EHF Champions League

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates The EHF Champions League is the most important club handball competition for men's teams in Europe and involves the leading teams from the top European nations. The competition is organised every year by EHF. The official name for the men's competition is the EHF Champions League Men.

The EHF coefficient rank decides which teams have access and in which stage they enter.

Eligibility and qualifying

Each year, the EHF publishes a ranking list of its member federations. The first 9 nations are automatically permitted to participate in the tournament with their national champion. The national federation ranked first place in the EHF European League, currently Germany, is awarded a second qualification berth for the domestic runner-up. The remaining six positions are designated through wildcards, with each national federation without two teams already qualified able to submit a single applicant. The wildcards are judged on five criteria: venue, TV, spectators, results in past EHF competitions and product management and digital.

Tournament format

Each year, the EHF publishes a ranking list of its member federations. The first nine nations are allowed to participate in the tournament with their national champion. In addition, the tenth spot is reserved for the best ranked national federation of the EHF European League Men. The national federations are allowed to request upgrades for their teams eligible to play in the EHF European League and based on the criteria list the EHF Executive Committee approves six upgrades.

The EHF Champions League is divided into four stages. All participating teams enter the competition in the group phase.

The current playing system has been introduced before the 2020/21 season.

Group phase

Since the 2020/21 season, the format sees two groups formed, with eight teams each in Group A and B. All the teams in each group play each other twice, in home and away matches (14 rounds in total). The first two teams in Groups A and B advance directly to the quarter-finals, while teams from positions three to six in each of these groups proceed to the playoff. The season is over for the last two teams in each group after the completion of the group phase.

Play off

The pairings for the playoff are decided by the placement of the teams at the end of the group phase (A6 vs B3, B6 vs A3, A5 vs B4 and B5 vs A4). Each pairing is decided via a home and away format, with the aggregate winners over the two legs advancing to the quarter-finals. The higher ranked teams in the group phase have the home right advantage in the second leg.

Quarter-finals

The pairings for the quarter-finals are also decided by the placement in the group phase (Winner of A5/B4 vs A1, Winner B5/A4 vs B1, Winner A6/B3 vs A2, Winner B6/A3 vs B2). The ties are decided through a home and away format, with the four winners over the two legs played in each pairing advancing to the EHF FINAL4. The higher ranked teams in the group phase have the home right advantage in the second leg.

EHF FINAL4

The official name for the men's EHF FINAL4 is the EHF FINAL4 Men. The participating EHF FINAL4 teams are paired for the semifinals through a draw and play the last two matches of the season over a single weekend at one venue. The two semi-finals are played on a Saturday, with the third-place game and final on a Sunday.

Brand Sound

Much like the visual brand identity, the brand sound identity will acoustically connect the various leagues and tournaments which fit under the EHF umbrella. For the EHF Brand Sound, the authors got to the core of "The Sound of Handball" and created a handball sound DNA as the recurring element across all audio-visual applications. The jump shot was identified as the most iconic and defining handball movement.

Through video analysis and motion tracking, the jump shot was extracted into a rhythmic design pattern. There are numerous application opportunities of the brand sound, which will be developed over time. First implementations of the new EHF Brand Sound will be heard in the EHF Champions League. The premium character of this tournament was translated into a modern sound design through a new EHF Champions League sound logo and anthem. Both will come to life in the arena and will consistently complement all audio-visual communications.

The previous anthem for the EHF Champions League is "Hymn of the Champions", used until the end of the 2019/20 season and exclusively written by Austrian film composer Roman Kariolou in 2007. The recording played during the entry ceremony before every game was performed by the Bratislava Symphony Orchestra, conducted by David Hernando.

Winners

#	Year		Final				Semi-final losers
			Champion	Score	Second place
European Champions Cup (organised by IHF)
1	1956–57 Details	Template:Flagicon Dukla Prague	21–13	Template:Flagicon Örebro SK	Template:Flagicon HG Copenhagen	Template:Flagicon Paris UC
2	1958–59 Details	Template:Flagicon Redbergslids IK	18–13	Template:Flagicon Frisch Auf Göppingen	Template:Flagicon FC Helsingør	Template:Flagicon Dinamo București
3	1959–60 Details	Template:Flagicon Frisch Auf Göppingen	18–13	Template:Flagicon Aarhus GF	Template:Flagicon Dinamo București	Template:Flagicon Paris UC
4	1961–62 Details	Template:Flagicon Frisch Auf Göppingen	13–11	Template:Flagicon Partizan Bjelovar	Template:Flagicon Dukla Prague	Template:Flagicon IK Skovbakken
5	1962–63 Details	Template:Flagicon Dukla Prague	15–13	Template:Flagicon Dinamo București	Template:Flagicon Frisch Auf Göppingen	Template:Flagicon Ajax København
6	1964–65 Details	Template:Flagicon Dinamo București	13–11	Template:Flagicon Medveščak Zagreb	Template:Flagicon Grasshopper	Template:Flagicon Ajax København
7	1965–66 Details	Template:Flagicon SC DHfK Leipzig	16–14	Template:Flagicon Budapest Honvéd	Template:Flagicon Dukla Prague	Template:Flagicon Aarhus GF
8	1966–67 Details	Template:Flagicon VfL Gummersbach	17–13	Template:Flagicon Dukla Prague	Template:Flagicon SK Cuncevo	Template:Flagicon Dinamo București
9	1967–68 Details	Template:Flagicon Steaua București	13–11	Template:Flagicon Dukla Prague	Template:Flagicon Dynamo Berlin	Template:Flagicon Partizan Bjelovar
10	1969–70 Details	Template:Flagicon VfL Gummersbach	14–11	Template:Flagicon Dynamo Berlin	Template:Flagicon Steaua București	Template:Flagicon RK Crvenka
11	1970–71 Details	Template:Flagicon VfL Gummersbach	17–16	Template:Flagicon Steaua București	Template:Flagicon Sporting CP	Template:Flagicon Partizan Bjelovar
12	1971–72 Details	Template:Flagicon Partizan Bjelovar	19–14	Template:Flagicon VfL Gummersbach	Template:Flagicon MAI Moskva	Template:Flagicon Tatran Prešov
13	1972–73 Details	Template:Flagicon MAI Moskva	26–23	Template:Flagicon Partizan Bjelovar	Template:Flagicon SC Leipzig	Template:Flagicon SoIK Hellas
14	1973–74 Details	Template:Flagicon VfL Gummersbach	19–17	Template:Flagicon MAI Moskva	Template:Flagicon Oppsal IF Oslo	Template:Flagicon Červená Hviezda Bratislava
15	1974–75 Details	Template:Flagicon ASK Frankfurt/Oder	19–17	Template:Flagicon Borac Banja Luka	Template:Flagicon VfL Gummersbach	Template:Flagicon Steaua București
16	1975–76 Details	Template:Flagicon Borac Banja Luka	17–15	Template:Flagicon Fredericia KFUM	Template:Flagicon VfL Gummersbach	Template:Flagicon Fredensborg/Ski
17	1976–77 Details	Template:Flagicon Steaua București	21–20	Template:Flagicon CSKA Moscow	Template:Flagicon Fredericia KFUM	Template:Flagicon VfL Gummersbach
18	1977–78 Details	Template:Flagicon SC Magdeburg	28–22	Template:Flagicon Śląsk Wrocław	Template:Flagicon Budapest Honvéd	Template:Flagicon Calpisa
19	1978–79 Details	Template:Flagicon TV Großwallstadt	30–28 (14–10 / 18–16)	Template:Flagicon Empor Rostock	Template:Flagicon Budapest Honvéd	Template:Flagicon Dinamo București
20	1979–80 Details	Template:Flagicon TV Großwallstadt	21–12	Template:Flagicon Valur	Template:Flagicon Dukla Prague	Template:Flagicon Atlético de Madrid
21	1980–81 Details	Template:Flagicon SC Magdeburg	52–43 (25–23 / 29–18)	Template:Flagicon Slovan Ljubljana	Template:Flagicon Lugi HF	Template:Flagicon CSKA Moscow
22	1981–82 Details	Template:Flagicon Budapest Honvéd	49–34 (25–16 / 18–24)	Template:Flagicon TSV St. Otmar St. Gallen	Template:Flagicon FC Helsingør	Template:Flagicon TV Großwallstadt
23	1982–83 Details	Template:Flagicon VfL Gummersbach	32–29 (15–19 / 13–14)	Template:Flagicon CSKA Moscow	Template:Flagicon Barcelona	Template:Flagicon Metaloplastika
24	1983–84 Details	Template:Flagicon Dukla Prague	38–38 (21–17 / 21–17)	Template:Flagicon Metaloplastika	Template:Flagicon VfL Gummersbach	Template:Flagicon Budapest Honvéd
25	1984–85 Details	Template:Flagicon Metaloplastika	49–32 (19–12 / 20–30)	Template:Flagicon Atlético de Madrid	Template:Flagicon FH	Template:Flagicon Dukla Prague
26	1985–86 Details	Template:Flagicon Metaloplastika	54–52 (29–24 / 30–23)	Template:Flagicon Wybrzeże Gdańsk	Template:Flagicon Steaua București	Template:Flagicon Atlético de Madrid
27	1986–87 Details	Template:Flagicon SKA Minsk	62–49 (32–24 / 25–30)	Template:Flagicon Wybrzeże Gdańsk	Template:Flagicon TUSEM Essen	Template:Flagicon Metaloplastika
28	1987–88 Details	Template:Flagicon CSKA Moscow	36–36 (18–15 / 21–18)	Template:Flagicon TUSEM Essen	Template:Flagicon Metaloplastika	Template:Flagicon Elgorriaga Bidasoa
29	1988–89 Details	Template:Flagicon SKA Minsk	61–53 (30–24 / 37–23)	Template:Flagicon Steaua București	Template:Flagicon SC Magdeburg	Template:Flagicon HK Drott
30	1989–90 Details	Template:Flagicon SKA Minsk	53–50 (26–21 / 29–27)	Template:Flagicon Barcelona	Template:Flagicon TUSEM Essen	Template:Flagicon US Créteil Handball
31	1990–91 Details	Template:Flagicon Barcelona	41–40 (23–21 / 20–17)	Template:Flagicon Proleter Zrenjanin	Template:Flagicon ETİ Bisküvi	Template:Flagicon Dynamo Astrakhan
32	1991–92 Details	Template:Flagicon Zagreb	50–38 (22–20 / 18–28)	Template:Flagicon TEKA Santander	Template:Flagicon Kolding IF	Template:Flagicon Barcelona
33	1992–93 Details	Template:Flagicon Zagreb	40–39 (22–17 / 22–18)	Template:Flagicon SG Wallau-Massenheim	Template:Flagicon Vénissieux Handball	Template:Flagicon Barcelona
EHF Champions League
34	1993–94 Details	Template:Flagicon TEKA Santander	45–43 (22–22 / 23–21)	Template:Flagicon ABC Braga	Template:Flagicon UHK West Wien	Template:Flagicon USAM Nîmes
35	1994–95 Details	Template:Flagicon Elgorriaga Bidasoa	56–47 (30–20 / 27–26)	Template:Flagicon Zagreb	Template:Flagicon THW Kiel	Template:Flagicon Cantabria Santander
36	1995–96 Details	Template:Flagicon Barcelona	46–38 (23–15 / 23–23)	Template:Flagicon Elgorriaga Bidasoa	Template:Flagicon Pfadi Winterthur	Template:Flagicon THW Kiel
37	1996–97 Details	Template:Flagicon Barcelona	61–45 (31–22 / 23–30)	Template:Flagicon Zagreb	Template:Flagicon RK Celje	Template:Flagicon THW Kiel
38	1997–98 Details	Template:Flagicon Barcelona	56–40 (28–18 / 22–28)	Template:Flagicon Zagreb	Template:Flagicon TBV Lemgo	Template:Flagicon RK Celje
39	1998–99 Details	Template:Flagicon Barcelona	51–40 (22–22 / 29–18)	Template:Flagicon Zagreb	Template:Flagicon RK Celje	Template:Flagicon Portland San Antonio
40	1999–00 Details	Template:Flagicon Barcelona	54–52 (28–25 / 29–24)	Template:Flagicon THW Kiel	Template:Flagicon RK Celje	Template:Flagicon Zagreb
41	2000–01 Details	Template:Flagicon Portland San Antonio	52–49 (30–24 / 25–22)	Template:Flagicon Barcelona	Template:Flagicon RK Celje	Template:Flagicon THW Kiel
42	2001–02 Details	Template:Flagicon SC Magdeburg	51–48 (23–21 / 30–25)	Template:Flagicon Veszprém	Template:Flagicon Kolding IF	Template:Flagicon Portland San Antonio
43	2002–03 Details	Template:Flagicon Montpellier	50–46 (27–19 / 31–19)	Template:Flagicon Portland San Antonio	Template:Flagicon RD Prule 67	Template:Flagicon Veszprém
44	2003–04 Details	Template:Flagicon RK Celje	62–58 (34–28 / 30–28)	Template:Flagicon Flensburg-Handewitt	Template:Flagicon Ciudad Real	Template:Flagicon SC Magdeburg
45	2004–05 Details	Template:Flagicon Barcelona	56–55 (28–27 / 29–27)	Template:Flagicon Ciudad Real	Template:Flagicon RK Celje	Template:Flagicon Montpellier
46	2005–06 Details	Template:Flagicon Ciudad Real	62–47 (19–25 / 37–28)	Template:Flagicon Portland San Antonio	Template:Flagicon Flensburg-Handewitt	Template:Flagicon Veszprém
47	2006–07 Details	Template:Flagicon THW Kiel	57–55 (28–28 / 29–27)	Template:Flagicon Flensburg-Handewitt	Template:Flagicon Portland San Antonio	Template:Flagicon Valladolid
48	2007–08 Details	Template:Flagicon Ciudad Real	58–54 (27–29 / 25–31)	Template:Flagicon THW Kiel	Template:Flagicon HSV Hamburg	Template:Flagicon Barcelona
49	2008–09 Details	Template:Flagicon Ciudad Real	67–66 (39–34 / 33–27)	Template:Flagicon THW Kiel	Template:Flagicon HSV Hamburg	Template:Flagicon Rhein-Neckar Löwen
New Qualifying Format + Third Place Match
50	2009–10 Details	Template:Flagicon THW Kiel	36–34	Template:Flagicon Barcelona	Template:Flagicon Ciudad Real	Template:Flagicon Chekhovskiye Medvedi
51	2010–11 Details	Template:Flagicon Barcelona	27–24	Template:Flagicon Ciudad Real	Template:Flagicon Rhein-Neckar Löwen	Template:Flagicon HSV Hamburg
52	2011–12 Details	Template:Flagicon THW Kiel	26–21	Template:Flagicon Atlético de Madrid	Template:Flagicon AG København	Template:Flagicon Füchse Berlin
53	2012–13 Details	Template:Flagicon HSV Hamburg	30–29	Template:Flagicon Barcelona	Template:Flagicon Vive Kielce	Template:Flagicon THW Kiel
54	2013–14 Details	Template:Flagicon Flensburg-Handewitt	30–28	Template:Flagicon THW Kiel	Template:Flagicon Barcelona	Template:Flagicon Veszprém
55	2014–15 Details	Template:Flagicon Barcelona	28–23	Template:Flagicon Veszprém	Template:Flagicon Vive Kielce	Template:Flagicon THW Kiel
56	2015–16 Details	Template:Flagicon Vive Kielce	39–38	Template:Flagicon Veszprém	Template:Flagicon Paris Saint-Germain	Template:Flagicon THW Kiel
57	2016–17 Details	Template:Flagicon RK Vardar	24–23	Template:Flagicon Paris Saint-Germain	Template:Flagicon Veszprém	Template:Flagicon Barcelona
58	2017–18 Details	Template:Flagicon Montpellier	32–26	Template:Flagicon HBC Nantes	Template:Flagicon Paris Saint-Germain	Template:Flagicon RK Vardar
59	2018–19 Details	Template:Flagicon RK Vardar	27–24	Template:Flagicon Veszprém	Template:Flagicon Barcelona	Template:Flagicon Vive Kielce
60	2019–20 Details	Template:Flagicon THW Kiel	33–28	Template:Flagicon Barcelona	Template:Flagicon Paris Saint-Germain	Template:Flagicon Veszprém
61	2020–21 Details	Template:Flagicon Barcelona	36–23	Template:Flagicon Aalborg Håndbold	Template:Flagicon Paris Saint-Germain	Template:Flagicon HBC Nantes
62	2021–22 Details	Template:Flagicon Barcelona	37–35	Template:Flagicon Vive Kielce	Template:Flagicon THW Kiel	Template:Flagicon Veszprém
63	2022–23 Details	Template:Flagicon SC Magdeburg	30–29	Template:Flagicon Vive Kielce	Template:Flagicon Barcelona	Template:Flagicon Paris Saint-Germain
64	2023–24 Details	Template:Flagicon Barcelona	31–30	Template:Flagicon Aalborg Håndbold	Template:Flagicon THW Kiel	Template:Flagicon SC Magdeburg
65	2024–25 Details	Template:Flagicon SC Magdeburg	32–26	Template:Flagicon Füchse Berlin	Template:Flagicon HBC Nantes	Template:Flagicon Barcelona

Notes:
Bold : Aggregate
Bold-italic : Winner's goals

Records and statistics

Performance by country (1957-2024)

Rank	Country	Winners	Runners-up	Semi-finals	Total
1		18	13	20	51
2		18	11	27	56
3	[A]	5	3	4	12
4	[B]	4	7	6	17
5	Template:GDR	4	2	3	9
6		3	3	7	13
7	[C]	3	2	6	11
8		2	4	1	7
9		2	2	13	17
10		2	0	1	3
11		1	5	9	15
12		1	5	3	9
13		1	1	3	5
14		1	0	7	8
15		0	4	11	15
16		0	1	2	3
17		0	1	1	2
18		0	1	1	2
19		0	0	2	2
20		0	0	1	1
21		0	0	1	1
22		0	0	1	1
Total		65	65	130	260

• Since 2009–10 EHF Champions League have Third Place Match.

Notes

• ^A Results until the Dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Three out of five titles were won by clubs from present day Belarus, while two titles and the additional three times runners-up were achieved by clubs from present day Russia.
• ^B Results until the Breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. Clubs from present day Serbia won the title two times and were runners-up additional two times, clubs from present day Croatia won the title once and were runners-up three times, clubs from present day Bosnia and Herzegovina won the title once and were runners-up once, while clubs from present day Slovenia were runners-up one time.
• ^C Results until the Dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993. Three titles and two times runners-up were all achieved by HC Dukla Prague.

All-time top scorers

As of the end of the 2024/25 season

Rank	Player	Goals	Seasons	ref.
1	Template:Flagicon Kiril Lazarov	1363	20
2	Template:Flagicon Timur Dibirov	1212	21
3	Template:Flagicon Nikola Karabatić	1211	18
4	Template:Flagicon Mikkel Hansen	1194	17
5	Template:Flagicon Momir Ilić	969	14
6	Template:Flagicon Marko Vujin	861	14
7	Template:Flagicon Alex Dujshebaev	856	13
8	Template:Flagicon Ivan Čupić	843	17
9	Template:Flagicon Siarhei Rutenka	838	13
10	Template:Flagicon László Nagy	806	17
11	Template:Flagicon Niclas Ekberg	785	12
12	Template:Flagicon Kamil Syprzak	760	14
13	Template:Flagicon Zlatko Horvat	729	18
14	Template:Flagicon Domagoj Duvnjak	725	17
15	Template:Flagicon Víctor Tomás	717	17
16	Template:Flagicon Uwe Gensheimer	715	10
17	Template:Flagicon Nedim Remili	705	11
18	Template:Flagicon Dika Mem	695	9
19	Template:Flagicon Jonas Källman	694	17
20	Template:Flagicon Igor Karačić	693	14

All-time Final Four top scorers

As of the end of the 2024/25 season

Rank	Player	Goals	Apps.
1	Template:Flagicon Mikkel Hansen	81	8
2	Template:Flagicon Aleix Gómez	80	7
3	Template:Flagicon Dika Mem	69	8
4	Template:Flagicon Kiril Lazarov	68	7
5	Template:Flagicon Aron Pálmarsson	59	9
	Template:Flagicon Timothey N'Guessan	59	7
7	Template:Flagicon Momir Ilić	58	8
8	Template:Flagicon Niclas Ekberg	57	7
9	Template:Flagicon Filip Jícha	56	6
10	Template:Flagicon László Nagy	55	7
11	Template:Flagicon Domagoj Duvnjak	51	6
12	Template:Flagicon Ivan Čupić	49	7
13	Template:Flagicon Siarhei Rutenka	47	4
	Template:Flagicon Víctor Tomás	47	7
	Template:Flagicon Luka Cindrić	47	7
16	Template:Flagicon Juanín García	44	4
17	Template:Flagicon Nedim Remili	43	4
18	Template:Flagicon Alex Dujshebaev	42	4
19	Template:Flagicon Nikola Karabatić	39	7
20	Template:Flagicon Jesper Nøddesbo	38	6

Goals scored in the Final Four by nations

All the goals (3805) scored in the Final Four by the nationality of the players.

Last updated after the 2024/25 season.

Rank	Nation	Goals
1	Template:Flagicon France	608
2	Template:Flagicon Spain	566
3	Template:Flagicon Germany	348
4	Template:Flagicon Denmark	334
5	Template:Flagicon Croatia	255
6	Template:Flagicon Sweden	232
7	Template:Flagicon Iceland	193
8	Template:Flagicon Poland	189
9	Template:Flagicon Serbia	162
10	Template:Flagicon Slovenia	162
11	Template:Flagicon Hungary	123
12	Template:Flagicon Belarus	85

Rank	Nation	Goals
13	Template:Flagicon Russia	78
14	Template:Flagicon North Macedonia	76
15	Template:Flagicon Norway	76
16	Template:Flagicon Czech Republic	56
17	Template:Flagicon Netherlands	35
18	Template:Flagicon Montenegro	33
19	Template:Flagicon Latvia	32
20	Template:Flagicon Brazil	25
21	Template:Flagicon Egypt	25
22	Template:Flagicon Portugal	20
23	Template:Flagicon Austria	17
24	Template:Flagicon Ukraine	11

Rank	Nation	Goals
25	Template:Flagicon Faroe Islands	10
26	Template:Flagicon Tunisia	9
27	Template:Flagicon Argentina	7
28	Template:Flagicon Switzerland	7
29	Template:Flagicon Algeria	6
30	Template:Flagicon Lithuania	4
31	Template:Flagicon Bosnia and Hercegovina	3
32	Template:Flagicon Italy	3
33	Template:Flagicon Iran	2
34	Template:Flagicon Slovakia	2

Coaches with most titles

Coach	Titles	Clubs
		#	List
Template:Flagicon Valero Rivera	6	1	Barcelona 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
Template:Flagicon Talant Dujshebaev	4	2	Ciudad Real 2006, 2008, 2009, Kielce 2016
Template:Flagicon Xavier Pascual	3	1	Barcelona 2011, 2015, 2021
Template:Flagicon Alfreð Gíslason	3	2	Magdeburg 2002, Kiel 2010, 2012
Template:Flagicon Spartak Mironovitch	3	1	SKA Minsk 1987, 1989, 1990

* Template:Flagicon Horst Dreischang won titles with Gummersbach in 1967 and 1970. He was Gummersbach's coach until 29 January 1971, just after 1st game of Champions League 1/4 finals, which Gummersbach won with 11 goals lead. Gummersbach won the title that year.

As Player and Coach combined

Player/Coach	Titles	as Player		as Coach
		#	List	#	List
Template:Flagicon Carlos Ortega	8	6	Barcelona 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2005	2	Barcelona 2022, 2024
Template:Flagicon Talant Dujshebaev	6	2	CSKA Moscow 1988, Teka Santander 1994	4	Ciudad Real 2006, 2008, 2009, Kielce 2016
Template:Flagicon Roberto García Parrondo	3	2	Ciudad Real 2008, 2009	1	Vardar 2019
Template:Flagicon Filip Jicha	3	2	THW Kiel 2010, 2012	1	THW Kiel 2020
Template:Flagicon Bennet Wiegert	3	1	SC Magdeburg 2002	2	SC Magdeburg 2023, 2025

Sponsorship

• Select Sport
• Hummel International

See also

• EHF European League
• EHF European Cup