Media Guide VELUX EHF Champions League Season 2012/2013 Quali!Cation Tournaments
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Media Guide VELUX EHF Champions League Season 2012/2013 Quali!cation Tournaments MEDIA INFORMATION Dear Media Representative, Welcome to a new season of the VELUX EHF Champions League, Europe’s premier club handball competition. In the following media information you will find the essential information you will require for the qualification phase of the competition, including playing format, participating teams and playing schedules. There are five places available in qualification, from three Qualification Tournament, a Wild Card Tournament and a Play-off Match. 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. VELUX EHF Champions League Media Contact Vladislav Brindzak EHF Media and Communications [email protected] +43 1 80 151 161 Online www.eurohandball.com www.ehfCL.com www.ehfTV.com EHF Media Twitter Channel www.twitter.com/EHFMedia PREVIEW: VELUX EHF Champions League Qualification All eyes are on Belgrade, Rykkin, Constanta, St. Raphael and Minsk: This Saturday and Sunday those cities are going to be the main focus for the upcoming 2012/13 VELUX EHF Champions League season. In total, 18 teams are aiming for the last five spots in the top competition of European club handball. The last five participants for the Group Phase will be decided in four tournaments and one play-off match. The qualification tournaments: Group 1 in Belgrade/SRB RK Sloga (BIH) RK Partizan (SRB) Porto Vitalis (POR) HC Lovćen (MNE) Semi-finals on Saturday: 17:00 hrs local time: RK Partizan (SRB) vs. Porto Vitalis (POR) 19:30 hrs local time: RK Sloga (BIH) vs. HC Lovćen (MNE) Final day on Sunday: 17:00 hrs local time: Losers of the semi-finals 19:30 hrs local time: Winners of the semi-finals Porto Vitalis are the only non-Balkan team in this tournament. Sloga are debutants in the VELUX EHF Champions League, Lovćen participated in the 2000/01 and 2001/02 seasons, whilst Partizan Belgrade made it to the Group Stage of the 2011/12 season after winning their respective qualification tournament. The winner of this Qualification Tournament qualifies for Group A of the Group Stage (opponents: MAHB Montpellier/FRA, SG Flensburg-Handewitt/GER, Reale Ademar Leon/ESP, plus the winner of the Wildcard Tournament) Group 2 in Rykkin/NOR HC Metalurg (MKD) Haslum HK (NOR) HC Dinamo Poltava (UKR) Alpha HC Hard (AUT) Semi-finals on Saturday: 14:00 hrs local time: HC Metalurg (MKD) vs. Alpha HC Hard (AUT) 16:30 hrs local time: Haslum HK (NOR) vs. HC Dinamo Poltava (UKR) Final day on Sunday: 14:00 hrs local time: Losers of the semi-finals 16:30 hrs local time: Winners of the semi-finals HC Metalurg, quarter-finalist of the 2011/12 VELUX EHF Champions League season, seem to be the favourite to reach the Group Stage once again. Last season, the Macedonians went head-to-head against Haslum in the final of the qualification tournament – they will be looking to do one over on the Norwegian side. It is the third appearance for HC Dinamo Poltava in EHF European Cup competitions, but their first time in the Champions League. Alpha HC Hard were part of the 2003/2004 Group Stage of the EHF Champions League. The winner of this Qualification Tournament qualifies for Group C of the Group Stage (opponents: Bjerringbro Silkeborg/DEN, Gorenje Velenje/SLO, Vive Targi Kielce/POL, Chambery Savoie/FRA and HC St. Petersburg/RUS) Group 3 in Constanta/ROU HCM Constanta (ROU) TATRAN Presov (SVK) Maccabi Srugo Rishon Le Zion (ISR) SSV Loacher Bozen Südtirol (ITA) Semi-finals on Saturday: 18:00 hrs local time: HCM Constanta (ROU) vs. SSV Loacher Bozen Südtirol (ITA) 20:30 hrs local time: TATRAN Presov (SVK) vs. Maccabi Srugo Rishon Le Zion (ISR) Final day on Sunday: 18:00 hrs local time: Losers of the semi-finals 20:30 hrs local time: Winners of the semi-finals The internationally more experienced teams of Constanta (with some strong newcomers in their squad) and Presov are the main contenders for the Group Stage, whilst Bozen are seen to be the underdog. Maccabi hosted the Qualification Tournament last year, but finished only third. The winner of this Qualification Tournament will qualify for Group B of the Group Stage (opponents: THW Kiel/GER, Atletico Madrid/ESP, MKB Veszprem/HUN, Sävehof IK/SWE, RK Pivovarna Lasko Celje/SLO) Wild Card Tournament in St. Raphael (FRA) HSV Hamburg (GER) Saint-Raphael Var Handball (FRA) Cimos Koper (SLO) Orlen Wisla Plock (POL) Semi-finals on Saturday: 16:30 hrs local time: HSV Hamburg (GER) vs. Orlen Wisla Plock (POL) 19:00 hrs local time: Saint-Raphael Var Handball (FRA) vs. Cimos Koper Final day on Sunday: 16:00 hrs local time: Losers of the semi-finals 19:00 hrs local time: Winners of the semi-finals The composition of this Wildcard Tournament had to be adapted and changed after AG Kobenhavn withdrew from the VELUX EHF Champions League. Bjerringbro Silkeborg qualified directly for the Group Stage as the Danish runners-up and did not have to participate in the Wild Card Tournament. Their successor in the fight for a Group Phase spot are RK Cimos Koper, third ranked team from Slovenia and last season’s surprising VELUX EHF Champions League quarterfinalist in their debut season. After qualifying five straight times for the EHF Champions League and after reaching the quarter-finals, HSV Hamburg now have to go through the qualification after ranking fourth in the German league. Their semi-final opponents Wisla Plock, runners-up of the Polish league, were another surprise of the 2011/12 VELUX EHF Champions League season, proceeding to the Last 16. In the second semi-final Cimos Koper compete with the third ranked French team and tournament hosts Saint-Raphael, who have their debut in this competition after reaching the quarter-finals of the EHF Cup twice in 2011 and 2012. The winner of this tournament qualifies for Group A of the Group Stage (opponents: MAHB Montpellier/FRA, SG Flensburg-Handewitt/GER, Reale Ademar Leon/ESP, plus the winner of the Qualification Tournament 1) Play-off matches in Minsk/BLR First leg: Saturday, 18:30 hrs local time: Besiktas JK (TUR) vs. HC Dinamo Minsk (BLR) Second leg: Sunday, 16:00 hrs local time: HC Dinamo Minsk (BLR) vs. Besiktas JK (TUR) Hosts Minsk are going into this play-off match as favourites. Minsk participated in the 2010/11 VELUX EHF Champions League Group Stage, gaining some international experience, but missed out on the Group Stage in 2011/12, losing in the qualification tournament final against Sävehof. Besiktas played the same qualification tournament in 2011 and had no hope in the semi-final against Sävehof from Sweden. The winner of those Play-off matches will qualify for Group D of the Group Stage (opponents: FC Barcelona Intersport/ESP, RK Croatia Osiguranje Zagreb/CRO, Füchse Berlin/GER, Kadetten Schaffhausen/SUI and Pick Szeged/HUN). WHERE TO WATCH THE ACTION LIVE Saturday 8 September 2012 Wild Card Tournament (St. Raphael/FRA) 16:30 hrs (local time): semi-final 1 HSV Hamburg (GER) vs. Orlen Plock (POL) Broadcast on Ma Chaine Sport, TV2 Sport Denmark, LAOLA1.tv, Polsat Sport 19:00 hrs (local time): semi-final 2 St. Raphael Var Handball (FRA) vs RK Cimos Koper (SLO) Broadcast on Ma Chaine Sport, LAOLA1.tv, Polsat Sport Extra Qualification Group 1 (Belgrade/SRB) 17:00 hrs (local time): semi-final 1 RK Partizan (SRB) vs. FC Porto Vitalis (POR) Broadcast on: RTS2, LAOLA1.tv, Sport TV2 Portugal 19:30 hrs (local time): semi-final 2 RK Sloga (BIH) vs. HC Lovcen (MNE) Qualification Group 2 (Rykkin/NOR) 14:00 hrs (local time): semi-final 1 HC Metalurg (MKD) vs. Alpla HC Hard (AUT) 16:30 hrs (local time): semi-final 2 Haslum HK vs. HC Dinamo Poltava (UKR) Broadcast on TV2 Sporten Norway Qualification Group 3 (Constanta/ROU) 18:00 hrs (local time): semi-final 1 HCM Constanta (ROU) vs. SSV Loacker Bozen Südtirol (ITA) Broadcast on Sport1 in Israel, Digisport in Romania and Slovakia and LAOLA1.tv 20:30 hrs (local time): semi-final 2 Tatran Presov vs. Maccabi Srugo Rishon Lezion (ISR) Broadcast on Sport1 in Israel, Digisport Romania, Digisport Slovakia and LAOLA1.tv KO Match, first leg (Minsk/BLR) 18.30 hrs (local time): Besiktas JK - HC Dinamo Minsk Broadcast on Belarus TV. Matches on Sunday, 9 September 2012 Wild Card Tournament 16:00 hrs (local time): 3/4 placement match 19:00 hrs (local time): final Both matches will be broadcast on Ma Chaine Sport, Polsat Sport and LAOLA1.tv. HSV’s match will be broadcasted on TV2 Sport Denmark and if HSV make it into the final, it will be shown on Eurosport GER. Qualification Group 1 17:00 hrs (local time): 3/4 placement match 19:30 hrs (local time): final Partizan’s match will be broadcast on RTS2 and the match of Porto on Sport TV Portugal and LAOLA1.tv Qualification Group 2 14:00 hrs (local time): match 1 16:30 hrs (local time): match 2 Haslum’s match will be broadcast on TV2 Sporten Norway. Qualification Group 3 18:00 hrs (local time): match 1 20:30 hrs (local time): match 2 Broadcast on Sport1 Israel, Digisport Romania, Digisport Slovakia, LAOLA1.tv KO Match, second leg (Minsk/BLR) 16:00 hrs (local time): HC Dinamo Minsk – Besiktas JK Broadcast on Belarus TV PARTICIPATING TEAMS/MEDIA CONTACTS Alpla HC Hard Club contacts: +43 5574 7000930, +43 664 3112026, [email protected] RK Sloga Sinisa Ubiparipovic +387 66 725015, +387 65 468062, [email protected] HC Dinamo Minsk Maxim Koshkalda +375 17 3341922, +375 296 477910, [email protected] Saint-Raphael Var Handball Vanessa Patucca- Bourgeais +33 494957600, +33 662289894, [email protected]