The 2019–20 EHF Champions League was the 60th edition of Europe's premier club handball tournament and the 27th edition under the current EHF Champions League format.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, the knockout stage matches were postponed and later cancelled. The Final Four, which took place at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany, was moved from May to December and was contested by the top two teams from Groups A and B – Barça, Paris Saint-Germain, THW Kiel and Telekom Veszprém. As a result, reigning champions Vardar were not able to defend their title.
Format The competition begins with a group stage featuring twenty-eight teams divided in four groups: Groups A and B contain eight teams, while Groups C and D contain six teams. Matches are played in a double round-robin system with home-and-away fixtures. In Groups A and B, the top six teams qualify for the knockout stage, with teams ranked 2nd–6th entering the round of 16 and the group winners advancing directly to the quarter-finals. In Groups C and D, only the top two teams advance to a compete in a two-legged play-off round, with the two winners going through to the knockout stage round of 16.
The knockout stage includes four rounds: the round of 16, quarterfinals, and a final-four tournament comprising two semifinals and the final. In the round of 16, twelve teams (ten from Groups A and B, and the two play-off winners from Groups C and D) are paired against each other in two-legged home-and-away matches. The six aggregate winners of the round of 16 advance to the quarterfinals, joining the winners of Groups A and B. The eight quarterfinalist teams are paired against each other in two-legged home-and-away matches, with the four aggregate winners qualifying to the final-four tournament.
In the final four tournament, the semifinals and the final are played as single matches at a pre-selected host venue.
Team allocation A total of 35 teams from 21 countries submitted their application for a place in the competition's group stage before the deadline of 12 June. The final list of 28 participants was revealed by the EHF Executive Committee on 21 June.
Groups A/B HC Meshkov Brest PPD Zagreb Aalborg Handbold SG Flensburg-Handewitt Barça Paris Saint-Germain Telekom Veszprém Vardar Elverum Håndball PGE Vive Kielce FC Porto Sofarma Celje Pivovarna Laško HC Motor Zaporizhzhia THW Kiel Montpellier Handball MOL-Pick Szeged Groups C/D Riihimäki Cocks CS Dinamo București Chekhovskiye Medvedi IK Sävehof Kadetten Schaffhausen Tatran Prešov GOG Håndbold Bidasoa Irun Eurofarm Rabotnik Orlen Wisła Płock Sporting CP IFK Kristianstad
Round and draw dates The draw was held on 27 June 2019 in Vienna, Austria.
PhaseDraw dateGroup stage27 June 2019Knockout stageFinal Four(Cologne)5 May 2020
Group stage
The draw for the group stage was held on 27 June 2019 in Vienna, Austria. The teams were drawn into four groups, two containing eight teams (Groups A and B) and two containing six teams (Groups C and D). The only restriction was that teams from the same national association could not face each other in the same group.
In each group, teams played against each other in a double round-robin format, with home and away matches.
After completion of the group stage matches, the teams advancing to the knockout stage were determined in the following manner:
Groups A and B – the top team qualified directly for the quarterfinals, and the five teams ranked 2nd–6th advanced to the first knockout round. Groups C and D – the top two teams from both groups contested a playoff to determine the last two sides joining the 10 teams from Groups A and B in the first knockout round. TiebreakersIn the group stage, teams are ranked according to points (2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). After completion of the group stage, if two or more teams have scored the same number of points, the ranking will be determined as follows:
Highest number of points in matches between the teams directly involved; Superior goal difference in matches between the teams directly involved; Highest number of goals scored in matches between the teams directly involved (or in the away match in case of a two-team tie); Superior goal difference in all matches of the group; Highest number of plus goals in all matches of the group; If the ranking of one of these teams is determined, the above criteria are consecutively followed until the ranking of all teams is determined. If no ranking can be determined, a decision shall be obtained by EHF through drawing of lots.
During the group stage, only criteria 4–5 apply to determine the provisional ranking of teams.
Group A
Group B
Group C
Group D
Playoffs
Knockout stage
The winners of Groups A and B would have advanced directly to the quarterfinals, while the teams ranked 2nd–6th to the round of 16 alongside the playoff winners. After the cancellation of the last 16 and quarterfinals on 24 April 2020, the top-two placed teams from each group played the final four.
Round of 16
Quarterfinals
Final four
Final
Statistics and awards Top goalscorers Rank Player Club Goals1 Niclas Ekberg THW Kiel852 Sander Sagosen64 goals for Paris Saint-Germain and 12 goals for THW Kiel. Paris SG/ THW Kiel763 Hugo Descat Montpellier Handball754 Aleix Gómez Barça74 Barys Pukhouski HC Motor Zaporizhzhia6 Timur Dibirov Vardar697 Petar Nenadić Telekom Veszprém678 Sebastian Barthold Aalborg Håndbold65 Alex Dujshebaev PGE Vive Kielce Vladislav Ostroushko Eurofarm Rabotnik Hendrik Pekeler THW Kiel
Awards The all-star team was announced on 12 June 2020.
Goalkeeper: Niklas Landin Right wing: Niclas Ekberg Right back: Alex Dujshebaev Centre back: Mikkel Hansen Left back: Sander Sagosen Left wing: Manuel Štrlek Pivot: Bence Bánhidi
Other awards Best Defender: Blaž Blagotinšek Best Young player: Aleix Gómez Best Coach: David Davis
Notes
References
External links Official website