On the eve of the European club handball season 2024/25, EHF Marketing GmbH, the marketing arm of the European Handball Federation, has inked a new partner deal with Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI), which is dealing as universal bank in 12 markets in central and east Europe.

The agreement sees RBI becoming an official partner of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League as well as a premium partner of the EHF Champions League Women, turning the bank into the first partner to be engaged in the men’s and the women’s edition of the EHF’s premium club handball competition.

As part of the deal, Raiffeisen Bank International will receive significant exposure through floor sticker advertising, LED board minutes and brand activations across all 264 matches throughout the entire season including the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 in Cologne and the EHF FINAL4 Women in Budapest.

Nikolaus Zottl, Lead Marketing & Strategy Raiffeisen Bank International, said: “We chose to enter a multi-year partnership with the EHF Champions League after a thorough analysis of our opportunities – and when we took the decision, it was clear from the start to sponsor the men’s and the women’s competition. The EHF Champions League offers us year-round visibility, presence in our key markets such as Hungary, Romania and Croatia, and in particular we share the same philosophy. The EHF Champions League’s slogan ‘Dare To Rise’ is a perfect fit to RBI’s approach to ‘Make it happen.’ We are looking forward to a successful start of this partnership.”

David Szlezak, EHF Marketing Managing Director, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Raiffeisen Bank International to the handball family as partner of both of our top-tier competitions. Women’s sports are at a growth stage in terms of volume and value - and the EHF Champions League mirrors gender equality by offering identical standards for corporate identity and competition format to the market. Having RBI as a partner for the Machineseeker EHF Champions League and the EHF Champions League Women underlines our commitment to promote the European club competitions in handball for both women and men. Within a partner-centric-driven marketing approach we are looking very much forward to working with a pan-European brand like RBI turning this agreement into a resounding success over the years to come.”

About Raiffeisen Bank International

RBI regards Austria, where it is a leading corporate and investment bank, as well as Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) as its home market. 12 markets of the region are covered by subsidiary banks. Additionally, the RBI Group comprises numerous other financial service providers, for instance in leasing, asset management or M&A.

Around 45,000 employees service 18.6 million customers through approx. 1,500 business outlets, the by far largest part thereof in CEE. RBI's shares are listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange. The Austrian regional Raiffeisen banks own around 61.2 per cent of the shares, the remainder is in free float. Within the Austrian Raiffeisen Banking Group, RBI is the central institute of the regional Raiffeisen banks and other affiliated credit institutions.

About EHF Marketing GmbH

EHF Marketing GmbH is the marketing arm and subsidiary of the European Handball Federation. The company works closely with marketing and media partners, as well as with Europe’s leading clubs to release the full potential of the sport on the international sports market. The EHF Marketing GmbH is responsible for the exploitation, organisation and promotion of the European club handball competitions including the Machineseeker EHF Champions League, the EHF Champions League Women and the EHF European League.

About the EHF Champions League

The EHF Champions League is the premium competition of European club handball. Starting with the group phase in September, 16 teams compete for a place in club handball’s benchmark events, the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 Men in the LANXESS arena in Cologne, Germany and the EHF FINAL4 Women in the MVM Dome in Budapest, Hungary. Both events are played in June. The current playing system has Wednesdays and Thursdays reserved for the best men’s club teams, while the women play on Saturdays and Sundays. The 2024/25 season starts on 7 September for the women’s teams and on 11 September for the men.