NEWS REPORT: Following Qualification Round 3 of the WOMEN’S EHF Cup over the weekend, all is set for the group phase draw, as the four pots have been confirmed
WOMEN’S EHF Cup group phase pots announced
Following the last games of the WOMEN’S EHF Cup qualification rounds as well as the DELO WOMEN’S EHF Champions League group matches on Sunday, all participants for the EHF Cup group phase are now known – and 16 teams are set for the draw at the EHF Office in Vienna on Thursday 21 November at 11:00 CET. The draw will determine the four groups for the next stage.
The 12 successful teams from the EHF Cup qualification rounds have joined the four bottom-ranked teams from the Champions League group matches: HC Podravka Vegeta, MKS Perla Lublin, SG BBM Bietigheim, DHK Banik Most.
The four Champions League group matches participants make up Pot 1 for the draw. Defending EHF Cup champions Siófok KC Hungary are seeded in Pot 2.
There will be a country protection rule applied in the draw, preventing two teams from the same country meeting in the group phase.
The first round of the group phase is scheduled for 4-5 January and the last round will take place on 8-9 February. Only the top two teams from each group will make it to the quarter-finals.
The WOMEN'S EHF Cup is played in a group phase format, after the old EHF Cup merged with the Cup Winners' Cup before the 2016/17 season. The EHF Cup will transform into the European Handball League following the current season.
The detailed rundown of the draw will be published in due time, before Thursday.
WOMEN’S EHF Cup group phase pots:
Pot 1
CRO HC Podravka Vegeta
CZE DHK Banik Most
GER SG BBM Bietigheim
POL MKS Lublin S.A.
Pot 2
DEN Herning-Ikast Handbold
HUN ÉRD
HUN Siófok KC Hungary
TUR Kastamonu Belediyesi GSK
Pot 3
GER Thüringer HC
ROU CSM Corona Brasov
ROU Magura Cisnadie
RUS Handball Club Lada
Pot 4
DEN Kobenhavn Handball
DEN Odense Håndbold
HUN DVSC Schaeffler
NOR Storhamar Handball Elite
TEXT:
EHF / cg