As part of a big EHF club competitions’ reform, the former Challenge Cup has transformed and will be known as the EHF European Cup from the 2020/21 season.

The third-tier competition will remain to be played in a knock-out system all the way to the two-legged final. In the EHF European Cup Men 51 teams have been registered on the starting grid, including 2019 Challenge Cup winners CSM Bucuresti.

The opening playing round is scheduled for 17/18 and 24/25 October. The total number of participating teams allowed the first round, originally planned for September, to be skipped.

As the next step later this week the EHF will announce the pots for the opening (second) round draw.

EHF European Cup Men (51 teams)

Teams directly seeded for round 3 (13):
BIH        RK Borac mtel
BLR        HC Masheka
CZE        HC Dukla Praha
GRE       AEK Athens HC
ISL         FH Hafnarfjordur
ISR         Holon Yuvalim HC
LUX        HC Berchem
NOR      Drammen HK
ROU      CS Minaur Baia Mare
RUS       HC Neva SPb
SVK        MSK Povazska Bystrica
TUR       Beykoz BLD SK
UKR       Donbas

Teams directly seeded for round 2 (38):
AUT       SC kelag Ferlach
AUT       SG INSIGNIS Handball WESTWIEN
BIH        HC Bosna Vispak Visoko
BIH        MRK Sloga Gornji Vakuf Uskoplje
BIH        RK Gracanica
BUL       HC Dobrudja
CYP        Parnassos Strovolou
CYP        Sabbianco Anorthosis Famagusta
CZE        HC Robe Zubri
CZE        HCB Karvina
CZE        TJ Sokol Nove Veseli
EST        HC Tallinn
EST        Polva Serviti
FIN        BK-46
FIN        Cocks
FIN        IFK Handball Helsinki
GRE       A.C. Diomidis Argous
ISL         Afturelding Mosfellsbear Iceland
ITA        Cassano Magnago Handball Club
ITA        Ego Handball Siena
ITA        Raimond Sassari
KOS       KH Besa Famgas
KOS       KH Prishtina
LAT        ZRHK TENAX Dobele
LTU        Granitas-Karys
LTU        HC Dragunas Klaipeda
LTU        VHC Sviesa Vilnius
MDA     PGU Kartina TV Tiraspol
NOR      Kolstad Handball Elite team
ROU      CSM Bucuresti
RUS       SGAU-Saratov
SLO        RK Gorenje Velenje
SRB        HC Zeleznicar 1949
SUI        TSV St. Otmar St. Gallen
SWE      Ystads IF
TUR       Antalyaspor
TUR       Spor Toto SC
UKR       Odessa