The 2023–24 EHF Champions League was the 64th edition of Europe's premier club handball tournament, running from 13 September 2023 to 9 June 2024.
SC Magdeburg were the reigning champions but lost in the semifinals. Barça defeated Aalborg Håndbold in the final to win their 12th title.
Format The tournament used the same format as the previous three seasons. The competition began with a group stage featuring sixteen teams divided into two groups. Matches were played in a double round-robin system with home-and-away fixtures, fourteen in total for each team. In Groups A and B, the top two teams automatically qualified for the quarter-finals, with teams ranked 3rd to 6th entering the playoff round.
The knockout stage included four rounds: the playoffs, quarter-finals, and a final-four tournament comprising two semifinals and the final. In the playoffs, eight teams were paired against each other in two-legged home-and-away matches (third-placed in group A played sixth-placed group B; fourth-placed group A plays fifth-placed group B, etc.). The four aggregate winners of the playoffs advanced to the quarterfinals, joining the top-two teams of Groups A and B. The eight quarterfinalist teams were 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 were played as single matches at a pre-selected host venue.
Rankings This season, the EHF decided to make separate rankings for each club competition.
Associations 1–9 had their league champion qualify for the group stage and apply for a wildcards. The Association that won the past season's EHF European League had their league champion and runner up qualify for the group stage but cannot apply for a wildcard. Associations below the top 9 had their league champion apply for a wildcard.
RankAssociationAverage pointsTeams1 Spain230.0012 Germany170.3323 France134.334 Hungary132.675 Denmark131.676 Poland124.337 Portugal82.00 18 North Macedonia80.00 9 Slovenia78.00 10 Romania66.500
RankAssociationAverage pointsTeams11 Belarus57.67012 Norway 57.00113 Ukraine48.00014 Croatia43.00115 Sweden38.00016 Russia34.0017 Slovakia33.0018 Finland32.0018 Switzerland32.0020Everyone else0.00
Teams 20 teams applied for a place, with ten having a fixed place. The final list was announced on June 20, 2023.
The fixed place for Russia was vacant since the country and its clubs were not admitted to participate in the EHF competitions due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
+Participating teams GOG Håndbold (1st) Paris Saint-Germain (1st) Barcelona (1st) THW Kiel (1st) SC Magdeburg (2nd) Telekom Veszprém (1st) RK Eurofarm Pelister (1st) Industria Kielce (1st) FC Porto (1st) Celje Pivovarna Laško (1st) RK Zagreb (1st) WC Aalborg Håndbold (1st) WC Montpellier Handball (2nd) WC OTP Bank - Pick Szeged (2nd) WC Kolstad Håndball (1st) WC Orlen Wisła Płock (2nd) WC WC Accepted wildcards
+Wildcard rejection Sporting CP (2nd) Dinamo București (1st) Kadetten Schaffhausen (1st) IFK Kristianstad (1st)
Draw The draw took place on 27 June 2023.
Group stage
The 16 teams were drawn into two groups of eight. Teams from the same national association could not be drawn into the same group.
In the group stage, teams were 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; Superior goal difference in all matches of the group; Highest number of plus goals in all matches of the group; Drawing of Lots
A total of 11 national associations will be represented in the group stage. North Macedonia are the only returnees, after Vardar 1961 was disqualified last season. Kolstad Håndball are the only debutants.
Group A
Group B
Knockout stage
Playoffs
Quarterfinals
Final four The final four was held at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany on 8 and 9 June 2024.
Bracket
Final
Top goalscorers
Rank Player Club GoalsGoalscorers1 Kamil Syprzak Paris Saint-Germain1122 Dika Mem Barça1063 Emil Wernsdorf Madsen GOG Håndbold98 Ómar Ingi Magnússon SC Magdeburg5 Mads Hoxer Hangaard Aalborg Håndbold966 Aaron Mensing GOG Håndbold937 Niclas Ekberg THW Kiel928 Mario Šoštarič OTP Bank - Pick Szeged889 Mitja Janc Celje Pivovarna Laško87 Elohim Prandi Paris Saint-Germain
See also 2023–24 EHF European League 2023–24 EHF European Cup 2023–24 Women's EHF Champions League 2023–24 Women's EHF European League 2023–24 Women's EHF European Cup
References
External links Official website