Title holders Flensburg headline EHF European League play-offs

The eight teams in the play-offs arrived at this point thanks to second- or third-place rankings in their main round groups. The play-offs will see a series of two-leg home-and-away ties to determine the aggregate winners that will progress to the quarter-finals.

IFK Kristianstad meet RK Nexe, Elverum Håndball take on 2024/25 finalists Montpellier Handball, and European knockout phase debutants Fredericia Håndboldklub face another of last season’s semi-finalists, MT Melsungen. In the highlight match of the round, SAH – Aarhus host defending title holders SG Flensburg-Handewitt. 

THW Kiel, FC Porto, HC Vardar 1961 and Recken - TSV Hannover-Burgdorf qualified directly for the quarter-finals, as the winners of their respective main round groups. They will return to the EHF European League court for the quarter-finals on 28 April and 5 May.

HIGHLIGHT MATCH

PLAY-OFFS, FIRST LEG

SAH - Aarhus (DEN) vs SG Flensburg-Handewitt (GER)

Tuesday 31 March, 18:45 CEST, live on EHFTV

• Flensburg are the back-to-back champions of the EHF European League Men; in both of their title-winning seasons, they earnt the right to skip the play-offs
• for both teams, it is the first EHF European League play-off appearance since 2022/23 — but while that was one among a huge list of knockout stage participations for Flensburg, 2022/23 was only Aarhus’ second time in such a phase
• Aarhus’ best international results were that Last 16 — the equivalent of the current play-offs — in 2022/23 and in the Cup Winners’ Cup 1996/97
• Flensburg have not only won the EHF European League twice; in their lengthy history in international handball, they have raised the EHF Champions League trophy and the EHF Cup, as well as won former competitions such as the Cup Winners’ Cup
• Aarhus wing Jóhan Hansen, who played for Flensburg from 2022 to 2025, is the fourth top scorer of the EHF European League Men 2025/26, with 61 goals; back Marko Grgić leads Flensburg with 57
• the teams have never met in a European cup competition

IN OTHER MATCHES

PLAY-OFFS, FIRST LEG

IFK Kristianstad (SWE) vs RK Nexe (CRO)
Tuesday 31 March, 18:45 CEST, live on EHFTV

Montpellier Handball (FRA) vs Elverum Håndball (NOR)
Tuesday 31 March, 20:45 CEST, live on EHFTV

Fredericia Håndboldklub (DEN) vs MT Melsungen (GER)
Tuesday 31 March, 20:45 CEST, live on EHFTV

Photos © Sascha Klahn (main), Ole Nielsen & Alibek Käsler (in-text)