Women’s EHF Champions League experience dominates Denmark 2015 courts

13 European teams have qualified for the Women’s World Championship 2015 in Denmark – and 12 of them have EHF Champions League players in their squads.

The pinnacle club competition is represented by 93 players of the 16 clubs that qualified for the group matches which means that every fourth player at Denmark 2015 also plays (or has played) Women’s EHF Champions League this season.

The only European team without any EHF Champions League player on court in Denmark is Serbia, due to the fact that top stars like Andrea Lekic, Sanja Damnjanovic (both Vardar) and Dragan Cvijic (Buducnost) are currently not playing for the national team.

How important the experience from being part of the Champions League is, is proven by the fact that the only non-European team with EHF Champions League players is defending champions Brazil – and the South Americans count on eight players from Europe’s top club competition. Only three teams have more players of Europe’s best in their ranks.

All about Romania

The undisputed no.1 is the Romanian squad. Head coach Thomas Ryde nominated 15 of his overall 16 players from EHF Champions League clubs, the majority of them playing for domestic sides Baia Mare and Bucuresti.

This places Romania ahead of EHF EURO 2012 champions Montenegro with twelve EHF Champions League players in their squad (the majority of them playing for EHF Champions League winners Buducnost) and of Hungary (11, all from FTC and Györ).

Current EHF EURO and Olympic champions Norway have – like Brazil – eight players in their ranks. Russia have seven; France, Denmark, Spain and Sweden six each.

With regards to clubs, the victory goes to Romania again: 13 players from four countries have been selected for the World Championship from Romanian runners-up Baia Mare.

They are ahead of two times EHF Champions League winners Györ (12 players from four nations) and Buducnost (10/3) and the second Romanian side Bucuresti who also has ten player at Denmark but the domestic won the ranking of the highest number of nationalities – five – represented.

11 of the 24 World Championship participants have no EHF Champions League players in their squad, while only two Champions League teams (Krim and Podravka) have no player on court in Denmark.

Two changes are significant compared to the EHF EURO 2014: Croatia did not qualify for Denmark – and their last year’s squad included 14 Champions League players.

Germany have only one Champions League player in their current squad, but had nine one year ago.

National teams at 2015 World Championship ranked by Champions League player representation:

1. Romania – 15 players (from four different clubs)

2. Montenegro – 12 players (from three different clubs)

3. Hungary – 11 players (from two different clubs)

4. Brazil – 8 players (from five different clubs)

4. Norway – 8 players (from three different clubs)

6. Russia – 7 players (from two different clubs)

7. Denmark – 6 players (from three different clubs)

7. France – 6 players (from three different clubs)

7. Spain – 6 players (from three different clubs)

7. Sweden – 6 players (from three different clubs)

11. Netherlands – 4 players (from three different clubs)

11. Poland – 4 players (from two different clubs)

13. Germany – 1 player

Champions League clubs ranked by number of World Championship 2015 participants:

1. HBM Baia Mare – 13 players (EHF EURO 2014: 6 players)

2. Audi ETO Györ – 12 players (EHF EURO 2014: 8 players)

3. CSM Bucuresti – 11 players (no CL participation last season)

4. Buducnost Podgorica – 10 players (EHF EURO 2014: 13 players)

5. Fleury Loiret Handball – 7 players (no CL participation last season)

5. Vardar Skopje – 7 players (EHF EURO 2014: 9 players)

7. Larvik HK – 6 players (EHF EURO 2014: 6 players)

7. FTC Rail Cargo Hungaria – 6 players (no CL participation last season)

7. FC Midtjylland – 6 players (no CL participation last season)

10. Rostov-Don – 5 players (no CL participation last season)

11. MKS Lublin – 4 players (EHF EURO 2014: 3 players)

11. Thüringer HC – 4 players (EHF EURO 2014: 6 players)

13. IK Sävehof – 2 players (EHF EURO 2014: 5 players)

14. Hypo Niederösterreich -1 player (EHF EURO 2014: 0 players)

15. Podravka Vegeta – 0 players (EHF EURO 2014: 4 players)

15. Krim Mercator – 0 players (EHF EURO 2014: 1 player)

Number of different nations represented within Champions League squads: 

1. CSM Bucuresti – 5 countries (Brazil/4, Denmark/2, Romania/2, Spain/1, Sweden/2)

2. HCM Baia Mare – 4 countries (Romania/10, Brazil/1, France/1, Netherlands/1)

2. Audi ETO Györ – 4 countries (Hungary/6, Norway/3, Netherlands/2, Brazil/1)

4. Buducnost – 3 countries (Montenegro/8, Poland/1, Romania/1)

4. Vardar Skopje – 3 countries (France/2, Montenegro/3, Russia/2)

4. Larvik HK – 3 countries (Norway/4, Denmark/1, Montenegro/1)

4. FC Midtjylland – 3 countries (Denmark/3, Norway/1, Sweden/2)

4. Thüringer HC – 3 countries (Germany/1, Netherlands/1, Romania/2)

9. Fleury Loiret Handball – 2 countries (France/3, Spain/4)

9. FTC Rail Cargo Hungaria – 2 countries (Hungary/5, Spain/1)

9. MKS Lublin – 2 countries (Poland/4, Brazil/1)

12. Rostov Don – 1 country (Russia/5)

12. IK Sävehof – 1 country (Sweden/2)

12. Hypo Niederösterreich – 1 country (Brazil/1)