The European Handball Federation, EHF Marketing, the City of Cologne and LANXESS arena have agreed on an early prolongation of their agreement that sees the EHF FINAL4 Men being played in Cologne for another three years and until 2029.

The new deal was announced on Friday evening by EHF President Michael Wiederer, EHF Marketing Managing Director David Szlezak, Lord Mayor of the City of Cologne Henriette Reker and Managing Director of LANXESS arena Stefan Löcher at the opening party of the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 2024.

The current contract for staging the final weekend of the EHF Champions League, the premium competition of European club handball, in Cologne runs until 2026.

The success story between the EHF FINAL4 Men, the LANXESS arena and the City of Cologne started in 2010 when the first event was held in front of a capacity crowd of 19,750 spectators.

The 2029 edition will thus mark the event’s 20^th anniversary.

The perfect combination of outstanding sports and unique entertainment has become the event’s trademark which makes the world’s handball fans returning, selling out LANXESS arena year after year and amicably dubbing it ‘Cathedral of Handball’ by fans and players alike.

At this year’s tournament on 8-9 June, the 15^th overall, defending champions SC Magdeburg will face Aalborg Håndbold in the first semi-final on Saturday (15:00 CEST) while record winners Barça are up against THW Kiel, winners in Cologne in 2010, 2012 and 2020, at 18:00 CEST.

The match for third place and the final throw off on Sunday at the same timings.

Michael Wiederer, EHF President, said: “Since 2010, the City of Cologne and LANXESS arena have been offering a perfect environment and the best conditions for the EHF FINAL4 Men. Together, we have continuously developed the event further and turned it into a must-visit happening for every handball fan and into the ultimate goal for every player. Furthermore, Cologne has become a meeting place for the ‘who’s who of international handball’. This early contract extension underlines the immense trust between all parties involved, and we are looking forward to organising several even more successful EHF FINAL4s together.”

David Szlezak, Managing Director of EHF Marketing GmbH, said: “Over the past 15 years, the EHF FINAL4 has established itself as the leading sports event on the European indoor sports market. This not only holds true for the outstanding quality of the sport and the entertainment on offer around the games; the EHF FINAL4 is a platform highly valued by our partners and sponsors as it allows them in multiple and innovative ways to connect with our audience and reach new target groups. Living up to these benchmarks and create unforgettable experiences every year is one of our biggest incentives. This is only possible, and in no small part, thanks to the long-term partnerships we have developed and now prolonged with trusted partners including the City of Cologne, LANXESS arena, and our local partner, Stadionwelt.”

Henriette Reker, Lord Mayor of the City of Cologne, said: "In the City of Cologne, top handball meets enthusiastic fans. By extending the contract until 2029, the European Handball Federation is honouring the unique atmosphere that has been created at every EHF FINAL4 for the past 15 years, as well as the extensive efforts made by the City of Cologne around this event. Cologne is the perfect place for the sustainable development of handball and we will work together to continue the success story of the EHF FINAL4 in Cologne.”

Stefan Löcher, Managing Director of LANXESS arena, said: “On the eve of the EHF FINAL4’s 15^th anniversary in Cologne, we are delighted to announce a new contract extension with the entire handball family: EHF, EHF Marketing, the City of Cologne and Stadionwelt! 14 incredible final tournaments have taken place here and turned LANXESS arena into the ‘Cathedral of Handball’. Today, we further cemented our common future: the final tournament of the EHF Champions League will stay in Cologne until 2029. This means that by then we will have hosted the best world’s best handball for 20 years. This success story is incomparable to anything else in sport. The extension is a huge sign of trust in us and in Cologne as a location for top-level sports. We would like to thank everyone involved from the bottom of our hearts!”