EHF Champions League
Current season, competition or edition: 2015–16 EHF Champions League | |
 | |
| Countries | EHF members |
|---|---|
| Confederation | EHF (Europe) |
| Founded | 1955 (1993 in its new format) |
| Number of teams | 24 (Group stage) |
| Level on pyramid | Level 1 |
| Current champions |
 FC Barcelona(9th title) |
| Most championships |
FC Barcelona (9 titles) |
| Website | Official website |
The EHF Champions League is the most important handball club competition for men's teams in Europe and involves the leading teams from the top European nations. The competition is organised every year by EHF. The official name for the men's competition is the VELUX EHF Champions League, since the VELUX Group began their title sponsorship of the competition in the 2010/11 season.
The EHF coefficient rank decides which teams have access and in which stage they enter.
Tournament structure
Eligibility
Each year the EHF publishes a ranking list of its member federations. The first 27 nations are allowed to participate in the tournament with their national champion. The nations ranked first and second receive an additional slot and other nations may apply for additional places.
Rounds
The VELUX EHF Champions League is divided into five stages. Depending on the ranking of their national federation and of the criteria list, teams can enter the competition in either qualification or the group phase.
Qualification tournament
Groups of four teams are formed. The number of groups can vary each season. Teams from each group play semi-finals and finals, in a single venue over a weekend. The winning team from each group advance to the group phase, while teams from lower ranks continue in the Men's EHF Cup.
Group phase
Since 2015/16 season four groups are formed with eight teams each in Group A and B and six each in Group C and D. They play each other twice, in home and away matches. The best teams of Group A and B advance directly to the quarter-finals, while teams from 2-6 positions in each group proceed to the Last 16. Only two best teams of each Group C and D continue in the Group Phase knock-out round played in a home and away format, where the winner of Group C meets the second-ranked team of Group D and vice versa. The six winners of the Last 16 stage join the Group A and B winners in the quarter-finals.
Last 16
The pairings for this round are decided by the placement of the teams in the group phase. The two winners of the knock-out round then face the second-ranked teams of Group A and B respectively in the Last 16. The ties are decided on a home and away basis, with the winners over two legs advancing to the quarter-finals.
Quarter-finals
The pairings for this round are also decided by the placement in the group phase. The ties are decided on a home and away basis, with four winners over the two legs advancing to the VELUX EHF FINAL4.
VELUX EHF FINAL4
The four participating teams are paired by a draw and play over a single weekend at one venue. Two semi-finals are played on a Saturday, with the third place game and final on the following day.
Winners
European Champions Cup (organised by IHF)
.svg.png){kind=small}
.svg.png){kind=small}
.svg.png){kind=small}
.svg.png){kind=small}
EHF Champions League
Records and statistics
Winning clubs
All-time top scorers
| Goals | Ssn pld | Players |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 14 | Kiril Lazarov |
| 838 | 13 | Siarhei Rutenka |
| 793 | 15 | Nikola Karabatić |
| 700 | 11 | Momir Ilić |
| 633 | 9 | Filip Jicha |
| 608 | 8 | Marko Vujin |
Sponsorship
External links
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||