Uncovering Essential Insights into the Champions League Competition
What's going down? The new season of the highest-tier European handball competition, the Champions League, is about to kick off. Which German squads are involved? Who are the top picks? What's the setup? Where are the matches happening? Let's address the major questions concerning the 'Royal Showdown' and Bob Hanning's attire.
What's the deal? Known as the most influential club tournament in European handball, the Champions League is where 16 teams, including reigning champs SC Magdeburg and second-place finishers Füchse Berlin, will fight it out for respect, the title, and quite a tidy sum in prize money.
How much moolah are we talking about? The winner will bag a cool one million euros, which could cause a few handball hearts to skip a beat. Each group game will net a prize of 10,000 euros, with a bonus of 5,000 euros for each point, leading to 15,000 euros per match. For the knockout rounds, the cash prize increases to 10,000 euros per game, plus 7,500 euros per point in the preliminaries or 10,000 euros per point in the quarterfinals. The four teams advancing to Cologne's Final Four could pocket some serious coin.
What's the structure? Unlike football, the 'Royal Showdown' in handball sticks to the same framework. We're witnessing 16 teams face off in the group phase, divided into two groups of eight. The leading two squads from each group will directly head to the quarterfinals, while teams ranking third through sixth from both groups engage in the playoffs, resembling a round of 16. The remaining quarterfinal spots are decided by these playoff matches. The four quarterfinal winners (after home-and-away ties) will move onto Cologne's Final Four, where the champion will be crowned on June 14 and 15, 2025, at the Lanxess Arena.
Who are the front-runners? FC Barcelona takes the crown as the defending champion. With the record champion, who has clinched three of its twelve titles in the last four seasons, a promising performance can be anticipated in the upcoming season. However, Danish side Aalborg Handbold, now headed by ex-Flensburg coach Maik Machulla and featuring DHB playmaker Juri Knorr in the following season, stands as a strong challenger for the trophy. Despite being defeated by Barcelona by a single goal in the last tournament finale.
And the German contenders? As always, they join the list of top picks. Top of the list is SCM, the last German triumphant in the 'Royal Showdown' in 2023, eager to return to the final after last season's semifinal exit (against Aalborg). The Füchse also have a faint hope of making their Champions League come-back after an 11-year spell on the sidelines. The key for Berlin, led by the newly brilliant World Handball Player of the Year Mathias Gidsel, is how well the less-stacked squad handles the double challenge compared to Magdeburg.
The Füchse commence their run on Thursday (8:45 PM) with a home game against the Hungarian leading team Veszprem, while Magdeburg will open their account the same day (6:45 PM) against the Hungarian team Pick Szeged. In Group B, the team led by master coach Bennet Wiegert will also challenge Barcelona, Aalborg, and Kielce. The Füchse, in the seemingly less demanding Group A, will likewise face Paris St. Germain and Wisla Plock.
Is Bob Hanning actually planning to wear a tuxedo? It's still anyone's guess. The outspoken handball boss of the Berlin Füchse has been mum on the subject, only promising a grand event for the Füchse family, which is more than the Füchse have had in the Champions League in the past 11 years.
Where can the games be viewed? The broadcast rights are held by streaming provider DAZN, just like last season. All games of the German teams will be available live there.
What other exciting sports events are happening? Apart from the Champions League, various other renowned sports competitions such as football's UEFA Champions League and basketball's EuroLeague are also in full swing, providing fans with an abundance of high-level sporting action.
With the Champions League, what other benefits do teams receive aside from prize money? In addition to the substantial cash rewards, teams participating in the Champions League also gain international exposure, allowing them to scout and recruit talented players from around the world, thereby enhancing their overall competitiveness.
