The EHF Women's Champions League is the competition for the top women's handball clubs in Europe, organised annually by the European Handball Federation (EHF). It is the most prestigious tournament for clubs, with the champions of Europe's top national leagues participating.
Tournament format Current Each year, the EHF publishes a ranking list of its member federations. The first nine nations are allowed to participate in the tournament with their national champion. In addition, the tenth spot is reserved for the best ranked national federation of the EHF European League. The national federations are allowed to request upgrades for their teams eligible to play in the EHF European League and based on the criteria list the EHF Executive Committee approves six upgrades.
The EHF Champions League is divided into four stages. All participating teams enter the competition in the group phase.
Since the 2020–21 season, the format sees two groups formed, with eight teams each in Group A and B. All the teams in each group play each other twice, in home and away matches (14 rounds in total). The first two teams in Groups A and B advance directly to the quarter-finals, while teams from positions three to six in each of these groups proceed to the play off. The pairings for the play off are decided by the placement of the teams at the end of the group phase (A6 vs B3, B6 vs A3, A5 vs B4 and B5 vs A4). Each pairing is decided via a home and away format, with the aggregate winners over the two legs advancing to the quarter-finals. The pairings for the quarter-finals are also decided by the placement in the group phase (Winner of A5/B4 vs A1, Winner B5/A4 vs B1, Winner A6/B3 vs A2, Winner B6/A3 vs B2). The ties are decided through a home and away format, with the four winners over the two legs played in each pairing advancing to the EHF FINAL4. The higher ranked teams in the group phase have the home right advantage in the second leg. The participating final four teams are paired for the semi-finals through a draw and play the last two matches of the season over a single weekend at one venue.
New format (2027/28–) The new format will see 16 teams being split into four groups of four teams. The three top-placed teams advance to the main round, which conists of two groups of six, where the top four-placed teams advance to the quarterfinals.
Summary European Champions Cup YearFinalSemi-finals losersChampionScoreRunner-up1961Details Știința București13–5 (8–1 / 5–4)Dynamo Prague Žalgiris Kaunas RSF Mulheim1961–62Details Sparta Prague11–7 (2–3 / 9–4)ORK Belgrade RSF Mulheim Știința București1962–63Details Trud Moscow11–8Frederiksberg IF Fortschritt Weissenfels Rapid București1963–64Details Rapid București14–13Helsingør IF Spartacus Budapest Eimsbütteler TV1964–65Details HG København21–16 (14–6 / 7–10)Spartacus Budapest Swift Roermond Lokomotiva Zagreb1965–66Details SC Leipzig17–11 (10–5 / 7–6)HG København Spartacus Budapest Sparta Prague1966–67Details Žalgiris Kaunas8–7SC LeipzigUniversitatea Timișoara Bohemians Prague1967–68Details Žalgiris Kaunas13–11Empor Rostock KS Cracovia Rapid București1969–70Details Spartak Kyiv9–7SC Leipzig Žalgiris Kaunas HG København1970–71Details Spartak Kyiv11–9Ferencvárosi TC 1. FC Nürnberg HG København1971–72Details Spartak Kyiv12–8SC Leipzig Bakony Veszprém Universitatea București1972–73Details Spartak Kyiv17–8Universitatea Timișoara NILOC Amsterdam SC Leipzig1973–74Details SC Leipzig12–10Spartak Kyiv Eintracht Minden Radnički Belgrade1974–75Details Spartak Kyiv14–10Lokomotiva Zagreb IEFS București Vasas Budapest1975–76Details Radnicki Belgrade22–12Swift Roermond Admira Wien Stockholmspolisens IF1976–77Details Spartak Kyiv15–7SC Leipzig Radnicki Belgrade IL Vestar1977–78Details TSC Berlin19–14Vasas Budapest IL Vestar Ruch Chorzów1978–79Details Spartak Kyiv27–26 (13–17 / 14–9)Vasas Budapest Eintracht Minden SC Leipzig1979–80Details RK Radnicki Belgrade45–29 (22–19 / 23–10 )Inter Bratislava Stockholmspolisens IF VIG G. Dimitrov1980–81Details Spartak Kyiv39–26 (17–13 / 22–13)Radnicki Belgrade VIG G. Dimitrov RK Osijek1981–82Details Vasas Budapest50–43 (29–19 / 21–24)Radnicki Belgrade Spartak Kyiv Rulmentul Braşov1982–83Details Spartak Kyiv48–36 (23–19 / 25–17)Radnicki Belgrade Bayer Leverkusen Vasas Budapest1983–84Details Radnicki Belgrade42–35 (22–16 / 20–19)Bayer Leverkusen Hypo Niederösterreich Vasas Budapest1984–85Details Spartak Kyiv41–31 (23–16 / 18–15)Radnicki Belgrade SC Leipzig Hypo Niederösterreich1985–86Details Spartak Kyiv52–45 (29–23 / 23–22)Ştiinţa Bacău Vasas Budapest Budućnost Titograd1986–87Details Spartak Kyiv50–37 (25–17 / 25–20)Hypo Niederösterreich Ştiinţa Bacău ZVL Prešov1987–88Details Spartak Kyiv33–31 (16–14 / 17–17)Hypo Niederösterreich Spartacus Budapest Radnicki Belgrade1988–89Details Hypo Niederösterreich37–33 (16–14 / 21–19)Spartak KyivDebreceni VSCCS Mureșul1989–90Details Hypo Niederösterreich59–50 (29–24 / 30–26)Kuban KrasnodarChimistul Râmnicu VâlceaSC Brühl1990–91Details TV Giessen-Lützellinden43–40 (21–15 / 22–25)Hypo NiederösterreichRostselmashÉpítők SC1991–92Details Hypo Niederösterreich34–32 (15–14 / 19–18)TV Giessen-LützellindenChimistul Râmnicu VâlceaWalle Bremen1992–93Details Hypo Niederösterreich40–25 (17–14 / 23–11)Vasas BudapestMar ValenciaWalle Bremen
EHF Women's Champions League (knockout system) YearFinalSemi-finals losersChampionScoreRunner-up1993–94Details Hypo Niederösterreich45–39 (18–20 / 25–21)Vasas BudapestMar ValenciaTV Giessen-Lützellinden1994–95Details Hypo Niederösterreich40–36 (17–14 / 26–19)Podravka KoprivnicaMar ValenciaWalle Bremen1995–96Details Podravka Koprivnica38–37 (17–13 / 25–20)Hypo NiederösterreichMar Valencia Ferencvárosi TC1996–97Details Mar Valencia58–50 (35–26 / 24–23)Viborg HKHypo Niederösterreich Ferencvárosi TC1997–98Details Hypo Niederösterreich56–47 (28–21 / 26–28)Mar ValenciaPodravka Koprivnica Budućnost Podgorica1998–99Details Dunaferr NK51–49 (25–23 / 26–26)Krim LjubljanaHypo Niederösterreich Budućnost Podgorica1999–00DetailsHypo Niederösterreich52–45 (32–23 / 22–20)Kometal Gjorče PetrovBuducnost Podgorica Volgograd Akva2000–01DetailsKrim Ljubljana47–41 (22–22 / 25–19)Viborg HKBudućnost PodgoricaFerencvárosi TC2001–02Details Kometal Gjorče Petrov51–49 (27–25 / 26–22)Ferencvárosi TCLarvik HK Budućnost Podgorica2002–03Details Krim Ljubljana63–58 (30–27 / 36–28)Mar ValenciaIkast EH Viborg HK2003–04Details Slagelse FH61–56 (25–24 / 32–36)Krim LjubljanaDunaferr NK Larvik HK2004–05Details Slagelse FH54–43 (27–23 / 20–27)Kometal Gjorče PetrovDunaferr NK Hypo Niederösterreich2005–06Details Viborg HK44–43 (22–24 / 20–21)Krim LjubljanaBM Sagunto Aalborg DH2006–07Details Slagelse FH61–53 (29–29 / 32–24)Lada TogliattiGyőri Audi ETO KCHypo Niederösterreich2007–08Details Zvezda Zvenigorod56–53 (25–24 / 29–31)Hypo NiederösterreichGyőri Audi ETO KCLada Togliatti2008–09Details Viborg HK50–49 (24–26 / 23–26)Győri Audi ETO KCOltchim Râmnicu VâlceaHypo Niederösterreich2009–10Details Viborg HK60–52 (28–21 / 32–31)Oltchim Râmnicu VâlceaGyőri Audi ETO KC Larvik HK2010–11Details Larvik HK47–46 (23–21 / 25–24) SD Itxako ŽRK BudućnostGyőri Audi ETO KC2011–12Details ŽRK Budućnost54–54 (29–27 / 27–25) Győri Audi ETO KC Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea Larvik HK2012–13Details Győri Audi ETO KC47–43 (21–24 / 23–22) Larvik HK Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea Krim Ljubljana
EHF Women's Champions League (EHF FINAL4 system) YearFinalSemi-finals losersChampionScoreRunner-upThird placeFourth place2013–14Details Győri Audi ETO KC27–21 ŽRK Budućnost HC Vardar FC Midtjylland2014–15Details ŽRK Budućnost26–22 Larvik HK HC Vardar Dinamo Volgograd2015–16Details CSM București29–26(Pen) Győri Audi ETO KC HC Vardar ŽRK Budućnost2016–17Details Győri Audi ETO KC31–30(OT) HC Vardar CSM București ŽRK Budućnost2017–18Details Győri Audi ETO KC27–26(OT) HC Vardar CSM București Rostov-Don2018–19Details Győri Audi ETO KC25–24 Rostov-Don Vipers Kristiansand Metz Handball2019–20DetailsCancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.2020–21Details Vipers Kristiansand34–28 Brest Bretagne Handball Győri Audi ETO KC CSKA Moscow2021–22Details Vipers Kristiansand33–31 Győri Audi ETO KC Metz Handball Team Esbjerg2022–23Details Vipers Kristiansand28–24 Ferencvárosi TC Győri Audi ETO KC Team Esbjerg2023–24Details Győri Audi ETO KC30–24 SG BBM Bietigheim Team Esbjerg Metz Handball2024–25Details Győri Audi ETO KC29–27 Odense Håndbold Team Esbjerg Metz Handball2025–26 Details Metz Handball31–29 Győri Audi ETO KC CSM București Brest Bretagne Handball
Records and statistics Performance by club ClubWinnersRunners-upYears wonYears runners-up Spartak Kyiv13 2 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 1974, 1989 Hypo Niederösterreich8 5 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 2000 1987, 1988, 1991, 1996, 2008 Győri ETO KC7 5 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2024, 2025 2009, 2012, 2016, 2022, 2026 Radnički Belgrade3 4 1976, 1980, 1984 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985 Viborg HK3 2 2006, 2009, 2010 1997, 2001 Slagelse DT3 0 2004, 2005, 2007 Vipers Kristiansand3 0 2021, 2022, 2023 SC Leipzig2 4 1966, 1974 1967, 1970, 1972, 1977 Krim Ljubljana2 3 2001, 2003 1999, 2004, 2006 ŽRK Budućnost2 1 2012, 2015 2014 Žalgiris Kaunas2 0 1967, 1968 Vasas Budapest1 4 1982 1978, 1979, 1993, 1994 Sagunto1 2 1997 1998, 2003 Kometal Skopje1 2 2002 2000, 2005 Larvik HK1 2 2011 2013, 2015 HG København1 1 1965 1966 TV Giessen-Lützellinden1 1 1991 1992 Podravka Koprivnica1 1 1996 1995 Știința București1 0 1961 Sparta Prague1 0 1962 Trud Moscow1 0 1963 Rapid București1 0 1964 TSC Berlin1 0 1978 Dunaferr NK1 0 1999 Zvezda Zvenigorod1 0 2008 CSM București1 0 2016 Metz Handball1 0 2026
Performance by country (1961–2026) RankCountryWinnersRunners-upSemi-finalsTotal1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Total 61 61 122 244 Since 2013–14 EHF Women's Champions League have Third Place Match.
All-time top scorers Last updated after the 2025–26 season
RankPlayersGoals1 Cristina Neagu1232162 Jovanka Radičević1181213 Andrea Lekić1073184 Anita Görbicz 1016185 Ana Gros1007176 Nora Mørk964177 Katarina Bulatović842168 Henny Reistad82789 Eduarda Amorim7471710 Bojana Popović 733 1 1411 Andrea Penezić7201112 Anna Vyakhireva6861013 Linn-Kristin Riegelhuth6831414 Heidi Løke6221215 Katrin Klujber6138
All-time top scorers of the WOMEN'S EHF FINAL4 Last updated after the 2025–26 season RankPlayersGoals1 Henny Reistad9362 Nora Mørk7083 Nycke Groot575 Anita Görbicz576 Andrea Lekić5766 Cristina Neagu5657 Isabelle Gulldén5558 Eduarda Amorim4969 Sarah Bouktit47410 Stine Bredal Oftedal48611 Ana Gros45412 Andrea Penezić424 Katarina Bulatović42514 Jovanka Radičević405 Kari Brattset Dale405
Top scorers by season