26 players from Europe’s elite clubs were in the squads of the bronze medal contenders France and Denmark (13 each), while 17 were in the squads of the silver medallists Spain (9) and the newly-crowned EHF EURO champions Sweden (8). Due to the Covid situation, all EHF EURO 2022 participants could use extended squads.
The EHF Champions League returns on Wednesday 16 February, when round 11 of the group phase throws off. The group phase concludes on 10 March, when we will know which 12 teams will progress to the knockout rounds.
The play-offs will be carried out between 30 March and 7 April, followed by the quarter-finals between 11 and 19 May – and the best of the best duel at the EHF FINAL 4 in Cologne on 18/19 June.
The first Match of the Week of 2022 includes the EHF EURO 2022 champion and MVP Jim Gottfridsson, with SG Flensburg-Handewitt hosting Lomza Vive Kielce on 16 February.
Number of Champions League players among the semi-finalists:
13 players from 5 clubs: Denmark, France
9 players from 5 clubs: Spain
8 players from 5 clubs: Sweden
In total, ten of the 16 EHF Champions League clubs were represented by those four teams, topped by SG Flensburg-Handewitt thanks to their Scandinavian stars from Denmark (6) and Sweden (2). Below Flensburg, record Champions League winners Barça and PSG each had seven players in the final and the bronze medal match.
No club was represented by players from both finalists, so no team could bring home the full set of medals.
EHF Champions League clubs in the final and the bronze medal match:
8: SG Flensburg-Handewitt (6 DEN/2 SWE)
7: Barça (4 ESP/3 FRA)
7: Paris Saint-Germain (4 FRA/2 DEN/1 ESP)
5: Montpellier (3 FRA/2 SWE)
4: Aalborg (2 DEN/2 SWE)
4: Veszprem (2 ESP/1 FRA/1 DEN)
3: THW Kiel (2 DEN/1 SWE)
3: Lomza Vive Kielce (2 FRA/1 ESP)
1: Dinamo Bucuresti (1 ESP)
1: Elverum (1 SWE)
The All-Star Team by clubs:
It is not an EHF Champions League club with the most players in the All-Star Team, but Danish EHF European League participant GOG. The current leader of group B counts can especially count on defensive specialists – Icelandic goalkeeper Viktor Hallgrimsson and best defender, Swede Oscar Bergendahl. Their third is Danish right back Mattias Gidsel, who was the MVP of the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Two EHF Champions League clubs are represented by each two players: SG Flensburg-Handewitt by MVP Jim Gottfridsson (SWE) and German line player Johannes Golla and Paris Saint-Germain by Danish left back Mikkel Hansen, second best scorer of the EHF EURO 2022, and Dutch centre back Luc Steins. The third EHF Champions League team with a player in the All-star team is Barça with right wing Aleix Gomez (Spain).
Players of two more German EHF European League clubs, who both were finalists in 2021, complete the All-Star team: best left wing Milos Vujovic (Berlin) and top scorer Omar Ingi Magnusson (Iceland/Magdeburg).
Goalkeeper: Viktor Hallgrímsson (Iceland/GOG)
Left wing: Milos Vujovic (MNE/Füchse Berlin)
Left back: Mikkel Hansen (Denmark/PSG)
Centre back: Luc Steins (Netherlands/PSG)
Right back: Mathias Gidsel (Denmark/GOG)
Right wing: Aleix Gomez (Spain/Barça)
Line player: Johannes Golla (Germany/Flensburg)
Best defender: Oscar Bergendahl (Sweden/GOG)
MVP: Jim Gottfridsson (Sweden/Flensburg)
Top scorer: Omar Ingi Magnusson (Iceland/Magdeburg) – 59 goals
