Four groups set for EHF European League Women

European Handball Federation

15 December 2022, 11:45

The 16 teams left in the EHF European League Women 2022/23 can start their preparations for the group phase in January and February 2023. All teams know their three opponents as the draw in Vienna on Thursday has set the four groups for the race to the quarter-finals.

The draw, conducted by EHF President Michael Wiederer and Chief Sports Officer Markus Glaser, has provided fans across the continent with plenty of matchups to look forward to in the first weeks of the new year.

In group A, recent EHF Champions League contenders BV Borussia 09 Dortmund from Germany are set to meet Siófok KC – one of the four teams from Hungary still in the competition – as well as Molde Elite from Norway and ES Besançon Féminin from France.

Siófok won the former EHF Cup in 2019 and played the final of the inaugural EHF European League season two years later.

Group B features the team that beat Siófok in that final: 2021 champions Neptunes de Nantes from France, who will face multiple European trophy winners Ikast Håndbold. The Danish side finished third last season and they are the only EHF Finals 2022 contenders who are part of the group phase in 2022/23.

Hungarian side Motherson Mosonmagyaróvári KC, who had the closest aggregate win in the decisive qualification round 3 last weekend (52:51 against SCM Gloria Buzau), and Norwegian outfit Fana complete this group.

Group C also has a recent EHF Champions League contender in HC Podravka Vegeta. The team from Croatia will play against Nykøbing Falster Håndbold, who defeated last season’s finalists and fellow Danish side Viborg HK in the last qualification round.

DVSC Schaeffler are the Hungarian representatives in this group, with last season’s quarter-finalists Sola HK from Norway also in the mix.

And group D features an interesting blend of teams from France, Hungary, Romania, and Germany, as Paris 92, Praktiker-Vác, SCM Ramnicu Valcea, and Thüringer HC will battle it out for the coveted quarter-final spots.

Group phase starts in weekend of 7/8 January

The group phase includes 16 teams from seven countries: Hungary with four teams, France and Norway with three, Denmark and Germany with two, Croatia and Romania with one. Due to the country protection rule applied to the draw, no teams from the same country have ended up in the same group.

The group phase starts in the weekend of 7/8 January 2023 and will finish on 18/19 February, with the top-two teams in the final standings of each group advancing to the quarter-finals.

The exact playing schedule for the group phase will be released over the next few days.

EHF European League Women 2022/23 group phase

Group A: