Women's EHF Champions League
2023–24
Tournament information
SportHandball
Dates9 September 2023–2 June 2024
Teams16
Websiteehfcl.com
Tournament statistics
Matches played64
Goals scored3745 (58.52 per match)
Attendance155,683 (2,433 per match)
Top scorer(s)Norway Kristine Breistøl
(53 goals)

The 2023–24 Women's EHF Champions League is the 31st edition of Europe's premier club handball tournament, running from 9 September 2023 to 2 June 2024. Vipers Kristiansand are the defending champions.

Format

The tournament will run using the same format as the previous three seasons. The competition begins with a group stage featuring sixteen teams divided into two groups. Matches are played in a double round-robin system with home-and-away fixtures, fourteen in total for each team. In Groups A and B, the top two teams automatically qualify for the quarter-finals, with teams ranked 3rd to 6th entering the playoff round.

The knockout stage includes four rounds: the playoffs, quarter-finals, and a final-four tournament comprising two semifinals and the final. In the playoffs, eight teams are paired against each other in two-legged home-and-away matches (third-placed in group A plays sixth-placed group B; fourth-placed group A plays fifth-placed group B, etc.). The four aggregate winners of the playoffs advance to the quarterfinals, joining the top-two teams of Groups A and B. The eight quarterfinalist teams are paired against each other in two-legged home-and-away matches, with the four aggregate winners qualifying to the final-four tournament.

In the final four tournament, the semifinals and the final are played as single matches at a pre-selected host venue.

Rankings

This season, the EHF decided to make separate rankings for each club competition.[1]

  • Associations 1–9 can have their league champion qualify for the Group Stage and apply up to two wildcards.
  • The Association that won the past season's Women's EHF European League can have their league champion and runner up qualify for the Group Stage and apply for one wildcard.
  • Associations below the top 9 can have their league champion apply for a Wildcard.

Teams

21 teams applied for a place, with nine having a fixed place.[3][4] For the first time ever, countries were allowed to apply two clubs for a wildcard. The final list was announced in June 20 2023, which included Hungary and Denmark having three participating teams for the first time.[5]

The fixed place for Russia is vacant since the country and its clubs are currently not admitted to participate in the EHF competitions due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[6]

Participating teams
Denmark Team Esbjerg (1st) Hungary Győri Audi ETO KC (1st) France Metz Handball (1st) Romania CSM București (1st)
Denmark Odense Håndbold (2nd) Hungary FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria (2nd) WC France Brest Bretagne Handball (2nd) WC Romania CS Rapid București (2nd) WC
Denmark Ikast Håndbold (3rd) WC Hungary DVSC Schaeffler (3rd) WC Slovenia RK Krim Mercator (1st) Poland MKS Zagłębie Lubin (1st) WC
Norway Vipers Kristiansand (1st) Sweden IK Sävehof (1st) WC Germany SG BBM Bietigheim (1st) Montenegro WHC Budućnost BEMAX (1st)
  • WC Accepted wildcards
Wildcard rejection
Croatia RK Lokomotiva Zagreb (1st) France Neptunes de Nantes (3rd) Norway Storhamar HE (2nd) Norway Sola HK (3rd)
Turkey Kastamonu Bld. GSK (1st)

Draw

The draw took place on 27 June 2023.[5][7]

Group stage

Location of teams of the 2023–24 Women's EHF Champions League group stage.
Main article: 2023–24 Women's EHF Champions League group stage

The 16 teams were drawn into 2 groups of eight. In regards to Hungary and Denmark, who have three clubs in the Group Stage, a maximum of 2 clubs from those countries can be drawn into the same group.[8]

In the group stage, teams were ranked according to points (2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). After completion of the group stage, if two or more teams have scored the same number of points, the ranking will be determined as follows:

  1. Highest number of points in matches between the teams directly involved;
  2. Superior goal difference in matches between the teams directly involved;
  3. Highest number of goals scored in matches between the teams directly involved;
  4. Superior goal difference in all matches of the group;
  5. Highest number of plus goals in all matches of the group;
  6. Drawing of Lots

This season, ten national associations are present. For the first time since the 2019–20 season, Poland has a representative, while Sweden returns after a one season absence.

Group A

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification GYO ODE BIE BUC BRE DEB BUD SÄV
1 Hungary Győri Audi ETO KC (T) 8 8 0 0 249 198 +51 16 Quarterfinals — 32–29 31–29 3 Feb 17 Feb 35–23 37–19 6 Jan
2 Denmark Odense Håndbold 8 6 0 2 277 210 +67 12 13 Jan — 42–29 18 Feb 3 Feb 33–30 39–24 40–22
3 Germany SG BBM Bietigheim 8 5 0 3 237 230 +7 10 Playoffs 26–34 7 Jan — 26–24 34–30 4 Feb 17 Feb 30–21
4 Romania CSM București 8 4 1 3 232 209 +23 9 23–27 28–24 11 Feb — 28–30 29–29 7 Jan 21 Jan
5 France Brest Bretagne Handball 8 3 1 4 211 204 +7 7 23–24 25–26 20 Jan 14 Jan — 6 Jan 20–20 11 Feb
6 Hungary DVSC Schaeffler 8 3 1 4 221 238 −17 7 10 Feb 20 Jan 26–36 23–30 31–24 — 27–22 32–29
7 Montenegro WHC Budućnost BEMAX 8 1 1 6 183 243 −60 3 20 Jan 10 Feb 22–27 24–29 21–34 14 Jan — 31–30
8 Sweden IK Sävehof 8 0 0 8 194 272 −78 0 26–29 20–22 13 Jan 26–41 20–25 18 Feb 3 Feb —
Updated to match(es) played on 18 November 2023. Source: EHF
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(T) Qualified, but not yet for the particular phase indicated

Group B

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification ESB MET IKA VIP KRI FER BUC LUB
1 Denmark Team Esbjerg 8 7 0 1 259 240 +19 14 Quarterfinals — 29–27 37–34 21 Jan 10 Feb 27–23 30–28 6 Jan
2 France Metz Handball 8 6 0 2 280 228 +52 12 4 Feb — 36–39 7 Jan 40–31 17 Feb 33–22 42–26
3 Denmark Ikast Håndbold 8 5 0 3 282 259 +23 10 Playoffs 34–35 11 Feb — 30–26 33–32 7 Jan 21 Jan 41–29
4 Norway Vipers Kristiansand 8 3 1 4 256 234 +22 7 37–38 34–36 17 Feb — 13 Jan 37–26 35–30 3 Feb
5 Slovenia RK Krim Mercator 8 3 1 4 232 223 +9 7 33–27 22–28 3 Feb 24–24 — 32–26 6 Jan 17 Feb
6 Hungary FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria 8 3 1 4 231 239 −8 7 13 Jan 25–38 37–36 10 Feb 20 Jan — 24–24 35–22
7 Romania CS Rapid București 8 3 1 4 214 233 −19 7 18 Feb 14 Jan 27–35 30–29 27–22 4 Feb — 26–25
8 Poland MKS Zagłębie Lubin 8 0 0 8 187 285 −98 0 24–36 21 Jan 14 Jan 20–34 18–36 23–35 10 Feb —
Updated to match(es) played on 19 November 2023. Source: EHF
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Knockout stage

Main article: 2023–24 Women's EHF Champions League knockout stage

Playoffs

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
B6 M1 A3 16–17 Mar 23–24 Mar
A6 M2 B3 18–19 Mar 23–24 Mar
B5 M3 A4 18–19 Mar 23–24 Mar
A5 M4 B4 18–19 Mar 23–24 Mar

Quarterfinals

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
M4 – A1 27–28 Apr 4–5 May
M3 – B1 27–28 Apr 4–5 May
M2 – A2 27–28 Apr 4–5 May
M1 – B2 27–28 Apr 4–5 May

Final four

The final four will be held at the MVM Dome in Budapest, Hungary on 1 and 2 June 2023.

Bracket

 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
1 June
 
 
 
 
2 June
 
 
 
 
 
1 June
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Third place
 
 
2 June
 
 
 
 
 
 

Final

2 June 2023 WSF1 v WSF2 MVM Dome, Budapest

Top goalscorers

As of 19 November 2023
Rank Player Club Goals[9]
1 Norway Kristine Breistøl Denmark Team Esbjerg 53
2 Denmark Kristina Jørgensen France Metz Handball 51
Serbia Andrea Lekić Hungary FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria
4 France Sarah Bouktit France Metz Handball 49
Czech Republic Jana Knedlíková Norway Vipers Kristiansand
France Chloé Valentini France Metz Handball
7 Russia Valeriia Maslova France Brest Bretagne Handball 48
8 Czech Republic Markéta Jeřábková Denmark Ikast Håndbold 47
Poland Karolina Kudłacz-Gloc Germany SG BBM Bietigheim
10 Norway Ingvild Bakkerud Denmark Ikast Håndbold 46

See also

References

  1. ↑ "EHF improves club competitions ranking system". eurohandball.com. 27 September 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  2. ↑ https://www.eurohandball.com/media/dq1axkil/new_placedistribution_final_women_23_24.pdf
  3. ↑ "21 clubs registered for EHF Champions League 2023/24". eurohandball.com. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  4. ↑ "European Handball Federation Announced: 21 Clubs Registered for the Champions League Women 2023/24". handball-world.news. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Teams set for EHF Champions League season 2023/24". eurohandball.com. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  6. ↑ "EHF Court of Handball rejects Russia appeal against ban". insidethegames.biz. 25 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  7. ↑ "Fascinating ties thrown-up by EHF CL Women group phase draw". eurohandball.com. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  8. ↑ "Draw procedure for the EHF Champions League Women 2023/24 announced". eurohandball.com. 23 June 2023.
  9. ↑ Goalscorers
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