2020–21 EHF European League

The 2020–21 EHF European League was the 1st edition of the EHF European League, replacing the EHF Cup as the second most important European handball club competition organised by the European Handball Federation (EHF), which had been in existence for 39 years.[1]

EHF European League
2020–21
Tournament information
SportHandball
Dates28 August 202023 May 2021
Teams51 (qualification stage)
24 (group stage)
Websiteehfel.com
Final positions
ChampionsGermany SC Magdeburg
Runner-upGermany Füchse Berlin
Tournament statistics
MVPDenmark Jannick Green
Top scorer(s)Denmark Emil Jakobsen
(111 goals)

Team allocation

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A total of 51 teams from 21 countries participated in the 2020–21 EHF European League.[2]

Teams

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Group stage
  CB Ademar León   USAM Nîmes Gard   SC Magdeburg   Grundfos Tatabanya KC
  RK Eurofarm Pelister   Orlen Wisła Płock   Dinamo București   Chekhovskiye Medvedi
  Kadetten Schaffhausen   HT Tatran Prešov   Alingsås HK   Besiktas Aygaz
Second qualifying round
  RK Nexe   GOG Håndbold   BM Benidorm   Fenix Toulouse Handball
  Montpellier HB   Füchse Berlin   Rhein-Neckar Löwen   Balatonfüredi KSE
  Sporting CP
First qualifying round
  Fivers   SKA Minsk   HRK Gorica   RK Dubrava
  RK Spacva Vinkovci   Bjerringbro-Silkeborg   Skjern Håndbold   TTH Holstebro
  Bidasoa Irun   PAUC Handball   MT Melsungen   B. Braun Gyöngyös
  Valur   Handball Esch   HC Butel Skopje   RK Metalurg Skopje
  Haslum HK   ØIF Arendal   KS Azoty-Puławy   CF Os Belenenses
  SL Benfica   HC Dobrogea Sud Constanta   AHC Potaissa Turda   HC CSKA
  HC Victor   RK Trimo Trebnje   HC Kriens-Luzern   Pfadi Winterthur
  HK Malmö   IFK Kristianstad

Round and draw dates

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The schedule of the competition was as follows.

Phase Round Draw date First leg Second leg
Qualification First qualifying round 28 July 2020 29-30 August 2020 5-6 September 2020
Second qualifying round 8 September 2020 22 September 2020 29 September 2020
Group stage Matchday 1 1 October 2020 20 October 2020
Matchday 2 27 October 2020
Matchday 3 17 November 2019
Matchday 4 24 November 2020
Matchday 5 1 December 2020
Matchday 6 8 December 2020
Matchday 7 9 February 2021
Matchday 8 16 February 2021
Matchday 9 23 February 2021
Matchday 10 2 March 2021
Knockout phase Round of 16 No draw 23 March 2021 30 March 2021
Quarter-finals 13 April 2021 20 April 2021
Final four 27 April 2021 22–23 May 2021

Qualifying rounds

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First qualifying round

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Seeding

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A total of 30 teams were involved in the first qualifying round draw, they were divided into three geographical zones, each one with two pots of five teams, to limit travel distances and to reduce possible travel restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] Teams from the same country could not be drawn into the same tie.[4]

Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3
Seeded Unseeded Seeded Unseeded Seeded Unseeded

Matches

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Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
AHC Potaissa Turda   56–53   HRK Gorica 24–26 32–27
HC Dobrogea Sud Constanta   54–45   HC Victor 26–18 28–27
SKA Minsk   50–56   HC CSKA 25–25 25–31
B. Braun Gyöngyös   58–46   HC Butel Skopje 34–21 24–25
RK Metalurg Skopje   60–57   RK Spacva Vinkovci 35–28 25–29
TTH Holstebro   Cancelled[note 1]   Valur Cancelled Cancelled
IFK Kristianstad   Cancelled[note 2]   ØIF Arendal Cancelled Cancelled
Bjerringbro-Silkeborg   57–51   MT Melsungen 31–27 26–24
Skjern Håndbold   53–51   HK Malmö 27–26 26–25
KS Azoty-Puławy   Cancelled[note 2]   Haslum HK Cancelled Cancelled
SL Benfica   62–64   Fivers 28–26 34–38
Pfadi Winterthur   33–30   Handball Esch 33–30 Cancelled
PAUC Handball   25–30[note 3]   Bidasoa Irun Cancelled 25–30
CF Os Belenenses   49–56   RK Trimo Trebnje 23–28 26–28
HC Kriens-Luzern   57–46   RK Dubrava 29–27 28–19

Second qualifying round

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Seeding

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A total of 24 teams were involved in the second qualifying round draw, 15 advancing from the previous round and 9 teams entering this round. Teams were divided in two pots and were drawn without any restrictions.[8]

Seeded Unseeded

Matches

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Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
HC Dobrogea Sud Constanta   48–49   Sporting CP 27–27 21–22
KS Azoty-Puławy   46–49   IFK Kristianstad 24–25 22–24
BM Benidorm   Cancelled[note 4]   Fivers 34–31 Cancelled
TTH Holstebro   49–54   Rhein-Neckar Löwen 22–28 27–26
Bjerringbro-Silkeborg   50–55   HC CSKA 26–23 24–32
AHC Potaissa Turda   62–66   Fenix Toulouse Handball 35–35 27–31
Bidasoa Irun   54–56   RK Nexe 30–27 24–29
RK Metalurg Skopje   47–46   HC Kriens-Luzern 26–24 21–22
GOG Håndbold   64–59   Pfadi Winterthur 33–24 31–35
Skjern Håndbold   60–63   Montpellier HB 31–30 29–33
B. Braun Gyöngyös   47–61   Füchse Berlin 23–25 24–36
RK Trimo Trebnje   23–22[note 5]   Balatonfüredi KSE 23–22 Cancelled

Group stage

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Seeding

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The 24 teams were divided into six pots of four teams, with a team from each pot being drawn to each group. Teams from the same country could not be drawn into the same group.[11]

Pot 1 Pot 2 Pot 3 Pot 4 Pot 5 Pot 6

Tiebreakers

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Teams were ranked according to points (2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss), and if tied on points, the following tiebreaking criteria were applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings:

  1. Points in matches among tied teams;
  2. Goal difference in matches among tied teams;
  3. Away goals scored in matches among tied teams;
  4. Goal difference in all group matches;
  5. Goals scored in all group matches;
  6. If more than two teams were tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams were still tied, all head-to-head criteria above were reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
  7. Drawing lots.

Group A

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Orlen Wisła Płock 10 8 0 2 297 242 +55 16 Knockout stage
2   CB Ademar León 10 5 4 1 307 296 +11 14
3   Chekhovskiye Medvedi 10 7 0 3 301 264 +37 14
4   Fivers 10 2 2 6 301 311 −10 6
5   Fenix Toulouse Handball 10 2 2 6 227 250 −23 6
6   RK Metalurg Skopje 10 1 2 7 259 329 −70 4
Source: EHF
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Group B

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Füchse Berlin 10 6 2 2 247 223 +24 14 Knockout stage
2   USAM Nîmes Gard 10 5 2 3 279 263 +16 12
3   IFK Kristianstad 10 5 1 4 273 276 −3 11
4   Sporting CP 10 5 0 5 244 241 +3 10
5   Dinamo București 10 3 1 6 279 298 −19 7
6   HT Tatran Prešov 10 3 0 7 233 254 −21 6
Source: EHF
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Group C

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   SC Magdeburg 10 9 0 1 321 230 +91 18 Knockout stage
2   HC CSKA 10 7 0 3 263 219 +44 14
3   Montpellier HB 10 6 0 4 231 197 +34 12
4   RK Nexe 10 5 0 5 269 284 −15 10
5   Alingsås HK 10 3 0 7 262 304 −42 6
6   Besiktas Aygaz 10 0 0 10 238 350 −112 0
Source: EHF
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Group D

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Rhein-Neckar Löwen 10 8 1 1 296 256 +40 17 Knockout stage
2   Kadetten Schaffhausen 10 6 2 2 261 251 +10 14
3   GOG Håndbold 10 6 0 4 306 305 +1 12
4   RK Eurofarm Pelister 10 5 1 4 244 237 +7 11
5   RK Trimo Trebnje 10 3 0 7 250 273 −23 6
6   Grundfos Tatabanya KC 10 0 0 10 263 298 −35 0
Source: EHF
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Knockout stage

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The pairings for the last 16 and the quarter-finals are based on group stage standings, according to the following bracket.[12] This assures teams from the same group can only play each other again in the final four.

 
Last 16Quarter-finals
 
          
 
23/30 March
 
 
3D
  GOG Håndbold
333568
 
13/20 April
 
2C
  HC CSKA
3130 61
 
3D
  GOG Håndbold
302656
 
23/30 March
 
1A
  Orlen Wisła Płock
2731 58
 
4B
  Sporting CP
252853
 
 
1A
  Orlen Wisła Płock
2925 54
 
 
23/30 March
 
 
3C
  Montpellier HB
273259
 
13/20 April
 
2D
  Kadetten Schaffhausen
2725 52
 
3C
  Montpellier HB
322355
 
23/30 March
 
1B
  Füchse Berlin
2931 60
 
4A
  Fivers
27027
 
 
1B
  Füchse Berlin
3510 45
 
 
23/30 March
 
 
3B
  IFK Kristianstad
343468
 
13/20 April
 
2A
  CB Ademar León
2731 58
 
3B
  IFK Kristianstad
283159
 
23/30 March
 
1C
  SC Magdeburg
3439 73
 
4D
  RK Eurofarm Pelister
242448
 
 
1C
  SC Magdeburg
3235 67
 
 
23/30 March
 
 
3A
  Chekhovskiye Medvedi
302454
 
13/20 April
 
2B
  USAM Nîmes Gard
2524 49
 
3A
  Chekhovskiye Medvedi
332760
 
23/30 March
 
1D
  Rhein-Neckar Löwen
3237 69
 
4C
  RK Nexe
252752
 
 
1D
  Rhein-Neckar Löwen
2727 54
 

Last 16

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The last 16 first legs were scheduled for 23 March 2021, while the second legs followed on 30 March 2021.[13]

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
GOG Håndbold   68–61   HC CSKA 33–31 35–30
Sporting CP   53–54   Orlen Wisła Płock 25–29 28–25
Montpellier HB   59–52   Kadetten Schaffhausen 27–27 32–25
Fivers   27–45   Füchse Berlin 27–35 0–10
IFK Kristianstad   68–58   CB Ademar León 34–27 34–31
RK Eurofarm Pelister   48–67   SC Magdeburg 24–32 24–35
Chekhovskiye Medvedi   54–49   USAM Nîmes Gard 30–25 24–24
RK Nexe   52–54   Rhein-Neckar Löwen 25–27 27–27

Quarterfinals

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The quarter-finals first legs were scheduled for 13 April 2021, while the second legs followed on 20 April 2021.[14]

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
GOG Håndbold   56–58   Orlen Wisła Płock 30–27 26–31
Montpellier HB   55–60   Füchse Berlin 32–29 23–31
IFK Kristianstad   59–73   SC Magdeburg 28–34 31–39
Chekhovskiye Medvedi   60–69   Rhein-Neckar Löwen 33–32 27–37

Final four

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The EHF Finals Men 2021 was played on 22 and 23 May 2021 in Mannheim, Germany and comprised one leg semifinals, final and third-place match. The pairings for the semifinals were decided by drawing of lots.[15]

Bracket

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SemifinalsFinal
 
      
 
22 May
 
 
  SC Magdeburg30
 
23 May
 
  Orlen Wisła Płock29
 
  SC Magdeburg28
 
22 May
 
  Füchse Berlin25
 
  Rhein-Neckar Löwen32
 
 
  Füchse Berlin35
 
Third place
 
 
23 May
 
 
  Orlen Wisła Płock27
 
 
  Rhein-Neckar Löwen32

Semifinals

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22 May 2021
18:00
SC Magdeburg   30–29   Orlen Wisła Płock SAP Arena, Mannheim
Referees: Santos, Fonseca (POR)
Damgaard, Magnússon 6 (13–15) Krajewski, Szita 7
 4×  Report   7× 

22 May 2021
20:45
Rhein-Neckar Löwen   32–35   Füchse Berlin SAP Arena, Mannheim
Referees: Brkic, Jusufhodzic (AUT)
Tollbring 7 (16–19) Andersson 11
  6×  1×  Report   5× 

Third-place game

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23 May 2021
18:00
Orlen Wisła Płock   27–32   Rhein-Neckar Löwen SAP Arena, Mannheim
Referees: Bíró, Kiss (HUN)
Krajewski, Szita 6 (12–15) Tollbring 11
  3×  Report   3× 

Final

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23 May 2021
20:30
SC Magdeburg   28–25   Füchse Berlin SAP Arena, Mannheim
Referees: Nikolić, Stojković (SRB)
Hornke, Magnússon 7 (15–8) Lindberg 8
  4×  Report   3× 

Top goalscorers

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Rank Player Club Goals[16]
1   Emil Jakobsen   GOG Håndbold 111
2   Ómar Ingi Magnússon   SC Magdeburg 94
3   Halil Jaganjac   RK Nexe 80
4   Adam Nyfjäll   IFK Kristianstad 74
  Jerry Tollbring   Rhein-Neckar Löwen
6   Alexander Kotov   Chekhovskiye Medvedi 72
7   Hugo Descat   Montpellier HB 71
8   Mathias Gidsel   GOG Håndbold 69
9   Hans Lindberg   Füchse Berlin 68
  Gonzalo Pérez Arce   CB Ademar León
  Zoltán Szita   Orlen Wisła Płock

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Due to travel restrictions imposed on Iceland in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the matches between TTH Holstebro and Valur were cancelled, with the danish side advancing to the next round.[5]
  2. ^ a b Due to travel restrictions imposed on Norway in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, both Norwegian teams competing in the second qualifying round, ØIF Arendal and Haslum Handballklubb, were disqualified with their opponents, IFK Kristianstad and KS Azoty-Puławy respectively, advancing to the next round.[6]
  3. ^ The french club PAUC Handball waived their right to host the first leg of the first qualifying round due to effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the match was decided over one leg, played in Spain.[7]
  4. ^ BM Benidorm announced two days prior to the second leg that they were unable to travel to travel to Vienna due to travel restrictions imposed in Spain as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, BM Benidorm were disqualified, with their opponents, Fivers, advancing to the group stage.[9]
  5. ^ Balatonfüredi KSE could not travel to Slovenia for the first leg due to a player testing positive to COVID-19. As a result, it was decided that the match should be played on one leg, at Slovenia, on the original date of the second leg.[10]

References

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  1. ^ "IHF | EHF in final stages before launch of new European League". www.ihf.info. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
  2. ^ "51 teams enter revamped EHF European Cup Men". www.eurohandball.com. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
  3. ^ "Pots ready for opening qualification round draw in EHF European League". www.eurohandball.com. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
  4. ^ "30 teams to learn opponent in EHF European League Men draw". ehfel.eurohandball.com. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
  5. ^ "TTH Holstebro reach the second qualification round". ehfel.eurohandball.com. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  6. ^ "Kristianstad and Azoty-Pulawy qualify for the second round". www.eurohandball.com. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  7. ^ "PAUC and Irun to play just one game". www.eurohandball.com. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  8. ^ "More heavyweights enter last qualification round". ehfel.eurohandball.com. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  9. ^ "Information on Fivers vs BM Benidorm". www.eurohandball.com. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  10. ^ "Double Danish delight headlines round 2". www.eurohandball.com. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  11. ^ "All you need to know about the group phase draw". www.eurohandball.com. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  12. ^ "Five conclusions after an action-packed group phase". www.eurohandball.com. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  13. ^ "Last 16". EHF. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  14. ^ "Quarter-finals". EHF. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  15. ^ "EHF Finals Men 2021". ehfel.eurohandball.com. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  16. ^ Goalscorers
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