2020–21 EHF Champions League

The 2020–21 EHF Champions League will be the 61st edition of Europe's premier club handball tournament and the 28th edition under the current EHF Champions League format.

This article is about the men's competition. For the women's competition, see 2020–21 Women's EHF Champions League.
EHF Champions League
2020–21
Tournament information
SportHandball
Dates16 September 2020–13 June 2021
Teams16 (group stage)
Websiteehfcl.com

Format

The competition begins with a group stage featuring 16 teams divided in two groups. Matches are played in a double round-robin system with home-and-away fixtures. In Groups A and B, the top two teams qualify for the quarterfinals, with teams ranked 3rd to 6th entering the playoffs.

The knockout stage includes four rounds: the playoffs, quarterfinals, and a final-four tournament comprising two semifinals and the final. In the playoffs, eight teams are paired against each other in two-legged home-and-away matches. The four aggregate winners of the playoffs advance to the quarterfinals, joining the top-two teams of Groups A and B. The eight quarterfinalist teams are paired against each other in two-legged home-and-away matches, with the four aggregate winners qualifying to the final-four tournament.

In the final four tournament, the semifinals and the final are played as single matches at a pre-selected host venue.[1]

Team allocation

A total of 24 teams from 16 countries submitted their application for a place in the competition's group stage before the deadline of 10 June 2020.[2] The final list of 16 participants was revealed by the EHF Executive Committee on 19 June.[3]

Meshkov Brest PPD Zagreb Aalborg Handbold Paris Saint-Germain
HBC Nantes SG Flensburg-Handewitt THW Kiel Telekom Veszprém
MOL-Pick Szeged Vardar 1961 Elverum Håndball ŁOMŻA VIVE Kielce
Porto Sofarma Celje Pivovarna Laško Barça Motor Zaporizhia

Group stage
Location of teams of the 2020–21 EHF Champions League group stage.
Red: Group A; Blue: Group B.
Main article: 2020–21 EHF Champions League group stage

The draw was held on 1 July 2020 at the EHF headquarters in Vienna, Austria.[3][4] The 16 teams were drawn into two groups of eight, with the restriction that teams from the same national association could not be drawn into the same group.[5]

In each group, teams play against each other in a double round-robin format, with home and away matches. After completion of the group stage matches, the top two teams from each group qualify directly for the quarterfinals, and the four teams ranked 3rd–6th advance to the playoffs.

Matches will be played on Wednesdays and Thursdays, with starting times at 18:45 and 20:45 (CET/CEST).

Group A
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification VAR PAR KIE POR SZE BRE ELV FLE
1 Vardar 1961 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Quarterfinals — 10 Dec 19 Nov 22 Oct 17–18 Feb 3–4 Mar 24 Sep 15 Oct
2 Paris Saint-Germain 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 29 Oct — 3 Dec 26 Nov 3–4 Mar 17–18 Feb 15 Oct 23 Sep
3 ŁOMŻA VIVE Kielce 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Playoffs 25–26 Nov 21–22 Oct — 9–10 Dec 23–24 Sep 14–15 Oct 17–18 Feb 3–4 Mar
4 Porto Sofarma 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Dec 19 Nov 29 Oct — 15 Oct 23 Sep 3–4 Mar 17–18 Feb
5 MOL-Pick Szeged 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 30 Sep 17 Sep 24–25 Feb 10–11 Feb — 9 Dec 25 Nov 29 Oct
6 Meshkov Brest 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 Sep 1 Oct 10–11 Feb 24–25 Feb 22 Oct — 3 Dec 26 Nov
7 Elverum Håndball 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Eliminated 24–25 Feb 10–11 Feb 1 Oct 17 Sep 19 Nov 28 Oct — 10 Dec
8 SG Flensburg-Handewitt 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10–11 Feb 24–25 Feb 16 Sep 30 Sep 3 Dec 18 Nov 22 Oct —
First match(es) will be played on 16 September 2020. Source: EHF

Group B
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification BAR VES KIE ALB NAN ZAP CEL ZAG
1 Barça 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Quarterfinals — 9 Dec 26 Nov 29 Oct 17–18 Feb 24–25 Feb 24 Sep 14 Oct
2 Telekom Veszprém 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 21 Oct — 2 Dec 25 Nov 24–25 Feb 17–18 Feb 14 Oct 24 Sep
3 THW Kiel 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Playoffs 19 Nov 28 Oct — 10 Dec 23 Sep 14 Oct 17–18 Feb 24–25 Feb
4 Aalborg Håndbold 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 Dec 18 Nov 21 Oct — 14 Oct 23 Sep 24–25 Feb 17–18 Feb
5 HBC Nantes 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Oct 16 Sep 24–25 Feb 10–11 Feb — 9 Dec 18 Nov 28 Oct
6 Motor Zaporizhia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 17 Sep 30 Sep 10–11 Feb 24–25 Feb 21 Oct — 3 Dec 26 Nov
7 Celje Pivovarna Laško 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Eliminated 24–25 Feb 10–11 Feb 1 Oct 16 Sep 25 Nov 28 Oct — 10 Dec
8 PPD Zagreb 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10–11 Feb 24–25 Feb 17 Sep 30 Sep 2 Dec 18 Nov 21 Oct —
First match(es) will be played on 16 September 2020. Source: EHF

Knockout stage
Main article: 2020–21 EHF Champions League knockout stage

The top-two teams of Groups A and B advance directly to the quarterfinals, while the teams ranked 2nd–6th to the playoffs.

Playoffs
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
B6 M1 A3 31 Mar – 1 Apr 7–8 Apr
A6 M2 B3 31 Mar – 1 Apr 7–8 Apr
B5 M3 A4 31 Mar – 1 Apr 7–8 Apr
A5 M4 B4 31 Mar – 1 Apr 7–8 Apr

Quarterfinals
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
M4 – A1 12–13 May 19–20 May
M3 – B1 12–13 May 19–20 May
M2 – A2 12–13 May 19–20 May
M1 – B2 12–13 May 19–20 May

Final four
 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
12 June
 
 
 
 
13 June
 
 
 
 
 
12 June
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Third place
 
 
13 June
 
 
 
 
 
 

Final
13 June 2021 WSF1 v WSF2 Lanxess Arena, Cologne

References
  1. Competition system
  2. "24 clubs submit registration for the new season". ehfcl.com. 10 June 2020.
  3. "EXEC announces the starting grid for the 2020/21 season". ehfcl.com. 19 June 2020.
  4. "Elite 16 teams learn their group phase fate". ehfcl.com. 1 July 2020.
  5. "Pots for the group phase draw revealed". ehfcl.com. 22 June 2020.
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