Danish league as well as a ticket for the knockout stage in the EHF Cup. Naturally, their next objective is to qualify from the group phase.

“We hope to become at least number two in the group, but there are no expectations whatsoever because we do not quite know our opponents well enough. All the teams in the group phase have quality, and it will, therefore, be a long and hard tournament until the end”, said Nykøbing's head coach Jakob Larsen – who sees huge potential for development in taking part in the EHF Cup.

“From my point of view, the level is just going up on a lot of the women’s teams all over Europe. We look forward to playing the group matches and will do everything we can do to qualify for the quarter-finals. If we do so, I think the club can benefit from it according Playing hall to sponsors and the overall set-up in our club,” said Larsen. Power Arena Nr. Boulevard 4 A The Nykøbing team are still built around playmaker , and the team's 4800 Nykøbing performances have improved again after she returned from being sidelined with a Denmark broken hand. While Kristiansen is back at full strength, however, Nykøbing are weakened Capacity: 1,515 without Swedish left back due to pregnancy.

Club Address: Road to the Group Phase Nykøbing Falster Håndbold Guldborgsund Håndbold ApS EHF Cup, Qualification Round 3 Ryttervænget 12 1st leg: vs H 65 Höörs HK L27:24 (14:15) 4800 Nykøbing F. 2nd leg: @ H 65 Höörs HK W23:27 (10:16) Denmark Aggregate score: 54:47

Media contact: EHF Cup, Qualification Round 2 Kristian Jakobsen 1st leg: @ IUVENTA Michalovce W26:29 (12:14) [email protected] 2nd leg: vs IUVENTA Michalovce W29:22 (16:11) Aggregate score: 58:48 Online information: Website: www.nfh.dk Newcomers: Past achievements Sakura Hauge (Vipers Kristiansand), Isabella Fazekas Jakobsen (Ajax EHF Cup København), (VOC Semi-final: 2016/17 Amsterdam), Line Skak (TTH Holstebro), Yui Sunami (Japan)) Kit colours Other Light Left the club: Champions League : Main round 2017/18 Player shirt: yellow Mie Sørensen (Molde HK), Sarah Iversen Player short: blue (HIH Herning Ikast), Tiril Merg (Skrim Danish league: 1 title (2016/2017) Goalkeeper shirt: dark blue Kongsberg), Celine Lundbye (Aarhus Danish Super Cup: 1 title (2017) Dark United) Player shirt: blue Player short: blue Goalkeeper shirt: red

59 Nykøbing Falster Handbold (DEN) Team roster

No. First Name Surname Nat. Position Date of Birth Place of Birth Height 32 DEN Goalkeeper 1/19/92 Holbæk, DEN 187 1 Sakura Hauge NOR Goalkeeper 1/7/87 Bergen, NOR 174 48 Dione Housheer NED Right Back 9/26/99 Gendringen, NED 178 21 Ayaka Ikehara JPN Right Wing 9/24/90 OKINAWA, JPN 157 14 Isabella Fazekas Jakobsen DEN Back 12/24/97 Copenhagen, DEN 183 79 Kristina Kristiansen DEN Centre Back 7/13/89 Hoje Taastrup, DEN 163 19 SWE Line Player 10/16/93 Lund, SWE 174 97 Line Skak Lindegaard Nielsen DEN Line Player 4/6/97 Ikast-Brande, DEN 186 2 Matilde Kondrup Nielsen DEN Left Wing 2/9/95 Farsø, DEN 182 24 Sofie Amalie Olsen DEN Right Wing 2/16/95 Frederiksberg, DEN 178 22 Laerke Nolsoe Pedersen DEN Left Wing 2/19/96 Aalborg, DEN 164 16 Mette Sahlholdt DEN Goalkeeper 7/22/77 Svendborg, DEN 179 4 Yui Sunami JPN Right Back 6/7/91 Okayama, JPN 162 39 Angelica Wallén SWE Right Back 4/11/86 Sundsvall, SWE 172 3 Emelie Westberg SWE Centre Back 4/6/90 Nacka, SWE 179 5 Johanna Westberg SWE Left Back 4/6/90 Nacka, SWE 186

60 Nykøbing Falster Handbold (DEN) Coach and key players profiles

Jakob Larsen Lærke Nolsø coach left wing • joined Nykøbing on a three-year contract in • joined from Danish league rivals TTH Holstebro in 2017 from men’s league club GOG the summer of 2016 • born in Greenland and a former key player in • has developed into a regular in the Danish Greenland’s national team national team, where she is usually backup for Fie Woller in the left wing position • was a versatile back court player, and an uncompromising defender in his playing days • fast and effective wing with a great variety of shots • coaching women for the first time in his career • with her only 22 years of age, she still has plenty of potential for development. • living together with former national team player and CL winner Kamilla Kristensen, with whom he has two sons

Yui Sunami Kristina Kristiansen right back centre back • joined from Japanese league club Hokkuko Bank • joined Nykøbing in the summer of 2015 from in the summer of 2018 Holstebro • regular in the Japanese national team • left her home near Copenhagen at the age of 17 to move to the other end of the country • only 163 cm tall, but compensates through speed, to play for Holstebro, whom she represented for great feints and by being good one against one eight years • one of three Japanese internationals in Nykøbing, • used to be a key player in the Danish national goalkeeper Sakura Hauge and right wing Ayaka team Ikehara being the other two • nicknamed Mulle by the entire Handball Denmark

61 Past season’s top scorers

Rank Name & nation Club Goals 1 Linn Jorum Sulland (NOR) Vipers Kristiansand (NOR) 78

2 Cristina Florianu (ROU) SCM Craiova (ROU) 69

3 Ann Grete Norgaard (DEN) Viborg HK (DEN) 65

4 Kari Skaar Brattset(NOR) Vipers Kristiansand (NOR) 61

5 Daria Dmitrieva (RUS) Handball Club Lada (RUS) 58

6 Serpil Iskenderoglu (TUR) Kastamonu Belediyesi GSK (TUR) 55

7 Daniela Rob (ROU) H.C. Zalau (ROU) 49

8 Kristina Jörgensen (DEN) Viborg HK (DEN) 48 9 Yana Uskova (RUS) Kastamonu Belediyesi GSK (TUR) 46

10 Kristine Breistøl (NOR) Larvik (NOR) 45

Ana MariaTicu (ROU) SCM Craiova (ROU) 45

12 Simona Szarkova (SVK) DHK Banik Most (CZE) 42

13 Valentina Neli Ardean Elisei (ROU) SCM Craiova (ROU) 41

Moa Högdahl (NOR) Byasen Handball Elite (NOR) 41

Malin Aune (NOR) Vipers Kristiansand (NOR) 41

Aleksandra Zych (POL) Vistal Gdynia (POL) 41

17 Polina Vedekhina (RUS) Handball Club Lada (RUS) 39 18 (NOR) Vipers Kristiansand (NOR) 38

19 Zeljka Nikolic (SRB) SCM Craiova (ROU) 37

20 Ana Maria Dragut (ROU) H.C. Zalau (ROU) 35 Carin Strömberg (SWE) Viborg HK (DEN) 35

2 62 Past winners

2018 SCM Craiova

2017 Rostov-Don (RUS)

Previous EHF Cup winners Previous Cup Winners’ Cup winners

2016 Dunaujvárosi KKA HUN 2016 Team Tvis Holstebro DEN 2015 Team Tvis Holstebro DEN 2015 FC Midtjylland DEN 2014 HC Lada Togliatti RUS 2014 Viborg HK DEN 2013 Team Tvis Holstebro DEN 2013 HYPO Niederösterreich AUT 2012 HC Lada Togliatti RUS 2012 FTC-Rail Cargo Hungária HUN 2011 FC Midtjylland Handball DEN 2011 FTC-Rail Cargo Hungária HUN 2010 Randers HK A/S DEN 2010 Budućnost T-Mobile MNE 2009 Itxako Navarra ESP 2009 FCK Handbold A/S DEN 2008 Dinamo Volgograd RUS 2008 Larvik HK NOR 2007 Zvezda Zvenigorod RUS 2007 CS Oltchim Vâlcea ROU 2006 FTC Budapest HUN 2006 ZRK Budućnost MONET SCG 2005 Cornexi Alcoa HUN 2005 Larvik HK NOR 2004 Viborg HK DEN 2004 Ikast Bording EH DEN 2003 Slagelse FH DEN 2003 ESBF Besançon FRA 2002 Ikast Bording EH DEN 2002 HC Lada Togliatti RUS 2001 MKS Montex Lublin POL 2001 Motor Zaporozhye UKR 2000 El Ferrobus Mislata ESP 2000 L´Eliana Valencia ESP 1999 Viborg HK DEN 1999 Baekkelagets Oslo NOR 1998 Dunaferr SE HUN 1998 Baekkelagets Oslo NOR 1997 Robit Olimpija Ljubljana SLO 1997 Istochnik Rostov RUS 1996 Debrecéni VSC HUN 1996 Giessen Lützellinden GER 1995 Debrecéni VSC HUN 1995 Dunaferr SE HUN 1994 Viborg HK DEN 1994 Tus Walle Bremen GER

Women’s EHF Cup 2018/19 Group Phase

Media Guide by

EHF Media & Communications, 04/01/2019

Contributors: Björn Pazen, Peter Bruun, Sergey Nikolaev, Kevin Domas

63