Inaugural EHF Youth Club Trophy Women puts young stars under the spotlight

Of the 16 teams, 13 come from clubs competing in the EHF Champions League, two represent the EHF European League, while Kepez BSK join as Turkish national champions for players born in 2009.

All matches of the EHF Youth Club Trophy Women are streamed live on EHFTV, with some also shown live on national or regional broadcasters. The full list can be found here.

QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT 1

OTP Group Buducnost (MNE), Hypo Niederösterreich (AUT), HC Podravka (CRO), Györi ETO KC (HUN)

29–30 March 2026, Porec, live on EHFTV

• Buducnost will face Hypo in the first semi-final on Sunday at 16:00 CEST — arriving with most players born in 2010 or younger, while Hypo have five YAC national team players in their squad
• both sides are led by experienced names — Andjela Bulatovic, a former EHF Champions League winner with Buducnost and European champion, and Martin Matuschkowitz, who was assistant to Gunnar Prokop when Hypo were crowned European champions in 1998
• the second semi-final is set at 18:30 CEST, with Györ meeting the Croatian side Podravka — two sides whose senior teams know each other well from the EHF Champions League and who also won it in the past (Podravka in 1996; Györ in 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2024 and 2025)
• the Hungarian side is led by 2000 European champion Krisztina Pigniczki, while Antonio Pranjić is at the helm of Podravka
• the defeated teams will meet on Monday at 17:00 CEST for the third place, while the final is set at 19:30 CEST

QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT 2

HC Lokomotiva Zagreb (CRO), Krim OTP Group Mercator (SLO), FTC (HUN), Ikast Håndbold (DEN)

31 March–1 April 2026, Zagreb, live on EHFTV

• the first semi-final pits hosts Lokomotiva against neighbours from Slovenia, Krim, on Tuesday at 12:00 CEST; Lokomotiva are the only side whose senior team is playing the EHF European League Women 2025/26
• Krim's left back Lara Gros carries the well-known last name in the world of handball — she is the younger sister of Ana Gros, Slovenian international and a member of the exclusive EHF Champions League Club of 1,000
• FTC are going against Ikast in the second semi-final at 14:00 CEST in a duel between two clubs that also met in the group phase of the EHF Champions League this season — FTC won both matches in group B
• the Hungarian side is led by Judit Grandpierre, while Jacob Knudsen leads Ikast
• the third-place match is scheduled for Wednesday at 12:00 CEST, while the final is at 14:00 CEST

QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT 3

CS Gloria Bistrita (ROU), Team Esbjerg (DEN), DVSC Kézilabda Akadémia (HUN), BV Borussia Dortmund (GER)

2–3 April 2026, Bistrita, live on EHFTV

• hosts Gloria Bistrita meet Esbjerg in the first semi-final on Thursday at 16:00 CEST, hoping to enter the final in front of the home fans
• the senior teams of the two sides also met in the EHF Champions League Women group phase — Bistrita won on home soil 38:35, while Esbjerg got their revenge in the rematch, 32:28
• the second semi-final, set for Thursday at 18:30 CEST, will see another EHF Champions League group A clash, as DVSC face BVB; their respective senior teams each claimed one win — BVB won 28:26, while DVSC took the reverse fixture 29:23
• Bistrita are led by head coach Mihaela Ani-Senocico, a former Romanian international with a short spell in Denmark; BVB are coached by Anne Müller, a bronze medallist from the 2017 IHF Women's World Championship; DVSC are led by Blanka Márián, while the only male coach among the four is Esbjerg's Simon Færgemann Jensen
• the teams that lost their semi-final matches will meet on Friday at 16:00 CEST, while the fight for Budapest begins at 18:30 CEST

QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT 4

Kepez BSK (TUR), Metz Handball (FRA), CSM Bucuresti (ROU), Odense Håndbold Ungdom (DEN)

2–3 April 2026, Ankara, live on EHFTV

• CSM Bucuresti are set to throw off the tournament in Türkiye, against the third Danish side in the qualifications, Odense, on Thursday at 13:00 CEST
• CSM and Odense also played in the EHF Champions League 2025/26 group phase, with both sides claiming one away win
• hosts Kepez BSK are taking the court on Thursday at 15:30 CEST as they will pit sides against the only French representative, Metz Handball
• Kepez BSK are the national champions for female players born in 2009, while their senior team is the only one not participating in European competitions
• the four teams in this tournament are led by Sertan Sarpas (Kepez), Pascal Jacques (Metz), Alexandru Moise (CSM) and Martin Maag Nielsen (Odense)
• the third-place match is scheduled for Friday at 13:00 CEST, while the final and the last ticket to Budapest will be decided at 15:30 CEST

Photos © HC Lokomotiva Zagreb