# 2019–20 Women's EHF Challenge Cup

The 2019–20 Women's EHF Challenge Cup is the 23rd edition of the European Handball Federation's third-tier competition for women's handball clubs, running from 9 November 2019. On 24 April 2020 EHF announced that the competition would be cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic.

## Overview
### Team allocation

There will be no matches in Round 1 and 2 and 22 teams will start in Round 3 with the first leg scheduled for 10–11 November and second leg for 17–18 November 2019, while 5 teams were directly seeded for the Last 16 round. The European Handball Federation rearranged the Last 16 phase of the Women's Challenge Cup 2019–20 after the Turkish club Ardeşen GSK withdrew from the competition. In order to harmonize the competition after the withdrawal of Ardeşen GSK, the EHF decided to award Aula Alimentos de Valladolid, as the best seeded team in the Women's Challenge Cup 2019–20 a place directly in the Quarterfinals.
Quarterfinals :
| Aula Alimentos de Valladolid | | | |
| Last 16 ||||
| RK Lokomotiva Zagreb | JuRo Unirek VZV | HC Naisa Niš | |
| Round 3 ||||
| AC Alavarium/Love Tiles | DHB Rotweiss Thun | DHC Sokol Poruba | ŽRK Pelister |
| Maccabi Rishon LeZion | HC BNTU-BelAZ Minsk | ACME-Žalgiris Kaunas | WHC Hadžići DG |
| HIB Handball Graz | O.F.N. Ionias | SSV Brixen Südtirol | ORK Rudar |
| Mecalia Atlético Guardés | ŽRK Bjelovar | Ankara Yenimahalle BSK | ŽRK Zaječar 1949 |
| SIR 1º de Maio/ADA CJ Barros | ŽRK Krivaja | A.C. Veria 2017 | Ariosto Pallamano Ferrara |
| KH-7 BM Granollers | CS Madeira | | |

### Round and draw dates

All draws were held at the European Handball Federation headquarters in Vienna, Austria. On 25 March, the EHF announced that no matches will be played before June due to the coronavirus pandemic.
| Round | Draw date | First leg | Second leg |
| Round 3 | 16 July 2019 | 9-10 November 2019 | 16-17 November 2019 |
| Last 16 | 19 November 2019 | 1-2 February 2020 | 8-9 February 2020 |
| Quarter-final | 11 February 2020 | 29 February-1 March 2020 | 7-8 March 2020 |
| Semi-finals | 11 February 2020 | 4-5 April 2020 | 11-12 April 2020 |
| Final | 14 April 2020 | 2-3 May 2020 | 9-10 May 2020 |

## Qualification stage
### Round 3

There were 22 teams participating in round 3. The draw seeding pots are composed as follows:
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 |
| AC Alavarium/Love Tiles DHB Rotweiss Thun DHC Sokol Poruba ŽRK Pelister Maccabi Rishon LeZion HC BNTU-BelAZ Minsk ACME-Žalgiris Kaunas WHC Hadžići DG HIB Handball Graz O.F.N. Ionias SSV Brixen Südtirol | ORK Rudar Mecalia Atlético Guardés ŽRK Bjelovar Ankara Yenimahalle BSK ŽRK Zaječar 1949 SIR 1º de Maio/ADA CJ Barros ŽRK Krivaja A.C. Veria 2017 Ariosto Pallamano Ferrara KH-7 BM Granollers CS Madeira |
Teams listed first played the first leg at home. The first legs were played on 8–10 November and the second legs were played on 16–17 November 2019. Some teams agreed to play both matches in the same venue.
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| O.F.N. Ionias | 37–43 | SIR 1º de Maio/ADA CJ Barros | 19–28 | 18–15 |
| ORK Rudar | 37–50 | ACME-Žalgiris Kaunas | 19–26 | 18–24 |
| WHC Hadžići DG | 51–65 | CS Madeira | 23–37 | 28–28 |
| KH-7 BM Granollers | 67–61 | HC BNTU-BelAZ Minsk | 34–29 | 33–32 |
| A.C. Veria 2017 | 50–53 | HIB Handball Graz | 23–27 | 27–26 |
| DHC Sokol Poruba | 52–51 | Ankara Yenimahalle BSK | 34–25 | 18–26 |
| ŽRK Bjelovar | 60–51 | AC Alavarium/Love Tiles | 28–23 | 32–28 |
| DHB Rotweiss Thun | 34–47 | Mecalia Atlético Guardés | 17–25 | 17–22 |
| SSV Brixen Südtirol | 57–40 | Ariosto Pallamano Ferrara | 31–18 | 26–22 |
| ŽRK Krivaja | 47–52 | Maccabi Rishon LeZion | 25–21 | 22–31 |
| ŽRK Zaječar 1949 | 94–43 | ŽRK Pelister | 50–20 | 44–23 |

#### Notes
## Last 16

The European Handball Federation has decided 5 teams to proceed directly seeded for the Last 16 round. The European Handball Federation rearranged the Last 16 phase of the Women's Challenge Cup 2019–20 after the Turkish club Ardeşen GSK withdrew from the competition. In order to harmonize the competition after the withdrawal of Ardeşen GSK, the EHF decided to award Aula Alimentos de Valladolid, as the best seeded team in the Women's Challenge Cup 2019–20 a place directly in the Quarterfinals. The draw seeding pots were composed as follows:
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 |
| RK Lokomotiva Zagreb ŽRK Bjelovar DHC Sokol Poruba Mecalia Atlético Guardés JuRo Unirek VZV ŽRK Zaječar 1949 HC Naisa Niš | HIB Handball Graz KH-7 BM Granollers SSV Brixen Südtirol Maccabi Rishon LeZion ACME-Žalgiris Kaunas CS Madeira SIR 1º de Maio/ADA CJ Barros |
The draw for the Last 16 took place at the EHF Office in Vienna on Thursday 19 November 2019.
Teams listed first played the first leg at home. The first legs was played on 1–2 February and the second legs were played on 8–9 February 2020. Some teams agreed to play both matches in the same venue.

### Overview

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| SIR 1º de Maio/ADA CJ Barros | 37–60 | RK Lokomotiva Zagreb | 21–33 | 16–27 |
| CS Madeira | 61–33 | ŽRK Zaječar 1949 | 37–19 | 25–14 |
| Mecalia Atlético Guardés | 64–57 | ACME-Žalgiris Kaunas | 30–23 | 34–34 |
| DHC Sokol Poruba | 42–72 | KH-7 BM Granollers | 19–32 | 23–40 |
| HIB Handball Graz | 38–60 | HC Naisa Niš | 14–30 | 24–30 |
| JuRo Unirek VZV | 55–44 | SSV Brixen Südtirol | 29–24 | 26–20 |
| ŽRK Bjelovar | 56–46 | Maccabi Rishon LeZion | 23–25 | 33–21 |

#### Matches

| 1 February 2020 18:00 | SIR 1º de Maio/ADA CJ Barros | 21–33 | RK Lokomotiva Zagreb | Dom sportova 2, Zagreb Attendance: 1,000 Referees: Kinnari, Skogberg (FIN) |
| 1 February 2020 18:00 | Ferreira 6 | (8–13) | Posavec 8 | Dom sportova 2, Zagreb Attendance: 1,000 Referees: Kinnari, Skogberg (FIN) |
| 1 February 2020 18:00 | 3× 5× | Report | 2× 7× | Dom sportova 2, Zagreb Attendance: 1,000 Referees: Kinnari, Skogberg (FIN) |
| 2 February 2020 18:00 | RK Lokomotiva Zagreb | 27–16 | SIR 1º de Maio/ADA CJ Barros | Dom sportova 2, Zagreb Attendance: 300 Referees: Kinnari, Skogberg (FIN) |
| 2 February 2020 18:00 | Posavec 6 | (9–5) | Fernandes 5 | Dom sportova 2, Zagreb Attendance: 300 Referees: Kinnari, Skogberg (FIN) |
| 2 February 2020 18:00 | 3× 4× | Report | 4× 6× | Dom sportova 2, Zagreb Attendance: 300 Referees: Kinnari, Skogberg (FIN) |
RK Lokomotiva Zagreb won 60–37 on aggregate.
| 1 February 2020 18:00 | CS Madeira | 37–19 | ŽRK Zaječar 1949 | Pavilhao Bartolomeu Perestrelo, Funchal Attendance: 600 Referees: Fahner, Kubis (POL) |
| 1 February 2020 18:00 | Gouveia 10 | (18–9) | Belić 8 | Pavilhao Bartolomeu Perestrelo, Funchal Attendance: 600 Referees: Fahner, Kubis (POL) |
| 1 February 2020 18:00 | 2× 3× | Report | 2× 3× | Pavilhao Bartolomeu Perestrelo, Funchal Attendance: 600 Referees: Fahner, Kubis (POL) |
| 2 February 2020 18:00 | ŽRK Zaječar 1949 | 14–25 | CS Madeira | Pavilhao Bartolomeu Perestrelo, Funchal Attendance: 400 Referees: Fahner, Kubis (POL) |
| 2 February 2020 18:00 | Milošević 6 | (7–14) | Freitas 6 | Pavilhao Bartolomeu Perestrelo, Funchal Attendance: 400 Referees: Fahner, Kubis (POL) |
| 2 February 2020 18:00 | 3× | Report | 3× 1× | Pavilhao Bartolomeu Perestrelo, Funchal Attendance: 400 Referees: Fahner, Kubis (POL) |
CS Madeira won 61–33 on aggregate.
| 1 February 2020 19:00 | Mecalia Atlético Guardés | 30–23 | ACME-Žalgiris Kaunas | A Sangriña, Pontevedra Attendance: 400 Referees: Beulakker, Gilis (BEL) |
| 1 February 2020 19:00 | Santiago 6 | (14–13) | Kniubaite 9 | A Sangriña, Pontevedra Attendance: 400 Referees: Beulakker, Gilis (BEL) |
| 1 February 2020 19:00 | 3× 4× | Report | 2× 3× | A Sangriña, Pontevedra Attendance: 400 Referees: Beulakker, Gilis (BEL) |
| 2 February 2020 19:00 | ACME-Žalgiris Kaunas | 34–34 | Mecalia Atlético Guardés | A Sangriña, Pontevedra Attendance: 400 Referees: Beulakker, Gilis (BEL) |
| 2 February 2020 19:00 | Kniubaite 12 | (15–16) | Campos 8 | A Sangriña, Pontevedra Attendance: 400 Referees: Beulakker, Gilis (BEL) |
| 2 February 2020 19:00 | 4× 6× | Report | 2× 5× | A Sangriña, Pontevedra Attendance: 400 Referees: Beulakker, Gilis (BEL) |
Mecalia Atlético Guardés won 64–57 on aggregate.
| 1 February 2020 18:00 | DHC Sokol Poruba | 19–32 | KH-7 BM Granollers | Sportovní hala Ostrava, Moravská Ostrava Attendance: 550 Referees: Kulović, Škaljić (BIH) |
| 1 February 2020 18:00 | Polášková 8 | (14–17) | González 7 | Sportovní hala Ostrava, Moravská Ostrava Attendance: 550 Referees: Kulović, Škaljić (BIH) |
| 1 February 2020 18:00 | 3× 4× | Report | 2× 3× | Sportovní hala Ostrava, Moravská Ostrava Attendance: 550 Referees: Kulović, Škaljić (BIH) |
| 9 February 2020 19:30 | KH-7 BM Granollers | 40–23 | DHC Sokol Poruba | Palau d'Esports de Granollers, Granollers Attendance: 1,200 Referees: Schols (NED), Martens (BEL) |
| 9 February 2020 19:30 | Vegué 8 | (16–10) | Polášková 6 | Palau d'Esports de Granollers, Granollers Attendance: 1,200 Referees: Schols (NED), Martens (BEL) |
| 9 February 2020 19:30 | 3× 2× | Report | 3× 3× | Palau d'Esports de Granollers, Granollers Attendance: 1,200 Referees: Schols (NED), Martens (BEL) |
KH-7 BM Granollers won 72–42 on aggregate.
| 1 February 2020 18:30 | HIB Handball Graz | 14–30 | HC Naisa Niš | ASVÖ Multisportive Hall, Graz Attendance: 121 Referees: Stokes, Bartlett (GBR) |
| 1 February 2020 18:30 | Albek 9 | (7–17) | Filipović 7 | ASVÖ Multisportive Hall, Graz Attendance: 121 Referees: Stokes, Bartlett (GBR) |
| 1 February 2020 18:30 | 1× 3× | Report | 2× 4× | ASVÖ Multisportive Hall, Graz Attendance: 121 Referees: Stokes, Bartlett (GBR) |
| 8 February 2020 18:30 | HC Naisa Niš | 30–24 | HIB Handball Graz | Čair Sports Center, Niš Attendance: 300 Referees: Fukala, Mohyla (CZE) |
| 8 February 2020 18:30 | Terzić 8 | (14–12) | Albek 9 | Čair Sports Center, Niš Attendance: 300 Referees: Fukala, Mohyla (CZE) |
| 8 February 2020 18:30 | 2× 4× | Report | 2× 2× | Čair Sports Center, Niš Attendance: 300 Referees: Fukala, Mohyla (CZE) |
HC Naisa Niš won 60–38 on aggregate.
| 1 February 2020 20:00 | JuRo Unirek VZV | 29–24 | SSV Brixen Südtirol | Sportcentrum VZV-Sporthal t Zijveld, CG 't Veld Attendance: 750 Referees: Cipov, Klus (SVK) |
| 1 February 2020 20:00 | Jimmink, Staal 5 | (15–14) | Tasić 6 | Sportcentrum VZV-Sporthal t Zijveld, CG 't Veld Attendance: 750 Referees: Cipov, Klus (SVK) |
| 1 February 2020 20:00 | 3× 6× | Report | 1× 4× | Sportcentrum VZV-Sporthal t Zijveld, CG 't Veld Attendance: 750 Referees: Cipov, Klus (SVK) |
| 8 February 2020 19:00 | SSV Brixen Südtirol | 20–26 | JuRo Unirek VZV | Sporthalle Sportzone Süd, Brixen Attendance: 1,000 Referees: Duplii, Pobedrina (UKR) |
| 8 February 2020 19:00 | Abfalterer 4 | (7-9) | Jimmink 7 | Sporthalle Sportzone Süd, Brixen Attendance: 1,000 Referees: Duplii, Pobedrina (UKR) |
| 8 February 2020 19:00 | 2× 3× | Report | 3× 7× | Sporthalle Sportzone Süd, Brixen Attendance: 1,000 Referees: Duplii, Pobedrina (UKR) |
JuRo Unirek VZV won 55–44 on aggregate.
| 31 January 2020 16:00 | ŽRK Bjelovar | 23–25 | Maccabi Rishon LeZion | Beit Maccabi Sport Centre, Rishon LeZion Attendance: 250 Referees: Antashev, Musatov (RUS) |
| 31 January 2020 16:00 | Mamić 7 | (12–12) | Levi 6 | Beit Maccabi Sport Centre, Rishon LeZion Attendance: 250 Referees: Antashev, Musatov (RUS) |
| 31 January 2020 16:00 | 1× 5× | Report | 3× 4× | Beit Maccabi Sport Centre, Rishon LeZion Attendance: 250 Referees: Antashev, Musatov (RUS) |
| 1 February 2020 16:00 | Maccabi Rishon LeZion | 21–33 | ŽRK Bjelovar | Beit Maccabi Sport Centre, Rishon LeZion Attendance: 200 Referees: Antashev, Musatov (RUS) |
| 1 February 2020 16:00 | Bertaut 6 | (9–19) | Mamić 13 | Beit Maccabi Sport Centre, Rishon LeZion Attendance: 200 Referees: Antashev, Musatov (RUS) |
| 1 February 2020 16:00 | 2× 7× | Report | 3× 6× | Beit Maccabi Sport Centre, Rishon LeZion Attendance: 200 Referees: Antashev, Musatov (RUS) |
ŽRK Bjelovar won 56–46 on aggregate.

## Quarterfinals

For the quarter-finals, there was no seeding as all eight teams will be drawn from the same pot one after another. There was also no country protection applied in the draw. The semi-final draw followed using the quarter-final pairings.

### Qualified teams

* Aula Alimentos de Valladolid
* ŽRK Bjelovar
* RK Lokomotiva Zagreb
* CS Madeira
* Mecalia Atlético Guardés
* HC Naisa Niš
* JuRo Unirek VZV
* KH-7 BM Granollers
The draw event was held at the EHF Office in Vienna on Tuesday 11 February 2020. The draw determined the quarter-final and also the semi-final pairings. Teams listed first will play the first leg at home.
The first legs were played on 29 February–1 March and the second legs were played on 7–8 March 2020.
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Aula Alimentos de Valladolid | 49–45 | Mecalia Atlético Guardés | 26–22 | 23–23 |
| CS Madeira | 40–60 | HC Naisa Niš | 19–33 | 21–27 |
| JuRo Unirek VZV | 56–61 | KH-7 BM Granollers | 26–25 | 30–36 |
| RK Lokomotiva Zagreb | 58–44 | ŽRK Bjelovar | 30–23 | 28–21 |

### Matches

| 1 March 2020 12:00 | Aula Alimentos de Valladolid | 26–22 | Mecalia Atlético Guardés | Polideportivo Huerta del Rey, Valladolid Attendance: 1,600 Referees: Kull, Tint (EST) |
| 1 March 2020 12:00 | three players 4 | (11–10) | Buforn 6 | Polideportivo Huerta del Rey, Valladolid Attendance: 1,600 Referees: Kull, Tint (EST) |
| 1 March 2020 12:00 | 1× 3× 1× | Report | 2× 2× | Polideportivo Huerta del Rey, Valladolid Attendance: 1,600 Referees: Kull, Tint (EST) |
| 8 March 2020 19:00 | Mecalia Atlético Guardés | 23–23 | Aula Alimentos de Valladolid | A Sangriña, Pontevedra Attendance: 550 Referees: Capoccia, Jucker (SUI) |
| 8 March 2020 19:00 | Campos 7 | (10–8) | Álvarez 8 | A Sangriña, Pontevedra Attendance: 550 Referees: Capoccia, Jucker (SUI) |
| 8 March 2020 19:00 | 4× 3× | Report | 2× 5× | A Sangriña, Pontevedra Attendance: 550 Referees: Capoccia, Jucker (SUI) |
Aula Alimentos de Valladolid won 49–45 on aggregate.
| 7 March 2020 18:00 | CS Madeira | 19–33 | HC Naisa Niš | Pavilhao Bartolomeu Perestrelo, Funchal Attendance: 500 Referees: Hannes, Hannes (GER) |
| 7 March 2020 18:00 | Freitas 6 | (7–14) | Milojević 8 | Pavilhao Bartolomeu Perestrelo, Funchal Attendance: 500 Referees: Hannes, Hannes (GER) |
| 7 March 2020 18:00 | 2× 4× | Report | 2× 6× | Pavilhao Bartolomeu Perestrelo, Funchal Attendance: 500 Referees: Hannes, Hannes (GER) |
| 8 March 2020 18:00 | HC Naisa Niš | 27–21 | CS Madeira | Pavilhao Bartolomeu Perestrelo, Funchal Attendance: 400 Referees: Hannes, Hannes (GER) |
| 8 March 2020 18:00 | Terzić 6 | (14–13) | Leça 6 | Pavilhao Bartolomeu Perestrelo, Funchal Attendance: 400 Referees: Hannes, Hannes (GER) |
| 8 March 2020 18:00 | 3× 4× | Report | 2× 5× | Pavilhao Bartolomeu Perestrelo, Funchal Attendance: 400 Referees: Hannes, Hannes (GER) |
HC Naisa Niš won 60–40 on aggregate.
| 29 February 2020 20:00 | JuRo Unirek VZV | 26–25 | KH-7 BM Granollers | Sportcentrum VZV-Sporthal t Zijveld, CG 't Veld Attendance: 750 Referees: Jaškins, Žabko (LAT) |
| 29 February 2020 20:00 | Kolken 8 | (12–16) | Vegué 7 | Sportcentrum VZV-Sporthal t Zijveld, CG 't Veld Attendance: 750 Referees: Jaškins, Žabko (LAT) |
| 29 February 2020 20:00 | 2× 2× | Report | 1× 2× | Sportcentrum VZV-Sporthal t Zijveld, CG 't Veld Attendance: 750 Referees: Jaškins, Žabko (LAT) |
| 8 March 2020 12:30 | KH-7 BM Granollers | 36–30 | JuRo Unirek VZV | Palau d'Esports de Granollers, Granollers Attendance: 2,500 Referees: Nygaard, Pedersen (DEN) |
| 8 March 2020 12:30 | Vegué 9 | (18–14) | Trabelsi 7 | Palau d'Esports de Granollers, Granollers Attendance: 2,500 Referees: Nygaard, Pedersen (DEN) |
| 8 March 2020 12:30 | 1× | Report | 1× 1× | Palau d'Esports de Granollers, Granollers Attendance: 2,500 Referees: Nygaard, Pedersen (DEN) |
KH-7 BM Granollers won 61–56 on aggregate.
| 29 February 2020 18:30 | RK Lokomotiva Zagreb | 30–23 | ŽRK Bjelovar | Športska dvorana Trešnjevka, Zagreb Attendance: 1,000 Referees: Hofer, Schmidhuber (AUT) |
| 29 February 2020 18:30 | Prkačin 8 | (17–12) | Borković 6 | Športska dvorana Trešnjevka, Zagreb Attendance: 1,000 Referees: Hofer, Schmidhuber (AUT) |
| 29 February 2020 18:30 | 1× 2× | Report | 2× 1× | Športska dvorana Trešnjevka, Zagreb Attendance: 1,000 Referees: Hofer, Schmidhuber (AUT) |
| 7 March 2020 19:00 | ŽRK Bjelovar | 21–28 | RK Lokomotiva Zagreb | Dvorana Europskih Prvaka, Bjelovar Attendance: 1,000 Referees: Butskevich, Butskevich (BLR) |
| 7 March 2020 19:00 | Borković 7 | (9–15) | Posavec 7 | Dvorana Europskih Prvaka, Bjelovar Attendance: 1,000 Referees: Butskevich, Butskevich (BLR) |
| 7 March 2020 19:00 | 3× 6× 1× | Report | 1× 4× | Dvorana Europskih Prvaka, Bjelovar Attendance: 1,000 Referees: Butskevich, Butskevich (BLR) |
RK Lokomotiva Zagreb won 58–44 on aggregate.

## Final four

The first legs were scheduled to 4–5 April and the second legs were scheduled to 11–12 April 2020, but the European Handball Federation announced on 13 March 2020, that the Semi-final matches will not be held as scheduled due to the ongoing developments in the spread of COVID-19 across Europe. On 25 March, the EHF announced that no matches will be played before June due to the coronavirus pandemic and Women's Challenge Cup is foreseen to be played in an EHF FINAL4 format in one venue over two playing days. On 24 April 2020 the matches were cancelled.

### Bracket

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| | | Third place | Third place |

### Semifinals

| RK Lokomotiva Zagreb | Cancelled | HC Naisa Niš |
| Aula Alimentos de Valladolid | Cancelled | KH-7 BM Granollers |

### Third place game

| LSF1 | Cancelled | LSF2 |

### Final

| WSF1 | Cancelled | WSF2 |

## Top goalscorers

    As of 8 March 2020
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Ona Vegué | KH-7 BM Granollers | 30 |
| 2 | Stela Posavec | RK Lokomotiva Zagreb | 28 |
| 3 | Carmen Campos | Mecalia Atlético Guardés | 24 |