Semi-final pairings for the qualification tournament set

Following the confirmation of all participants of the VELUX EHF Champions League 2015/16 by the EHF Executive Committee last weekend in Krakow, the semi-final pairings of the qualification tournament have also been set.

As there is just one qualification tournament with four teams this season, there is no draw needed and the pairings have been determined based on the seeding list.

In the first semi-final Norwegian champions Elverum Handball Herrer, who are the top seed of the qualification, will therefore meet the Dutch championship trophy holders OCI-Lions on Saturday 5 September, while Austria’s Alpla HC Hard will face RK Borac m:tel Banja Luka from Bosnia Herzegovina in the other semi-final.

The semi-final winners will battle out the remaining place in the group phase on Sunday 6 September in the qualification final preceded by the third place match between the two Saturday’s losers.

The tournament’s winner will join either Group C or D in the European top flight, while the second and third ranked team qualify directly for the Men’s EHF Cup third elimination round. The fourth ranked side start already in the second elimination round of the EHF Cup.

The right to organise the qualification tournament will be drawn on Friday 26 June at 18:30 hrs in Vienna. As Hard hosted the qualification group last season, the Austrian champions will stage the tournament this time around only if all other participants decline to do so.

The pots for the group phase draw, which takes place also on Friday (20:00 hrs) will be only announced later this week.