Semi-finals set for EHF Youth Club Trophy qualification

After Danish side GOG won the successful inaugural EHF Youth Club Trophy for M18 teams in 2025, the event returns this year with an additional version for women's teams.

In both competitions, four youth teams from elite clubs will compete for the trophy during the marquee season-ending events of the EHF Champions League — the Raiffeisen Bank EHF FINAL4 2026 on 6/7 June in Budapest, and the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 2026 on 13/14 June in Cologne.

Eight qualification tournaments to be played in late March and early April

To find the four teams for Budapest and the four for Cologne, a total of eight qualification tournaments take place in late March and early April, with each qualification tournament winner punching their ticket to the respective final tournament.

While the participants and the throw-off times of each qualification tournament had already been announced, Tuesday's draw ceremony determined the semi-final pairings.

Note that the order in which those semi-finals were drawn is not necessarily the same as the order in which they will be played; in other words: semi-final 2 might be played prior to semi-final 1. The exact order of play will be confirmed in due time for each of the eight qualification tournaments.

EHF Youth Club Trophy Men

QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT 1 - Bucharest (ROU)

Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 March

• semi-final 1: CS Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU, host) vs GOG (DEN)
• semi-final 2: Sporting CP (POR) vs HBC Nantes (FRA)

Semi-finals at 15:00 and 17:30 CET; finals at 15:00 and 17:30 CEST.

QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT 2 - Porec (CRO)

Monday 30 and Tuesday 31 March

• semi-final 1: Aalborg Håndbold (DEN) vs HC Eurofarm Pelister (MKD)
• semi-final 2: HC Zagreb (CRO) vs Füchse Berlin (GER)

Semi-finals at 12:00 and 14:30 CEST; finals at 14:00 and 16:30 CEST.

QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT 3 - Szeged (HUN)

Tuesday 31 March and Wednesday 1 April

• semi-final 1: OTP Bank - PICK Szeged (HUN, host) vs Barça (ESP)
• semi-final 2: Kolstad Håndball (NOR) vs Orlen Wisla Plock (POL)

Semi-finals at 15:00 and 18:00 CEST; finals at 15:00 and 17:00 CEST.

QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT 4 - Veszprém (HUN)

Thursday 2 and Friday 3 April

• semi-final 1: Veszprém Handball Academy (HUN, host) vs KSS Iskra Kielce (POL)
• semi-final 2: SC Magdeburg (GER) vs Paris Saint-Germain Handball (FRA)

Semi-finals at 13:30 and 16:00 CEST; finals at 15:30 and 18:00 CEST.

EHF Youth Club Trophy Women

QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT 1 - Porec (CRO)

Sunday 29 and Monday 30 March

• semi-final 1: OTP Group Buducnost (MNE) vs Hypo Niederösterreich (AUT)
• semi-final 2: HC Podravka (CRO) vs Györi ETO KC (HUN)

Semi-finals at 16:00 and 18:30 CEST; finals at 17:00 and 19:30 CEST.

QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT 2 - Zagreb (CRO)

Tuesday 31 March and Wednesday 1 April

• semi-final 1: HC Lokomotiva Zagreb (CRO, host) vs Krim OTP Group Mercator (SLO)
• semi-final 2: FTC (HUN) vs Ikast Håndbold (DEN)

Semi-finals at 12:00 and 14:00 CEST; finals at 12:00 and 14:00 CEST.

QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT 3 - Bistrita (ROU)

Thursday 2 April and Friday 3 April

• semi-final 1: CS Gloria Bistrita (ROU, host) vs Team Esbjerg (DEN)
• semi-final 2: DVSC Schaeffler (HUN) vs BV Borussia Dortmund (GER)

Semi-finals at 16:00 and 18:30 CEST; finals at 16:00 and 18:30 CEST.

QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT 4 - Ankara (TUR)

Thursday 2 April and Friday 3 April

• semi-final 1: Kepez BSK (TUR, host) vs Metz Handball (FRA)
• semi-final 2: CSM Bucuresti (ROU) vs Odense Håndbold (DEN)

Semi-finals at 13:00 and 15:30 CEST; finals at 13:00 and 15:30 CEST.

image © Anze Malovrh / kolektiff