MEDIAMEDIA INFORMATIONGUIDE DELOEHF CHAMPIONSEHF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LEAGUE MEN 2020/21 2020/21 GROUPQUARTER-FINALS PHASE DRAW 27 June 2019, 18:00 hrs Erste Campus, Vienna 1 Partners Suppliers 1 2 WE ARE A TEAM FOR EUROPE Nord Stream 2 is a European project that contributes to a secure energy supply for all European countries. Our excellence is the result of effic ient cooperation among a large team of experts from more than 20 countries. Respect for the environment and team spirit are at the core of our values, therefore we are a proud partner of this sport and sponsorship. Official Partner of the EHF Champions League Men ©EHF www.nord-stream2.com 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction to the quarter-finals 5 EHF/M & Club Media contacts 8 Map of participating clubs 9 Playing system diagram 10 Road to the EHF FINAL4 - play-off and quarter-final pairings 11 Facts & Figures 13 PAIRINGS HC Meshkov Brest vs Barça 17 HBC Nantes vs Telekom Veszprém HC 30 Aalborg Handbold vs SG Flensburg-Handewitt 43 THW Kiel vs Paris Saint-Germain Handball 56 Important regulations 69 Procedures and criteria for the quarter-final matches 70 Current top scorers 71 All-time club standings 1993-2020 72 All-time stats 1993-2020 73 4 Season 2020/21 INTRODUCTION TO THE QUARTER-FINALS We are delighted to welcome you to the last stop on the road to the EHF FINAL4: the EHF Champions League Men 2020/21 quarter-finals. What a season it has been so far! We saw 16 teams giving it their all in a thrilling group phase, fighting until the last round in order to improve their ranking ahead of the knockout phase. The play-offs followed with eight intriguing ties, as the quarter-final line-up took shape. So, here we are! And while we lost two recent EHF Champions League winners in the play-offs – Lomza Vive Kielce and HC Vardar 1961 – it is fair to say that we have a stunning quarter-final schedule ahead of us, with the first legs scheduled for 12/13 May and the all-decisive return legs for 19/20 May. Germany and France still have two teams each in the mix, and at least one of those four teams will make it to the EHF FINAL4 on 12/13 June as title holders THW Kiel and Paris Saint-Germain Handball will square off in a mouth-watering quarter-final clash, less than five months after both teams competed at the EHF FINAL4 2020 in December. The other German contenders, SG Flensburg-Handewitt, open their quarter-final adventure with a trip to Denmark to face Aalborg Håndbold. The other French side still in the race for the title, HBC Nantes, eliminated Kielce in the play-offs and now face another huge challenge, set to take on Telekom Veszprém HC. The fourth quarter-final sees HC Meshkov Brest, who are debutants in this stage of the EHF Champions League, trying to stop the immaculate run of Barça, who have won all their matches so far this season and are eager to return to the EHF FINAL4, just a few months after they came up short to Kiel in the 2020 final. All the ingredients are here for a tasty quarter-final menu. Join us when we find out which four teams book their tickets to Cologne. We are looking forward to yet another chapter of our successful cooperation. EHF Media & Communications 5 6 7 Media contacts EHF/M MEDIA CONTACTS MEDIA MATTERS TV & RADIO MATTERS Vlado Brindzak Thomas Schöneich Miguel Mateo Marcellan Media and Communications Director of Media and Communications Director of Media Operations European Handball Federation European Handball Federation EHF Marketing GmbH +43 1 80 151 161 +43 1 80 151 164 +43 1 80 151 224 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] CLUB MEDIA CONTACTS HC Meshkov Brest (BLR) Barça (ESP) Artur Zhol Pau Campana +375 293 74 08 43 +34 683 567251 [email protected] [email protected] HBC Nantes (FRA) Telekom Veszprém HC (HUN) Kevin Morin István Deres +33 664865046 +36 30 557 9865 [email protected] [email protected] Aalborg Håndbold (DEN) SG Flensburg-Handewitt (GER) Lars Skjøth Bruhn Isabel Hofmann +45 2123 0575 +49 4611609625 [email protected] [email protected] THW Kiel (GER) PSG Handball (FRA) Christian Robohm Matthieu Brelle-Andrade +49 1635306300 +33 6 52 53 74 13 [email protected] [email protected] 8 9 EHF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MEN 2020/21 SEASON Updated playing system Group Phase Play-offs Quarter-finals EHF FINAL4 Draw required No draw required No draw required Draw required A B A1 B1 M1 A8 v B1 SEMI-FINALS A2 B2 M2 B8 v A1 M8 v M1 v A3 B3 M3 A7 v B2 v M7 v M2 A4 B4 M4 B7 v A2 10 16 8 4 3rd PLACE MATCH M5 A6 v B3 A5 B5 M6 v M3 v A6 B6 M6 B6 v A3 FINAL M5 v M4 A7 B7 M7 A5 v B4 v A8 B8 M8 B5 v A4 R 16.- 17.09.2020 R 25.- 26.11.2020 1st eg 31.03.- 01.04.2021 1st eg 12.- 13.05.2021 12.- 13.06.2021 R 23.- 24.09.2020 R 02.- 03.12.2020 R 30.9.- 1.10.2020 R1 09.- 10.12.2020 2nd eg 07.- 08.04.2021 2nd eg 19.- 20.05.2021 R4 14.- 15.10.2020 R1 10.- 11.02.2021 R 21.- 22.10.2020 R1 17.- 18.02.2021 R 28.- 29.10.2020 R1 24.- 25.02.2021 R 18.- 19.11.2020 R14 03.- 04.03.2021 Road to the EHF FINAL4 PLAY-OFF AND QUARTER-FINAL PAIRINGS 11 12 Facts and figures TWO DEBUTANTS, THREE FORMER WINNERS AND FIVE SPANISH COACHES FACTS AND FIGURES: THE MOST IMPORTANT NUMBERS PRIOR TO THE START OF QUARTER-FINAL MATCHES After 112 group matches and 14 play-off clashes 3 previous EHF Champions League winners with in the EHF Champions League, Europe’s top eight 13 trophies among them are still part of the clubs are just 120 minutes away from June’s competition: Barça (1996-2000, 2005, 2011, EHF FINAL4 in Cologne. Barça lead the way in 2015), Kiel (2007, 2010, 2012, 2020) and many of the rankings but the focus is also on two Flensburg (2014). quarter-final debutants and an armada of Spanish coaches. 3 Here are the most impressive and important facts coaches were or are at the helm of HC PPD and figures prior to the first leg of the quarter- Zagreb so far during the 2020/21 season: Igor finals on Wednesday and Thursday. Vori was succeeded by Vlado Sola and now Ivica Obrvan. 0 clubs have won and then defended their 4 occasions in 8 home matches this season have title in Cologne since the implementation seen Barça scored more than 40 goals. of the EHF FINAL4 in 2010. Kiel have the chance to do so, less than six months after 5 Spanish head coaches are still part of the winning the 2020 title. competition - and at least two of them will make it to Cologne: Xavi Pascual (Barça) faces Raul Alonso (Brest) and Alberto Entrerrios faces David Davis (Veszprem) in direct duels. The fifth 0 goals was the difference in the play-off between Spaniard is Raul Gonzalez (PSG). Aalborg and Porto, in which the Danish side proceeded due to the away goals rule. 5 different nations were represented by the 12 previous winners of the VELUX EHF FINAL4: 0 pairings of the quarter-finals, like in the play- Germany (2010, 2012, 2020 Kiel, 2013 Hamburg offs, feature two teams from the same country. and 2014 Flensburg), Spain (2011, 2015 Barça), Poland (2016 Kielce), North Macedonia (2017 1 player has won two consecutive EHF FINAL4 and 2019 Vardar Skopje) and France (2018 events since 2010 - Ivan Cupic. After winning the Montpellier). 2016 title with Kielce, the Croat won in 2017 with Vardar and did it again in 2019. 6 nations are represented among the eight quarter-finalists: France and Germany are 1 male has won the trophy at Cologne as a player represented by two teams each, Belarus, and a coach: Filip Jicha - 2010 and 2012 on the Denmark, Spain and Hungary have one each. court, 2020 on the bench, both with THW Kiel. 6 of 112 group matches and 0 of 14 play-offs 2 teams are quarter-final debutants in the EHF ended in a draw. Champions League: Aalborg Handbold and Meshkov Brest. 6 of 8 teams still involved in the competition have been part of at least one EHF FINAL4 2 quarter-final pairings include two former (inaugurated in 2010): Barça (eight participations, finalists: Kiel vs PSG and Nantes vs Veszprém - two trophies), Kiel (seven participations, Kiel are the only winners among them. three trophies), Veszprem (six participations, zero trophies), Paris (four participations, zero 3 teams turned a defeat in the first leg of the trophies), Flensburg (one participation, one play-offs around: Nantes, Aalborg and Brest. trophy), and Nantes (one participation, zero trophies). 3 head coaches of the eight quarter-finalists have won the EHF Champions League at least once 10 group matches and 0 play-offs ended with 70 as head coaches: Xavi Pascual (Barça/2), Raul goals or more. Gonzalez (PSG/1) and Filip Jicha (Kiel/1). 13 Facts and figures TWO DEBUTANTS, THREE FORMER WINNERS AND FIVE SPANISH COACHES 11 matches - 7 of 112 group matches and 4 of 14 48 away victories occurred in the 112 group play-offs - ended with a difference of ten or more matches (42) and the 14 play-offs (6).