2020–21 Women's EHF Champions League

The 2020–21 Women's EHF Champions League was the 28th edition of Europe's premier club handball tournament, running from 12 September 2020 to 30 May 2021.

Women's EHF Champions League
2020–21
Tournament information
SportHandball
Dates12 September 2020–30 May 2021
Teams16
Websiteehfcl.com
Final positions
ChampionsNorway Vipers Kristiansand
Runner-upFrance Brest Bretagne Handball
Tournament statistics
Matches played127
Goals scored6963 (54.83 per match)
Attendance58,183 (458 per match)
Top scorer(s)Slovenia Ana Gros
(135 goals)

There was no defending champion, after the season before was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vipers Kristiansand defeated Brest Bretagne Handball to win their first title.[1]

Because of this pandemic, each local health department allowed a different number of spectators.

Format

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The competition began with a group stage featuring 16 teams divided in two groups. Matches were played in a double round-robin system with home-and-away fixtures. In Groups A and B, originally the top two teams would have qualified for the quarterfinals, with teams ranked third to sixth entering the playoffs. After a decision by the EHF, all teams advanced.

The knockout stage included four rounds: the round of 16, quarterfinals, and a final-four tournament comprising two semifinals and the final. The teams were paired against each other in two-legged home-and-away matches, with the aggregate winners qualifying to the next round.

In the final four tournament, the semifinals and the final were played as single matches at a pre-selected host venue.[2]

Team allocation

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A total of 21 teams from 15 countries submitted their application for a place in the competition's group stage before the deadline of 10 June 2020.[3] The final list of 16 participants was revealed by the EHF Executive Committee on 19 June.[4]

Podravka Vegeta Team Esbjerg Odense Håndbold Metz Handball
Brest Bretagne Handball Borussia Dortmund SG BBM Bietigheim Győri Audi ETO KC
FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria ŽRK Budućnost Vipers Kristiansand SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea
CSM Bucureşti Rostov-Don CSKA Moscow Krim Mercator
Wildcard rejection
DHK Baník Most ŽRK Kumanovo Storhamar Håndball Elite H 65 Höör
Kastamonu Bld. GSK

Group stage

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The draw was held on 1 July 2020 at the EHF headquarters in Vienna, Austria.[4][5] 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.[6]

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 would have qualified directly for the quarterfinals, and the four teams ranked 3rd–6th advance to the playoffs, but on 10 February 2021, it was announced that all 16 teams advance from the group stage.[7]

Group A

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PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts ROS MET BUC FER VIP ESB KRI BIE
1 Rostov-Don141013331308+232130–260–1026–2410–028–2423–2327–21
2 Metz Handball141004389354+352027–2625–2230–2928–2931–2933–2736–27
3 CSM Bucureşti14815331309+221722–2731–2625–1922–2928–2622–2210–0
4 FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria14806386378+816[a]25–2632–3031–2730–2824–2832–2524–35
5 Vipers Kristiansand14725327320+716[a]23–240–1030–2526–3128–2837–3010–0
6 Team Esbjerg14527374351+231224–2525–2829–3021–2427–2733–2337–29
7 RK Krim Mercator14239325375−50728–2722–2623–2526–3226–270–1028–26
8 SG BBM Bietigheim141112318386−68331–3225–3322–3225–2929–3326–3322–22
Source: EHF
Notes:
  1. ^ a b FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria 61–54 Vipers Kristiansand

Group B

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PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts GYO MOS BRE ODE BUD VAL DOR KOP
1 Győri Audi ETO KC141040457353+1042431–2427–2732–2534–2938–3138–2543–28
2 CSKA Moscow141112404350+542327–2725–2427–2327–2330–2035–2830–26
3 Brest Bretagne Handball14653384349+351725–2528–3032–2128–2828–2133–3332–25
4 Odense Håndbold14617384370+141332–3226–2524–3130–2125–2632–2735–20
5 Budućnost14527363377−141221–2622–2522–2227–2429–2831–2733–26
6 SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea14509263319−561020–3724–3410–021–3025–230–100–10
7 Borussia Dortmund14419347391−44924–3428–2929–4132–2426–280–1032–31
8 HC Podravka Vegeta142012326419−93415–3320–2629–3317–3329–2625–2725–26
Source: EHF

NoteAll matches ending with a 10–0 results were assessed by the EHF.[8]

Knockout stage

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Originally, the top six teams advanced but on 10 February 2021, after a decision by the EHF Executive Committee, it was announced that all 16 teams advance from the group stage.[7]

Round of 16

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Team 1Agg.Tooltip Aggregate scoreTeam 21st leg2nd leg
SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea 51–54 CSM Bucureşti24–3327–21
Team Esbjerg 54–63 Brest Bretagne Handball27–3327–30
ŽRK Budućnost 50–48 FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria22–1928–29
Vipers Kristiansand 65–62 Odense Håndbold35–3630–26
Podravka Vegeta 44–71 Rostov-Don20–2924–42
SG BBM Bietigheim 48–69 Győri Audi ETO KC20–3728–32
Borussia Dortmund 0–20[note 1] Metz Handball0–100–10
Krim Mercator 46–47 CSKA Moscow25–2021–27

Quarterfinals

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Team 1Agg.Tooltip Aggregate scoreTeam 21st leg2nd leg
CSM București 51–51 (a) CSKA Moscow32–2719–24
Brest Bretagne Handball 60–50 Metz Handball34–2426–26
ŽRK Budućnost 40–54 Győri Audi ETO KC19–3021–24
Vipers Kristiansand 57–50 Rostov-Don34–2723–23

Final four

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Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
29 May
 
 
Győri Audi ETO KC23 (2)
 
30 May
 
Brest Bretagne Handball (Pen)23 (4)
 
Brest Bretagne Handball28
 
29 May
 
Vipers Kristiansand34
 
Vipers Kristiansand33
 
 
CSKA Moscow30
 
Third place
 
 
30 May
 
 
Győri Audi ETO KC32
 
 
CSKA Moscow21

Final

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30 May 2021
18:00
Brest Bretagne Handball 28–34 Vipers KristiansandLászló Papp Budapest Sports Arena, Budapest
Attendance: 2,300
Referees: Năstase, Stancu (ROU)
Gros 8(14–18)Reistad 12
 2× Report  6×

Top goalscorers

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RankPlayerClubGoals[10]
1 Ana Gros Brest Bretagne Handball135
2 Cristina Neagu CSM Bucureşti115
3 Veronica Kristiansen Győri Audi ETO KC97
4 Jovanka Radičević ŽRK Budućnost94
5 Dejana Milosavljević RK Podravka Koprivnica88
Henny Reistad Vipers Kristiansand
7 Stine Bredal Oftedal Győri Audi ETO KC87
8 Lois Abbingh Odense Håndbold84
Estelle Nze Minko Győri Audi ETO KC
10 Mette Tranborg Team Esbjerg77

Awards

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The all-star team was announced on 28 May 2021.[11]

PositionPlayer
Goalkeeper Amandine Leynaud (Győri Audi ETO KC)
Right wing Viktória Lukács (Győri Audi ETO KC)
Right back Nora Mørk (Vipers Kristiansand)
Centre back Stine Bredal Oftedal (Győri Audi ETO KC)
Left back Cristina Neagu (CSM Bucureşti)
Left wing Majda Mehmedović (ŽRK Budućnost)
Pivot Pauletta Foppa (Brest Bretagne Handball)
Final four MVP Henny Reistad (Vipers Kristiansand)
Best defender Eduarda Amorim (Győri Audi ETO KC)
Best young player Henny Reistad (Vipers Kristiansand)
Best coach Ole Gustav Gjekstad (Vipers Kristiansand)

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ The matches, scheduled for 12 and 14 March 2021, were assessed by the EHF after Dortmund did not travel to France.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Superb Vipers celebrate first Champions League title". eurohandball.com. 30 May 2021.
  2. ^ Competition system
  3. ^ "21 teams eye a place in the new season". ehfcl.com. 10 June 2020.
  4. ^ a b "EXEC finalises the list of teams for the DELO EHF Champions League 2020/21". ehfcl.com. 19 June 2020.
  5. ^ "Group phase draw sets the path for all teams". eurohandball.com. 1 July 2020.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ "Four pots for the group phase draw announced". ehfcl.com. 22 June 2020.
  7. ^ a b "EHF adapts playing schedule for EHF Champions League". eurohandball.com. 10 February 2021.
  8. ^ "DELO EHF Champions League: Assessment of non-played matches". eurohandball.com. 10 February 2021.
  9. ^ "Court of Handball rules on Dortmund vs Metz play-offs". eurohandball.com. EHF. 14 March 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  10. ^ Goalscorers
  11. ^ "Fan favourite Oftedal leads Györ quartet in All-star Team". European Handball Federation. 28 May 2021.
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