Four nationalities, two debutants, one unbeaten defending champion
With the completion of the Women’s EHF Champions League Quarter-final the four teams striving for the title at the DELO WOMEN’S EHF FINAL4 have been confirmed: Györi Audi ETO KC, Metz Handball, Rostov-Don and Vipers Kristiansand will take to the court in Budapest on May 11/12.
Here are all the important numbers and stats before the draw event on Tuesday (16 April):
0 times have two teams from the same nation made it to the DELO WOMEN’S EHF FINAL4 in the same season.
1 team has successfully defended its title in the five DELO WOMEN’S EHF FINAL4 editions so far: Györ, winners in 2017 and 2018.
1 MVP of the 2016 Olympic Games and EHF EURO 2018 will be on court in Budapest: Anna Vyakhireva (Rostov)
1 - for the first time a French team is part of the DELO WOMEN’S EHF FINAL4: Metz Handball.
1 team arrives unbeaten in Budapest: defending champions Györ have won 12 of their 14 matches so far and tied twice - with Hungarian rivals FTC.
1 club was part of all five previous editions of the DELO WOMEN’S EHF FINAL4 but did not compete this season: Vardar. Györ will play their fifth finals tournament in 2019.
1 of the four DELO WOMEN’S EHF FINAL4 participants has won the title before: Györ (2013, 2014, 2017, 2018).
1 coach, Ambros Martin, switched from one DELO WOMEN’S EHF FINAL4 participant (Györ) to another (Rostov) before this season.
2 former IHF World Handball Players of the Year will be on court in Budapest: Eduarda Amorim (2014) and Anita Görbicz (2005, both Györ).
2 teams are DELO WOMEN’S EHF FINAL4 debutants: Metz Handball and Vipers Kristiansand. Rostov have qualified for the second time after 2018.
2 top scorers from the past seven seasons will play in Budapest: Anita Görbicz (2013/14 - 87 goals for Györ and 2011/12 - 133 Györ) and Zsuzsanna Tomori (2012/13 - 95 FTC, now Györ).
2 - Vipers are the second team from Norway to reach the DELO WOMEN’S EHF FINAL4, after Larvik in 2015.
2 - Vipers are only playing in their second season in the Women’s EHF Champions League.
2 former champions - Buducnost (2012, 2015) and CSM Bucuresti (2016) - lost in the quarter-final this season, both against a DELO WOMEN’S EHF FINAL4 debutant.
2 coaches of DELO WOMEN’S EHF FINAL4 participants also lead a national team: Emmanuel Mayonnade (Netherlands) and Ambros Martin (Romania).
3 players and one coach at the DELO WOMEN’S EHF FINAL4 aim for their fifth trophy: Katrine Lunde (Vipers), Eduarda Amorim and Anita Görbicz (both Györ), and Rostov coach Ambros Martin, who led Györ to the title in 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2018.
4 - which means all - DELO WOMEN’S EHF FINAL4 participants won both quarter-final matches.
6 goals was the smallest aggregate winning margin in the quarter-final: Metz vs CSM 54:48. Last season six was also the smallest margin as CSM beat Metz.
4 nations will be represented by the four coaches in Budapest: Gabor Danyi (Györ) is Hungarian, Ambros Martin (Rostov) is Spaniard, Ole Gustav Gjekstad (Vipers) is Norwegian, Emmanuel Mayonnade (Metz) is French.
6 - for the sixth straight year since 2014 the Papp László Sportaréna in Budapest will host the DELO WOMEN’S EHF FINAL4.
7 players at the DELO WOMEN’S EHF FINAL4 won the world title with France in 2017: Amandine Leynaud (Györ), Grace Zaadi Deuna, Manon Houette, Laura Flippes, Orlande Kanor, Beatrice Edwige, Gnonsiane Niombla (all Metz).
7 players at the DELO WOMEN’S EHF FINAL4 won the Olympic title with Russia in 2016: Vladlena Bobrovnikova, Polina Kuznetsova, Mayya Petrova, Anna Sedoykina, Anna Sen, Marina Sudakova and Anna Vyakhireva (all Rostov).
9 players at the DELO WOMEN’S EHF FINAL4 won the EHF EURO 2018 with France: Amandine Leynaud (Györ), Laura Glauser, Astride N’Gouan, Grace Zaadi Deuna, Manon Houette, Laura Flippes, Orlande Kanor, Beatrice Edwige and Gnonsiane Niombla (all Metz).
9 EHF Champions League matches this season ended in a draw: six in the group matches, three in the main round.
10 different clubs from eight different nations have qualified for the finals tournament in Budapest (including 2018/19): Vardar and Györ (5 times each), Buducnost (4), CSM Bucuresti (3), Rostov-Don (2), FC Midtjylland, Larvik, Volgograd, Vipers Kristiansand, Metz Handball (1 each).
11 nations have been represented by the 25 winners of the Women’s EHF Champions League (since 1993/94): Denmark (6 trophies), Hungary (5), Austria (4), Montenegro, Slovenia (2 each), Croatia, North Macedonia, Norway, Romania, Russia, Spain (1 each).
12 times in 13 seasons (including 2018/19) Györ have made it at least to the semi-final; only in 2014/15 they were eliminated in the quarter-final - by Vardar. Rostov will play their second semi-final (after 2018), Metz and Vipers their first.
12 goals was the biggest winning margin in a quarter-final match this season: Györ vs Odense 33:21.
13 players at the DELO WOMEN’S EHF FINAL4 also appeared in the 2016 Olympic final in Rio: seven Russian and six French players.
14 multiple Women’s EHF Champions League winners will be on court in Budapest: 12 of them play for Györ, two for Vipers.
14 goals was the aggregate winning margin in the quarter-final Rostov vs FTC (62:48). In the same tie last season, the difference was 12 goals.
15 is the highest number of goals scored by one player in a single DELO WOMEN’S EHF FINAL4 match: Swedish Isabelle Gulldén for CSM Bucuresti in the 2016 final against Györ.
17 different nations were represented by the 22 clubs taking part in the Women’s EHF Champions League this season (including qualification).
17 matches this season had a winning margin of 10 or more goals.
20 goals was the biggest winning margin so far: Györ vs Podravka 37:17 (group matches).
23 matches long is the unbeaten run of Györ in the Women’s EHF Champions League.
31 of the 92 matches since the start of the group matches have been attended by at least 3,000 spectators, including three quarter-finals.
38 was the lowest number of goals in a single group match: Odense vs Metz 19:19.
48 of the 92 matches since the start of the group matches were won by the home team, 23 were won by the visitors.
80 goals have been scored by both Noemi Hafra (FTC) and Jovanka Radicevic (CSM Bucuresti) to top the scorers’ list so far. Best scorer still in competition is Linn Sulland (Vipers) with 76.
+105 goals after 14 matches is the goal difference of Györ.
331 goals conceded by Metz this season is the lowest amount for any of the four DELO WOMEN’S EHF FINAL4 participants.
409 goals were scored in the eight quarter-final matches, an average of 51.1.
465 goals scored by Györ this season is the highest amount for any of the four DELO WOMEN’S EHF FINAL4 participants.
5,432 goals have been scored so far this season: 417 in qualification; 2,648 in the group matches; 1,958 in the main round; 409 in the quarter-finals. Last season this was 5,237 goals at the same stage.
5,500 fans at the Györ vs Odense quarter-final match was the highest attendance of the season so far.
25,242 fans in total attended the eight quarter-final matches, an average of 3,155 spectators. Last season a total of 30,244 fans attended the quarter-finals.
Top lists of the four DELO WOMEN’S EHF FINAL4 participants (after 14 matches)
Most goals scored:
465: Györ
415: Metz
398: Vipers
385: Rostov
Fewest goals conceded:
331: Metz
336: Rostov
354: Vipers
360: Györ
Best goal difference:
+105: Györ
+84: Metz
+49: Rostov
+44: Vipers
Moist ‘points’:
26: Györ (12 victories - 2 draws - 0 defeats)
23: Metz (11 - 1 - 2)
23: Rostov (11 - 1 - 2)
19: Vipers (9 - 1 - 4)
Top scorers:
76 goals: Linn Sulland (NOR/Vipers)
71 goals: Nycke Groot (NED/Györ)
63 goals: Henny Reistad (NOR/Vipers)
62 goals: Xenia Smits (GER/Metz)
60 goals: Stine Oftedal (NOR/Györ)
Top scorers (overall):
80 goals: Noemi Hafra (HUN/FTC), Jovanka Radicevic (MNE/CSM Bucuresti)
76 goals: Ana Gros (SLO/Brest), 76 goals: Linn Sulland (NOR/Vipers)
73 goals: Andrea Lekic (SRB/CSM Bucuresti)
TEXT:
Björn Pazen / ew