Big ambitions take shape as EHF European Cup Men round 2 begins

Action starts in Finland on Saturday 17 October, at 13:00 CEST, as BK-46 meet Tallinna Mistra. Four teams will book their tickets to round 3 in double-headers this weekend, while 19 first-leg ties will also be played. Nine more double-headers have been scheduled for next weekend.

• 64 teams from 32 countries enter round 2 – Greece will be represented by five clubs, more than any other nation; Türkiye and Austria enter with four teams each

• six former champions take part in round 2: AHC Potaissa Turda (2017/18), AEK (2020/21), Nærbø IL (2021/22), HC Vojvodina (2022/23), HC Alkaloid (2024/25), and GRK Ohrid (2025/26)

• additionally, seven participating clubs finished as runners-up in previous years: Pfadi Winterthur (2000/01), Alpla HC Hard (2007/08), Handball Esch (2012/13), AHC Potaissa Turda (2016/17), AEK (2017/18 and 2024/25), Nærbø IL (2022/23), Olympiacos S.F.P. (2023/24)

• H71 and MRK Trogir meet on Saturday to play their first leg fixture in Hoyvik, Faroe Islands; the sides also met in round 2 of the 2023/24 season, when the Croatian club took two comfortable 29:22 wins to advance to round 3

• Förthof UHK Krems and HV KRAS/Volendam also previously met at this stage of the competition before; in the 2024/25 season, the Austrian side advanced by beating the Dutch squad 29:26 and 35:33; both teams were eliminated by just one goal on aggregate in round 2 last season — Krems by fellow Austrians HC Fivers WAT Margareten (58:59) and Volendam by Cassano Magnago from Italy (57:58)

• former European Cup runners-up Olympiacos S.F.P. have been in the mix over the last few years, reaching two consecutive quarter-finals after their run to the final in 2024; to keep their momentum going, the Greek side signed Ante Kuduz, who played in the EHF Champions League for five seasons with Dinamo Bucuresti and HC Vardar

Besiktas arrive with high ambitions

Besiktas JK meet HC Fivers WAT Margareten in round 2. The Turkish champions have strengthened their squad by signing a spectacular trio.

Chilean international Erwin Feuchtmann joined from FENIX Toulouse, bringing experience from one of Europe’s top leagues and years of EHF European League play. Miguel Espinha Ferreira previously played for HC Vardar in North Macedonia and in the EHF European League, while Bogdan Radivojevic has played in the EHF Champions League for more than a decade, featuring for various clubs — SG Flensburg-Handewitt, Rhein-Neckar Löwen, OTP Bank - PICK Szeged and HC Eurofarm Pelister. Last season, Besiktas were eliminated by RK Celje Pivovarna Laško in the Last 16 and are now hoping for a longer run in the competition.

Besiktas and Fivers met once in a European club competition in the qualification for the EHF Champions League 2011/12, when the Turkish side won 37:33. The sides will meet for the first leg on Saturday 17 October, at 16:00 CEST in Istanbul.

Photos © MRK Trogir / Josko Herceg (main), Tallinna Mistra/Arvi Sirm (in-text)