The 2024–25 Women's EHF Champions League was the 32nd edition of Europe's premier club handball tournament, running from 7 September 2024 to 1 June 2025.
Győri Audi ETO KC were the defending champions and won the tournament for second straight and seventh overall time, after defeating Odense Håndbold in the final.
Format The tournament ran using 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 entered 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 plays 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 The rankings were based on the performances from the three most recent seasons.
Associations 1–9 had their league champion qualify for the group stage and apply up to two wildcards. The best-ranked association in the Women's EHF European League could have its league champion and runner-up qualified for the group stage and can apply for one wildcard. Associations below the top 9 had their league champion apply for a wildcard.
RankAssociationAverage pointsTeams1 Norway240.0022 Hungary182.003 France155.334 Russia133.0005 Denmark128.3336 Romania113.007 Slovenia85.0018 Montenegro71.679 Germany61.33
RankAssociationAverage pointsTeams10 Croatia53.50111 Sweden49.00012 Turkey48.0013 Czech Republic46.0014 Everyone else0.00
Teams 19 teams applied for a place, with nine having a fixed place. The final list was announced on 21 June 2024.
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 Team Esbjerg (1st) Nykøbing Falster Håndboldklub (2nd) Metz Handball (1st) HB Ludwigsburg (1st) FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria (1st) WHC Budućnost BEMAX (1st) Vipers Kristiansand (1st) CSM București (1st) RK Krim Mercator (1st) HC Podravka Vegeta (1st) WC Odense Håndbold (3rd) WC Brest Bretagne Handball (2nd) WC Győri Audi ETO KC (2nd) WC Storhamar HE (2nd) WC CS Rapid București (2nd) WC CS Gloria Bistrița (3rd) WC WC Accepted wildcards
+Rejected upgrades Borussia Dortmund (4th) DVSC Schaeffler (4th) Sola HK (3rd)
Draw The draw was held on 27 June 2024.
Group stage
The 16 teams were drawn into two groups of eight. In regards to Denmark and Romania, who had three clubs in the group stage, a maximum of two clubs from those countries could 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 was 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
This season, nine national associations were present. Poland and Sweden both miss out while Croatia return after a one-season absence. CS Gloria Bistrița made their debut in the Champions League.
Group A
Group B
Knockout stage
Playoffs
Quarterfinals
Final four The final four will be held at the MVM Dome in Budapest, Hungary on 31 May and 1 June 2025.
Bracket
Final
Top goalscorers Rank Player Club Goals1 Henny Reistad Team Esbjerg1542 Elizabeth Omoregie CSM București1093 Sarah Bouktit Metz Handball1074 Cristina Neagu CSM București1015 Ana Gros RK Krim Mercator91 Dione Housheer Győri Audi ETO KC7 Thale Rushfeldt Deila Odense Håndbold88 Clarisse Mairot Brest Bretagne Handball9 Matea Pletikosić HC Podravka Vegeta8610 Anna Vyakhireva Brest Bretagne Handball85
See also 2024–25 EHF Champions League 2024–25 EHF European League 2024–25 EHF European Cup 2024–25 Women's EHF European League 2024–25 Women's EHF European Cup
References
External links Official website