32 teams await throw-off in new-form European League Men

Over six rounds, eight groups of four teams each will decide the 16 clubs to progress to the play-offs — the two top-ranked sides in each group. In the play-off stage, 12 teams eliminated from the EHF Champions League Men will join the race for the EHF European League title, promising a highly competitive season ahead. 

And it all starts on Tuesday 29 September. Round 1 will be split over two days, with nine games on Tuesday and seven on Wednesday.

Picks of the week

GROUP C

Kadetten Schaffhausen (SUI) vs CSM Bucuresti (ROU)

Wednesday 30 September, 18:45 CEST, live on EHFTV

• long-time European cup participants and former EHF Champions League regulars Kadetten Schaffhausen have not missed an international season since 2002/03; they have contested every edition of the EHF European League

• CSM Bucuresti are making their debut in the European League; they have a total of seven international seasons behind them, having previously played the European Cup, Challenge Cup and EHF Cup

• it was in the Challenge Cup that CSM had their biggest European success, as they took that title in 2018/19

• Kadetten’s best result in the European League was two straight quarter-final appearances in 2021/22 and 2022/23; their top European cup result overall was second place in the EHF Cup 2009/10

• after taking 15 Swiss league trophies since 2005, Kadetten surrendered that title to HC Kriens-Luzern in 2025/26; on the other hand, CSM had their best domestic campaign in almost a decade, ranking third last season

• Kadetten welcomed a new coach over the summer, with Jonas Wille, most recently Norway men’s head coach, taking the helm from Hrvoje Horvat

GROUP H

MOL Tatabanya KC (HUN) vs RD LL Grosist Slovan (SLO)

Wednesday 30 September, 18:45 CEST, live on EHFTV

• MOL Tatabanya KC are hungry for success following one of their most successful seasons ever in 2025/26, which saw them reach the European Cup and Hungarian Cup finals, although they fell short in both competitions

• the side have indicated their intentions with several new arrivals and one in particular of note over the summer: 2018 Hungarian Handballer of the Year Richárd Bodó, who returned to the club after 10 Champions League seasons with Szeged

• Slovan are also a club with big ambitions — a fact they have demonstrated with a slew of Slovenian internationals arriving in recent years and the appointment of national team coach Uros Zorman in 2024

• before last season in the European Cup, Tatabanya were regulars in the second-tier European cup competition, playing every EHF Cup since 2010 then into the European League when it was introduced in 2020/21

• with a history of moving between Slovenia’s first and second leagues, Slovan have been less regular participants in European cup competitions; before playing the European League 2025/26, which they exited after the group matches, the side had played the Cup Winners’ Cup and Challenge Cup twice each — most recently in 2010/11

The rest of the schedule

GROUP A

RK Nexe (CRO) vs Saint Raphael Var Handball (FRA)
Tuesday 29 September, 20:45 CEST, live on EHFTV

Elverum Håndball (NOR) vs Hammarby Handboll (SWE)
Tuesday 29 September, 20:45 CEST, live on EHFTV

GROUP B

IRUDEK Bidasoa Irun (ESP) vs FH Hafnarfjordur (ISL)
Wednesday 30 September, 20:45 CEST, live on EHFTV

Limoges Handball (FRA) vs Maritimo de Madeira Andebol/SAD (POR)
Wednesday 30 September, 20:45 CEST, live on EHFTV

GROUP C

HC Izvidac (BIH) vs Chambery Savoie Mont Blanc Handball (FRA)
Tuesday 29 September, 18:45 CEST, live on EHFTV

GROUP D

IK Sävehof (SWE) vs MRK Sesvete Triglav osiguranje (CRO)
Tuesday 29 September, 18:45 CEST, live on EHFTV

TATRAN Presov (SVK) vs Bergischer HC (GER)
Wednesday 30 September, 20:45 CEST, live on EHFTV

GROUP E

ACS HC Buzau 2012 (ROU) vs Aguas Santas Milaneza (POR)
Tuesday 29 September, 18:45 CEST, live on EHFTV

SG Flensburg-Handewitt (GER) vs Fraikin BM. Granollers (ESP)
Wednesday 30 September, 18:45 CEST, live on EHFTV

GROUP F

HCB Karvina (CZE) vs TTH Holstebro (DEN)
Tuesday 29 September, 18:45 CEST, live on EHFTV

Sport Lisboa e Benfica (POR) vs Bathco Bm. Torrelavega (ESP)
Tuesday 29 September, 20:45 CEST, live on EHFTV

GROUP G

VfL Gummersbach (GER) vs PGE Wybrzeze Gdansk (POL)
Tuesday 29 September, 18:45 CEST, live on EHFTV

HC Eurofarm Pelister (MKD) vs Dicorpebal Logronõ La Rioja (ESP)
Wednesday 30 September, 20:45 CEST, live on EHFTV

GROUP H

Valur (ISL) vs Mors-Thy Håndbold (DEN)
Tuesday 29 September, 20:45 CEST, live on EHFTV

Photos © profifoto.ch; Ole Nielsen; Ingrid Anderson-Jensen, Xavier Solanas