Gold, silver and 3 All-Star awards for Györ at EHF EURO

When the final buzzer confirmed the seventh Women’s EHF EURO title for Norway after their thrilling 30:29 against Netherlands in Gothenburg on Sunday, five EHF Champions League clubs also started celebrating with their heroes: Larvik, Györ, Vardar, Midtjylland and Buducnost all have players in the new and old European champions’ squad.

The 2013 and 2014 EHF Champions League winners from Györ were the only club with players in both teams of Sunday‘s final: For Norway record EHF EURO champion Kari Grimsbø (first player to win five titles, in 2006-08-10-14-16) and EHF EURO top scorer and All-Star Team right back Nora Mørk; For Netherlands EHF EURO MVP and All-Star Team centre back Nycke Groot and All-Star Team line player Yvette Broch.

A total of 93 players under contract with clubs participating in the EHF Champions League Group Phase were part of EHF EURO.

The 12 clubs which qualified for the main round starting in January still provided an impressive 79 players. Looking at the semi-finalists, 28 of the 64 squad members from Norway (8), Netherlands (5), France (11) and Denmark (4) play for EHF Champions League clubs.

From the 16 clubs in the EHF Champions League Group Phase this season only Norwegian runners-up Glassverket have not been represented at EHF EURO. Elsewehere, the number of EHF EURO players per club varied from 3 (Leipzig) to 14 (Buducnost).

All 16 EHF EURO participants had EHF Champions League players in their squads. The list was topped by Montenegro (12), France (11), Sweden and Hungary (10 each), while Poland and Czech Republic had the fewest (2).

Not just the Györ trio of Mørk, Groot and Broch but the full EHF EURO All-Star Team consists of EHF Champions League players. The clubs involved are Larvik (Sandra Toft/goalkeeper), Metz (Beatrice Edwige/defender), title holders Bucuresti (Carmen Martín/right wing), Buducnost (Cristina Neagu/left back) and Vardar (Camilla Herrem/left wing).

The number of EHF Champions League players at this EHF EURO have been lower than at previous editions. Some players are pregnant – most notably Györ’s line player Heidi Løke – or injured, have retired or not been nominated after the Olympic Games as most national teams are in transition entering the new Olympic cycle.

Number of EHF EURO players in EHF Champions League clubs:

- 14/5 (14 players from 5 countries): Buducnost (1 ESP, 2 SLO, 1 POL, 9 MNE, 1 ROU)
- 8/5: Györ (2 NED, 3 HUN, 1 CZE, 2 NOR)
- 8/5: Vardar (2 SLO, 2 FRA, 1 MNE, 1 NOR, 2 CRO)
- 8/4: Metz (1 SRB, 1 SLO, 5 FRA, 1 MNE)
- 8/3: FTC (1 ESP, 1 NED, 6 HUN)
- 7/5: Bucuresti (1 SWE, 1 ESP, 2 FRA, 1 MNE, 2 ROU)
- 7/5: Thüringer HC (1 ESP, 1 FRA, 3 GER, 1 CZE, 1 ROU)
- 6/4: Rostov (1ESP, 1 FRAU, 1 DEN, 3 RUS)
- 5/3: Midtjylland (2 SWE, 2 DEN, 1 NOR)
- 5/3: Esbjerg (2 SWE, 1 ESP, 2 NED)
- 5/3: Krim (1 SRB, 2SLO, 2 CRO)
- 5/3: Larvik (1 POL, 1 DEN, 3 NOR)
- 5/1: Sävehof (5 SWE)
- 4/1: Astrakhanochka (4 RUS)
- 3/1: Leipzig (3 GER)

Number of EHF Champions League players in EHF EURO squad:

- 12: Montenegro
- 11: France
- 10: Sweden, Hungary
- 8: Norway
- 7: Slovenia, Russia
- 6: Germany
- 5: Romania, Netherlands
- 4: Denmark, Croatia
- 2: Poland, Czech Republic