Six clubs to compete in wild card qualification

A decision has been reached by the EHF Executive Committee at its meeting in Herning, Denmark regarding the teams that will receive a wild card place in qualification for the VELUX EHF Champions League in the 2013/14 season.

Eight clubs were put forward for a place, in addition to winners of the 2012/13 competition, HSV Hamburg, who received a guaranteed place in wild card qualification having not qualified directly through their national league.

Play-off match for Hamburg and Füchse

The EHF Executive took into consideration the situation in the German league, which has seen Füchse Berlin finish in fourth place whilst HSV Hamburg finished in fifth place.

The view was taken that both teams are of a standard to compete in the VELUX EHF Champions League and that Füchse Berlin should not be penalised when they finished in a higher position in the German league.

The decision was therefore reached that HSV Hamburg and Füchse Berlin should play each other home and away in a play-off match for direct qualification to the Group Phase.

Four teams in wild card tournament

A second place in the Group Phase is available to the winner of a wild card tournament.

The EHF Executive Committee decided that the following teams would compete in the tournament:

Szeged (HUN)
Plock (POL)
Montpellier (FRA)
Metalurg (MKD)

Wild card tournament will be played semi-finals Szeged (HUN) versus Metalurg (MKD) and Plock (POL) versus Montpellier (FRA).

The tournament will be played 31 August/1 September 2013. The winner goes to the Group Phase and the remaining three teams will participate in the EHF Cup.

The three teams not receiving a place in the wild card tournament, Skjern (DEN), Schaffhausen (SUI) and  Kristianstad (SWE) will also play in the Men’s EHF Cup.