Seedings for Women's EHF EURO 2014 qualification draw released

Following the end of the registration phase for the Women's EHF EURO 2014 in Hungary and Croatia, the European Handball Federation has now released the pots for the draw of the second qualification phase.

Apart from the organising nations, Hungary and Croatia, which are directly qualified, 26 national teams have registered to take part in the final tournament which will throw off on 7 December 2014.

These 26 teams are: Austria, Belarus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Spain, FInland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Serbia, Switzerland, Slovakia, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine.

Qualification phase 2 will be played in three periods of two matches each with each team having  a home and an away match against each of the other teams in its group.

At the draw the 26 teams will be drawn into five groups of four teams each and two groups of three teams each.

The two top ranked squads of each group will qualify for the final tournament.

According to the EHF Women's National Team Ranking, the teams are divided into four pots.

Pot 1: Norway, Denmark, Montenegro, France, Sweden, Russia, Spain

Pot 2: Romania, Serbia, Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, Ukraine, Czech Republic

Pot 3: FYR  Macedonia, Turkey, Slovenia, Poland, Austria, Belarus, Slovakia

Pot 4: Switzerland, Portugal, Italy, Lithuania, Finland

At the draw the five teams of pot 4 will be drawn to row 4. The seven teams of pot 3 will be drawn to row 3.

The seven teams of pot 2 will be drawn to row 2, and the seven teams of pot  1 will be drawn to row 1.

The date and venue for the draw have not been defined yet.

The first two rounds of the second qualification phase for the Women's EHF EURO 2014 will be placed from 23 to 27 October 2013.