Handball Champions League: German Teams Learn Preliminary Round Opponents

The draw for the preliminary round of the Men's Handball Champions League has set the stage for German clubs SC Magdeburg and Füchse Berlin, revealing their initial opponents in Europe's premier club competition. The tournament, featuring an expanded format with 24 teams divided into four groups of six, is set to commence in September.

Defending champions SC Magdeburg, led by coach Bennet Wiegert, will navigate Group B. Their path includes clashes against Industria Kielce from Poland, Kolstad HB of Norway, and HC Kriens-Luzern from Switzerland. Magdeburg has a strong recent history in the competition, having secured titles in 2023 and 2025.

Meanwhile, Füchse Berlin, coached by Nicolej Krickau, faces a challenging Group C. They are set to compete against Veszprem HC of Hungary, FC Porto from Portugal, and Partizan Belgrade of Serbia. This marks another season of European ambition for the Berlin-based club.

Additionally, MT Melsungen, as the winner of the European League, makes its Champions League debut. They are placed in a group with HBC Nantes (France), Wisla Plock (Poland), and Vardar Skopje (North Macedonia). The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage, while third and fourth-placed teams will continue their European journey in the European League. The men's competition begins on September 5-6, with the Final Four scheduled for June 12-13, 2027, in Cologne.