Three months after the thrilling end of the EHF European League Men 2023/24 season, when SG Flensburg-Handewitt won the trophy in a thrilling German duel against Füchse Berlin, the competition is now back for the first leg of the qualification round.
Each year, Europe’s second-tier competition brings lots of excitement and this season is no exception, as a few big names have to fight through the qualification matches to reach the group stage: the Danish from Bjerringbro-Silkeborg who reached the play-offs last season, the 2022/23 runners-up Fraikin BM. Granollers and the titleholders of the EHF European Cup, Valur.
Nine matches will take place on Saturday, 31 August, while the match from the "special path" qualification is scheduled for Sunday, 1 September. The return leg is scheduled for the following weekend (7/8 September).
QUALIFICATION LEG 1:
Bjerringbro-Silkeborg (DEN) vs FTC-Green Collect (HUN)
Saturday 31 August, 14:00 CEST
- the Danish reached the play-offs in the 2023/24 season, but were eliminated by future EHF Finals participants Dinamo Bucuresti
- FTC have less European experience than their opponents and pride themselves on reaching the semi-finals of the EHF European Cup last season
- Silkeborg featured in the qualification round in three previous seasons, between 2020-2022, but each time they stopped in qualification round 2
- during the summer, the Danish side has lost their top scorer from the previous season, William Bogojevic, who joined OTP Bank-PICK Szeged
- it is the first time the two sides meet in European competitions
IFK Kristianstad (SWE) vs Fraikin BM. Granollers (ESP)
Saturday 31 August, 15:00 CEST
- both teams have been a steady appearance in European competitions in the last years
- after making it to the EHF Finals 2023 and winning the silver medal, the Spanish failed to reach the group phase last season after a surprising elimination from CSM Constanta
- during their three previous stints in the EHF European League, Kristianstad have only failed to reach the group phase once, in 2022/23
- the winner of the two-leg clash will feature in group B alongside Montpellier, Górnik Zabrze and the victorious side between Bjerringbro-Silkeborg and FTC-Green Collect
- this will be the first time Kristianstad and Granollers meet