2020–21 EHF Champions League


The 2020–21 EHF Champions League will be the 61st edition of Europe's premier club handball tournament and the 28th edition under the current EHF Champions League format.

Format

The competition begins with a group stage featuring 16 teams divided in two groups. Matches are played in a double round-robin system with home-and-away fixtures. In Groups A and B, the top two teams qualify for the quarterfinals, with teams ranked 3rd to 6th entering the playoffs.
The knockout stage includes four rounds: the playoffs, quarterfinals, and a final-four tournament comprising two semifinals and the final. In the playoffs, eight teams are paired against each other in two-legged home-and-away matches. The four aggregate winners of the playoffs advance to the quarterfinals, joining the top-two teams 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 24 teams from 16 countries submitted their application for a place in the competition's group stage before the deadline of 10 June 2020. The final list of 16 participants was revealed by the EHF Executive Committee on 19 June.
Meshkov Brest PPD Zagreb Aalborg Handbold Paris Saint-Germain
HBC Nantes SG Flensburg-Handewitt THW Kiel Telekom Veszprém
MOL-Pick Szeged Vardar 1961 Elverum Håndball PGE Vive Kielce
Porto Sofarma Celje Pivovarna Laško Barça Motor Zaporizhia

Group stage

The draw was held on 1 July 2020 at the EHF headquarters in Vienna, Austria. The 16 teams were drawn into two groups of eight, with the restriction that teams from the same national association could not be drawn into the same group.
In each group, teams play against each other in a double round-robin format, with home and away matches. After completion of the group stage matches, the top two teams from each group qualify directly for the quarterfinals, and the four teams ranked 3rd–6th advance to the playoffs.
Matches will be played on Wednesdays and Thursdays, with starting times at 18:45 and 20:45.
Tiebreakers
In the group stage, teams are ranked according to points. 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:
  1. Highest number of points in matches between the teams directly involved;
  2. Superior goal difference in matches between the teams directly involved;
  3. Highest number of goals scored in matches between the teams directly involved ;
  4. Superior goal difference in all matches of the group;
  5. 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

Knockout stage

The top-two teams of Groups A and B advance directly to the quarterfinals, while the teams ranked 2nd–6th to the playoffs.

Playoffs

Quarterfinals

Final four

Final