# 2019–20 Women's EHF Champions League

The 2019–20 Women's EHF Champions League was the 27th edition of the Women's EHF Champions League, the competition for top women's clubs of Europe, organized and supervised by the European Handball Federation.
Győri Audi ETO KC were the defending champions.
Because of the Coronavirus pandemic, the quarterfinals matches which normally start in early April, were postponed to mid-June, then moved to September and were later cancelled. The final four was first moved from May to September and later cancelled.

## Format

16 teams were participating in the competition, divided in four groups who played in a round robin, home and away format. The top three teams in each group qualified for the main round.

### Main round

The 12 qualified teams were divided in two groups who played in a round robin, home and away format. The points and the goal difference gained against the qualified teams in the first round were carried over. The top four teams in each group qualified for the quarterfinals.

### Knockout stage

After the quarterfinals, the culmination of the season, the Women's EHF Final four, would continue in its existing format, with the four top teams from the competition competing for the title.

## Team allocation

16 national champions applied for the 27th season based on the EHF ranking list, while further eight teams eligible to play in the Women's EHF Cup have requested an upgrade for the EHF Champions League. Registration of clubs does not equal participation, and the final list of all participants was confirmed by the EHF Executive Committee on Friday 21 June. 15 teams are directly qualified for the group stage.
Group stage :
| Győri Audi ETO KC | ŽRK Budućnost | Rostov-Don | Metz Handball |
| Team Esbjerg | Vipers Kristiansand | SG BBM Bietigheim | Krim Merkator |
| IK Sävehof | MKS Perła Lublin | Podravka Vegeta | SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea |
| FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria | CSM București | Brest Bretagne Handball | Qualifier |
| Qualification tournament ||||
| Rocasa Gran Canaria | ŽORK Jagodina | DHK Baník Most | Kastamonu GSK |

## Round and draw dates

The hosting rights for the qualification tournament were drawn on 26 June 2019 and the group stage draw on 27 June 2019 in Vienna, Austria.
| Phase | Draw date |
| Qualification tournaments | 26 June 2019 |
| Group stage | 27 June 2019 |
| Knockout stage | 27 June 2019 |
| Final Four (Budapest) | Cancelled |

## Qualification stage

The four teams played a semifinal and final to determine the last participant for the group stage. The hosting rights for the qualification tournament were drawn on 26 June 2019. The winner of the qualification tournament advanced to the group stage.

### Qualification tournament

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| 7 September | 7 September |
| Rocasa Gran Canaria | 21 |
| Rocasa Gran Canaria | 21 | 8 September | 8 September |
| DHK Baník Most | 28 | 8 September | 8 September |
| DHK Baník Most | 28 | DHK Baník Most | 35 |
| 7 September | 7 September | | DHK Baník Most | 35 |
| 7 September | 7 September | Kastamonu GSK | 33 |
| Kastamonu GSK | 31 | Kastamonu GSK | 33 |
| ŽORK Jagodina | 15 | | |
| ŽORK Jagodina | 15 | Third place | Third place |
| | | 8 September | 8 September |
| | | Rocasa Gran Canaria | 28 |
| | | ŽORK Jagodina | 15 |

## Group stage

The draw was held on 27 June 2019. In each group, teams played against each other in a double round-robin format, with home and away matches. The top three teams advanced to the main round.
* Tiebreakers
* In the group stage, teams are ranked according to points (2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). 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:
* Highest number of points in matches between the teams directly involved;
* Superior goal difference in matches between the teams directly involved;
* Highest number of goals scored in matches between the teams directly involved (or in the away match in case of a two-team tie);
* Superior goal difference in all matches of the group;
* 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

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | MET | VIP | FER | POD |
| 1 | Metz Handball | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 194 | 158 | +36 | 10 | Main round | — | 26–17 | 24–24 | 40–26 |
| 2 | Vipers Kristiansand | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 178 | 168 | +10 | 7 | Main round | 38–38 | — | 31–22 | 34–28 |
| 3 | FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 167 | 180 | −13 | 5 | Main round | 28–34 | 29–34 | — | 37–31 |
| 4 | Podravka Vegeta | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 161 | 194 | −33 | 2 | EHF Cup | 25–32 | 25–24 | 26–27 | — |

### Group B

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | ROS | ESB | BUC | LUB |
| 1 | Rostov-Don | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 167 | 143 | +24 | 9 | Main round | — | 34–26 | 23–22 | 31–21 |
| 2 | Team Esbjerg | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 167 | 149 | +18 | 8 | Main round | 31–26 | — | 22–24 | 35–22 |
| 3 | CSM București | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 153 | 131 | +22 | 7 | Main round | 23–23 | 21–25 | — | 35–19 |
| 4 | MKS Perła Lublin | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 123 | 187 | −64 | 0 | EHF Cup | 20–30 | 22–28 | 19–23 | — |

### Group C

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | BRE | BUD | VAL | BIE |
| 1 | Brest Bretagne Handball | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 201 | 169 | +32 | 12 | Main round | — | 32–28 | 37–24 | 36–30 |
| 2 | Budućnost | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 168 | 157 | +11 | 8 | Main round | 32–35 | — | 23–19 | 34–28 |
| 3 | SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 148 | 165 | −17 | 2 | Main round | 23–26 | 20–21 | — | 34–27 |
| 4 | SG BBM Bietigheim | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 171 | 197 | −26 | 2 | EHF Cup | 32–35 | 23–30 | 31–28 | — |
* 1 2 SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea 65–58 SG BBM Bietigheim

### Group D

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | GYO | SAV | KRI | BAN |
| 1 | Győri Audi ETO KC | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 216 | 147 | +69 | 12 | Main round | — | 35–23 | 31–26 | 35–29 |
| 2 | IK Sävehof | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 148 | 166 | −18 | 5 | Main round | 27–36 | — | 21–25 | 24–19 |
| 3 | Krim Mercator | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 158 | 170 | −12 | 4 | Main round | 21–33 | 26–28 | — | 29–31 |
| 4 | DHK Baník Most | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 151 | 190 | −39 | 3 | EHF Cup | 21–46 | 25–25 | 26–31 | — |

## Main round

In each group, teams played against each other in a double round-robin format, with home and away matches. Points against teams from the same group were carried over.

### Group 1

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | MET | ESB | ROS | BUC | VIP | FER |
| 1 | Metz Handball | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 289 | 270 | +19 | 13 | Quarterfinals | — | 31–31 | 23–20 | 28–26 | 26–17 | 24–24 |
| 2 | Team Esbjerg | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 289 | 279 | +10 | 13 | Quarterfinals | 30–29 | — | 31–26 | 22–24 | 33–30 | 29–27 |
| 3 | Rostov-Don | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 279 | 266 | +13 | 13 | Quarterfinals | 24–29 | 34–26 | — | 23–22 | 33–26 | 29–26 |
| 4 | CSM București | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 251 | 250 | +1 | 11 | Quarterfinals | 32–27 | 21–25 | 23–23 | — | 28–22 | 27–24 |
| 5 | Vipers Kristiansand | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 281 | 303 | −22 | 5 | | 38–38 | 31–35 | 29–32 | 23–25 | — | 31–22 |
| 6 | FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 270 | 291 | −21 | 5 | | 28–34 | 26–25 | 31–35 | 33–23 | 29–34 | — |
* 1 2 3 Metz Handball 5 Pts, +7 GD; Team Esbjerg 5 Pts, −2 GD; Rostov-Don 2 Pts, −5 GD
* 1 2 Vipers Kristiansand 65–51 FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria

### Group 2

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | GYO | BRE | BUD | VAL | KRI | SAV |
| 1 | Győri Audi ETO KC | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 309 | 252 | +57 | 19 | Quarterfinals | — | 27–27 | 26–24 | 35–29 | 31–26 | 35–23 |
| 2 | Brest Bretagne Handball | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 311 | 253 | +58 | 17 | Quarterfinals | 28–29 | — | 32–28 | 37–24 | 37–26 | 31–22 |
| 3 | Budućnost | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 271 | 266 | +5 | 10 | Quarterfinals | 27–28 | 32–35 | — | 23–19 | 30–28 | 30–25 |
| 4 | SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 245 | 252 | −7 | 7 | Quarterfinals | 20–29 | 23–26 | 20–21 | — | 31–16 | 28–20 |
| 5 | Krim Mercator | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 250 | 291 | −41 | 5 | | 21–33 | 25–29 | 29–23 | 28–28 | — | 26–28 |
| 6 | IK Sävehof | 10 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 224 | 296 | −72 | 2 | | 27–36 | 17–29 | 24–33 | 17–23 | 21–25 | — |

## Knockout stage

On 26 June 2020, EHF announced that the knockout stage, including the quarterfinals and the Final 4 were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

### Quarterfinals

The European Handball Federation announced on 13 March 2020 that the quarter-finals matches will not be held as scheduled due to the ongoing developments in the spread of COVID-19 across Europe. The matches were rescheduled on 25 March. The matches were cancelled on 24 April 2020.
| Team 1 | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea | Metz Handball | Cancelled | Cancelled |
| CSM București | Győri Audi ETO KC | Cancelled | Cancelled |
| Budućnost | Team Esbjerg | Cancelled | Cancelled |
| Rostov-Don | Brest Bretagne Handball | Cancelled | Cancelled |

## Awards and statistics
### All-Star Team

The all-star team and awards were announced on 5 June 2020.
* Goalkeeper: Amandine Leynaud (FRA) (Győri Audi ETO KC)
* Right wing: Jovanka Radičević (MNE) (Budućnost)
* Right back: Anna Vyakhireva (RUS) (Rostov-Don)
* Centre back: Stine Bredal Oftedal (NOR) (Győri Audi ETO KC)
* Left back: Cristina Neagu (ROU) (CSM București)
* Left wing: Sanna Solberg-Isaksen (NOR) (Team Esbjerg)
* Pivot: Asma Elghaoui (HUN) (SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea)

### Other awards

* Best coach: Emmanuel Mayonnade (FRA) (Metz Handball)
* Best young player: Noémi Háfra (HUN) (FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria)
* Best defence player: Eduarda Amorim (BRA) (Győri Audi ETO KC)

### Top goalscorers

| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Jovanka Radičević | Budućnost | 97 |
| 2 | Katrin Klujber | FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria | 84 |
| 3 | Ana Gros | Brest Bretagne Handball | 78 |
| 4 | Estavana Polman | Team Esbjerg | 74 |
| 5 | Cristina Neagu | CSM București | 72 |
| 6 | Alja Varagić | Krim Mercator | 62 |
| 7 | Sonja Frey | Team Esbjerg | 61 |
| 8 | Stine Bredal Oftedal | Győri Audi ETO KC | 58 |
| 9 | Anna Vyakhireva | Rostov-Don | 57 |
| 10 | Yulia Managarova | Rostov-Don | 56 |