MEDIA INFORMATION Women’s EHF Champions League 2017/18 Qualification 2 Table of contents Foreword 4 Media contacts 5 Map of participating clubs 6 Playing system diagrams - stages and dates 8 Seeding for the qualification and group matches 9 Important regulations 10 10 GROUP 1 Preview 11 Vipers Kristiansand 12 HC Podravka Vegeta 18 Kastamonu Belediyesi 24 HC Gomel 30 GROUP 2 Preview 37 Thüringer HC 38 H 65 Höörs HK 44 Hypo Niederösterreich 50 Mecalia Atletico Guardes 56 2016/17 top scorers 62 Past winners 63 All-time club standings 64 3 Foreword Their mission is clear, but not at all easy as they face formidable adversaries. Podravka will have expectations to live up to in Group 1, where the Norwegian runners-up and tournament’s organisers Vipers Kristiansand are amongst their fiercest opponents. While Croatian champions take on Turkish title holders Kastamonu Belediyesi GSK in the semi- final, Vipers will make their debut at this level against the champions of Belarus HC Gomel. A difficult route also awaits Hypo. Even if they overcome last season’s Challenge Cup finalists H65 Höörs HK in the semi-final, they may have Dear handball friends, to outrun German runners-up and Group 2 hosts from Thüringer HC, who are favourites Welcome to a new season in the Women’s EHF to reach the tournament’s final at the expense Champions League. of Spanish newcomers Mecalia Atletico Four months after Györi Audi ETO KC clinched Guardes. their third title in five years in Budapest after In the group matches Buducnost, Metz and beating Vardar in a thrilling final, we are ready Bietigheim await the winner of Group 1 from to witness how a new handball fairy tale starts Kristiansand, while the winner of Group 2 to unravel. in Nordhausen will join Vardar, Larvik and As we enter the 25th season of the Ferencvaros. competition, eight matches in two qualification There are eight exciting matches ahead in this tournaments will determine which two teams qualification phase and I wish all teams the will earn the remaining berths in the 2017/18 very best of luck. group matches. The tournaments will take place in two major countries in women’s We pride ourselves on our positive and handball and I am sure we can look forward cooperative relationship with the press and to large crowds in the Norwegian city of media and I am sure this will continue and Kristiansand and Nordhausen, Germany. develop in the future. Should you require any information, help or assistance during What makes this year’s qualification also the course of the season, your first point of exciting is the fact that we have two former contact is the EHF Media and Communications EHF Champions League winners eyeing the Department based in our office in Vienna. return to the European top flight and remain in They will be more than happy to assist you the race for the Women’s EHF FINAL4 on 12/13 with any questions you might have. May 2018. Record four-time champions Hypo We look forward to working with you in the Niederösterreich and 1996 winners HC upcoming season! Podravka Vegeta found themselves fighting for their spots in the group matches and Michael Wiederer undoubtedly will do their best to bring back EHF President their glory days in this competition. 4 Media contacts EHF/M media contacts Media matters TV and Radio Vlado Brindzak Miguel Mateo Marcellan Media and Communications Media Manager European Handball Federation EHF Marketing GmbH +43 1 80 151 161 +43 1 80 151 224 [email protected] [email protected] Clubs media contacts GROUP 1 GROUP 2 Vipers Kristiansand (NOR) HC Podravka Vegeta (CRO) Thüringer HC (GER) H 65 Höörs HK (SWE) Terje Marcussen Bozica Palcic Bernd Hohnstein David Karlsson +47 905 818 15 +385 988 31 463 +49 179 4649 389 +46 739 392 159 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Hypo Niederösterreich (AUT) Mecalia Atletico Guardes (ESP) Kastamonu Belediyesi (TUR) HC Gomel (BLR) Kati Kovacs Nuria Lago Rodriguez Ahmet Cevher Yulia Mitrahovich +43 699 165 855 45 +34 667 202 535 +90 544 4187541 +375 2975 103 264 [email protected] prensa@ [email protected] [email protected] balonmanatleticoguardes.com 5 WOMEN‘S EHF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Höörs Vistal HK H65, SWE Gdynia, POL Season 2017/18 Györi Audi ETO KC, HUN Larvik HK, Qualification teams NOR Group matches teams Vipers Kristiansand, NOR HC Gomel BLR Nykobing FH, DEN FC Midtjylland, DEN Thüringer HC, GER Rostov-Don, RUS SG BBM Bietigheim, GER Brest Bretagne HB, FRA WOMEN‘S EHF FINAL4 Metz Host City Budapest, HUN Handball, FRA BM Atletico Guardes, ESP CSM Bucuresti, ROU Hypo Niederösterreich, AUT Kastamonu Belediyesi, TUR RK Krim Mercator, SLO HC Podravka Vegeta, CRO FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria, HUN 6 Buducnost, HC Vardar, MNE MKD WOMEN‘S EHF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Höörs Vistal HK H65, SWE Gdynia, POL Season 2017/18 Györi Audi ETO KC, HUN Larvik HK, Qualification teams NOR Group matches teams Vipers Kristiansand, NOR HC Gomel BLR Nykobing FH, DEN FC Midtjylland, DEN Thüringer HC, GER Rostov-Don, RUS SG BBM Bietigheim, GER Brest Bretagne HB, FRA WOMEN‘S EHF FINAL4 Metz Host City Budapest, HUN Handball, FRA BM Atletico Guardes, ESP CSM Bucuresti, ROU Hypo Niederösterreich, AUT Kastamonu Belediyesi, TUR RK Krim Mercator, SLO HC Podravka Vegeta, CRO FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria, HUN 7 Buducnost, HC Vardar, MNE MKD Women’s EHF Champions League 2017/18 playing system Qualication Group Matches Main Round Quarter-nals FINAL4 Semi-nals 4 vs. 1 vs. 3 vs. 2 vs. rd vs. 3 Place Match vs. vs. Final Home matches 3 3 1 Total matches 6 6 2 vs. Season 2017/18 playing dates Qualication Group Matches Main Round Quarter-nals FINAL4 08.-10.09.2017 06.-08.10.2017 (1) 26.-28.01.2018 (1) rst leg 11./12.05.2018 13.-15.10.2017 (2) 02.-04.02.2018 (2) 06.-08.04.2018 20.-22.10.2017 (3) 09.-11.02.2018 (3) 03.-05.11.2017 (4) 23.-25.02.2018 (4) second leg 10.-12.11.2017 (5) 02.-04.03.2018 (5) 13.-15.04.2018 17.-19.11.2017 (6) 09.-11.03.2018 (6) Women´s EHF Champions league 2017/18 WOMEN'S EHF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2017/18 Qualification Tournaments Group Matches Main Round Quarterfinals FINAL4 2Tournaments 4 groups with 4 teams 2 groups with 6 teams 8 teams 4 teams 06.-08.10.2017 (1) 26.-28.01.2018 (1) 08.-10.09.2017 13.-15.10.2017 (2) 02.-04.02.2018 (2) 06.-08.04.2018 12./13.05.2018 tournaments 20.-22.10.2017 (3) 09.-11.02.2018 (3) first leg tournament played in semi finals 03.-05.11.2017 (4) 23.-25.02.2018 (4) played in and finals 10.-12.11.2017 (5) 02.-04.03.2018 (5) 13.-15.04.2018 semi finals and in one venue 17.-19.11.2017 (6) 09.-11.03.2018 (6) second leg finals 30 June 2017 in DRAWS: 29 June 2017 in Vienna/AUT no draw no draw 17.04.2018 Ljubljana/SLO 1 HUN 1 Györi Audi ETO KC 2 MNE 1 Buducnost 3 MKD 1 HC Vardar 4 ROU 1 CSM Bucuresti 5 NOR 1 Larvik 6 RUS 1 Rostov-Don 7 DEN 1 Nyköbing Falster HB 8 FRA 1 Metz Handball 9 GER 1 SG BBM Bietigheim 10 SLO 1 RK Krim Mercator 11 HUN 2 FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria 12 DEN 2 FC Midtjylland 13 POL 1 Vistal Gdynia 14 FRA 2 Brest Bretagne HB 15 NOR 2 Vipers Kristiansand 16 GER 2 Thüringer HC 17 SWE 1 H 65 Höörs HK 18 CRO 1 HC Podravka Vegeta the of team placed 4th and 3rd 2nd, 1st, 1st, 2nd and 3rd placed team from each group group each from team placed 3rd and 2nd 1st, 19 AUT 1 Hypo Niederösterreich Round Main League Champions EHF WOMEN'S Qualification Qualification 20 TUR 1 Kastamonu Belediyesi tournaments 21 BLR 1 HC Gomel Winners of the 2 4 Winners of WOMEN'S EHF Champions League Quarterfinals League Champions EHF WOMEN'S of Winners 4 22 ESP 1 Mecalia Atletico Guardes 2 groups with 4 teams 4th placed teams of CL Qualification Tournaments go to EHF Cup Rd 2, 2nd and 3rd placed teams of CL Qualification Tornaments go to EHF Cup Rd 3 status: 26.06.2017 Important regulations SCORING OF MATCHES AND RANKING GENERAL All matches of the Women’s EHF Champions League shall be played in 2 x 30 minutes with a half- time break of 10 minutes. The EHF reserves the right to extend the half-time break in special circumstances to 15 minutes. QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENTS If a semi-final match or the final (place 1/2) ends in a draw, there will be a five-minute break fol- lowed by one extra-time of 2x5 minutes, there will be a one-minute half-time break at the half-time for the changeover of teams. If the placement match (place 3/4) ends in a draw, there shall be no extra-time, the match will be decided directly by penalty throws. In the semifinals and/or final (place 1/2), if there is no winner after the extra-time, the match will be decided by penalty throws. RULES FOR EXECUTION OF PENALTY THROWS - Prior to penalty throwing, each team shall name five players eligible to play at the end of the match by handing the referees a list of numbers.