# 2023–24 Women's EHF Champions League

The 2023–24 Women's EHF Champions League was the 31st edition of Europe's premier club handball tournament, running from 9 September 2023 to 2 June 2024.
Vipers Kristiansand were the defending champions but were eliminated by Győri Audi ETO KC in the quarterfinals. Győri Audi ETO KC went on to win their sixth title with a finals win over SG BBM Bietigheim.

## Format

The tournament used the same format as the previous three seasons. The competition began with a group stage featuring sixteen teams divided into two groups. Matches were played in a double round-robin system with home-and-away fixtures, fourteen in total for each team. In Groups A and B, the top two teams automatically qualified for the quarter-finals, with teams ranked 3rd to 6th entered the playoff round.
The knockout stage included four rounds: the playoffs, quarter-finals, and a final-four tournament comprising two semifinals and the final. In the playoffs, eight teams were paired against each other in two-legged home-and-away matches (third-placed in group A plays sixth-placed group B; fourth-placed group A plays fifth-placed group B, etc.). The four aggregate winners of the playoffs advanced to the quarterfinals, joining the top-two teams of Groups A and B. The eight quarterfinalist teams were paired against each other in two-legged home-and-away matches, with the four aggregate winners qualifying to the final-four tournament.
In the final four tournament, the semifinals and the final were played as single matches at a pre-selected host venue.

## Rankings

This season, the EHF decided to make separate rankings for each club competition. The rankings are based on the performances from the three most recent seasons.
* Associations 1–9 had their league champion qualify for the Group Stage and apply up to two wildcards.
* The Association that won the past season's Women's EHF European League had their league champion and runner up qualified for the Group Stage and applied for one wildcard.
* Associations below the top 9 had their league champion apply for a wildcard.
| Rank | Association | Average points | Teams |
| 1 | Norway | 185.67 | 1 |
| 2 | Hungary | 172.33 | 3 |
| 3 | France | 168.33 | 2 |
| 4 | Russia | 139.00 | 0 |
| 5 | Denmark | 127.00 | 3 |
| 6 | Romania | 124.00 | 2 |
| 7 | Montenegro | 95.00 | 1 |
| 8 | Slovenia | 84.67 | 1 |
| 9 | Germany | 64.67 | 1 |
| Rank | Association | Average points | Teams |
| 10 | Sweden | 53.50 | 1 |
| 11 | Czech Republic | 49.00 | 0 |
| 12 | Croatia | 48.00 | 0 |
| 13 | Poland | 46.00 | 1 |
| 14 | Turkey | 22.00 | 0 |
| 15 | Spain | 18.00 | 0 |
| 16 | Serbia | 16.00 | 0 |
| 17 | Everyone else | 0.00 | 0 |

## Teams

21 teams applied for a place, with nine having a fixed place. For the first time ever, countries were allowed to apply two clubs for a wildcard. The final list was announced in June 20 2023, which included Hungary and Denmark having three participating teams for the first time.
The fixed place for Russia was vacant since the country and its clubs were not admitted to participate in the EHF competitions due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Participating teams :
| Team Esbjerg (1st) | Győri Audi ETO KC (1st) | Metz Handball (1st) | CSM București (1st) |
| Odense Håndbold (2nd) | FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria (2nd) $^{WC}$ | Brest Bretagne Handball (2nd) $^{WC}$ | CS Rapid București (2nd) $^{WC}$ |
| Ikast Håndbold (3rd) $^{WC}$ | DVSC Schaeffler (3rd) $^{WC}$ | RK Krim Mercator (1st) | MKS Zagłębie Lubin (1st) $^{WC}$ |
| Vipers Kristiansand (1st) | IK Sävehof (1st) $^{WC}$ | SG BBM Bietigheim (1st) | WHC Budućnost BEMAX (1st) |
* $^{WC}$ Accepted wildcards
Wildcard rejection :
| RK Lokomotiva Zagreb (1st) | Neptunes de Nantes (3rd) | Storhamar HE (2nd) | Sola HK (3rd) |
| Kastamonu Bld. GSK (1st) | | | |

## Draw

The draw took place on 27 June 2023.

## Group stage

The 16 teams were drawn into 2 groups of eight. In regards to Hungary and Denmark, who have three clubs in the Group Stage, a maximum of two clubs from those countries could be drawn into the same group.
In the group stage, teams were 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 was 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;
* Superior goal difference in all matches of the group;
* Highest number of plus goals in all matches of the group;
* Drawing of Lots
This season, ten national associations were present. For the first time since the 2019–20 season, Poland had a representative, while Sweden returned after a one season absence.

### Group A

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | GYO | ODE | BRE | BUC | DEB | BIE | BUD | SÄV |
| 1 | Győri Audi ETO KC | 14 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 432 | 356 | +76 | 23 | Quarterfinals | — | 32–29 | 32–32 | 24–26 | 35–23 | 31–29 | 37–19 | 39–20 |
| 2 | Odense Håndbold | 14 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 461 | 359 | +102 | 21 | Quarterfinals | 30–31 | — | 29–29 | 29–25 | 33–30 | 42–29 | 39–24 | 40–22 |
| 3 | Brest Bretagne Handball | 14 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 399 | 367 | +32 | 17 | Playoffs | 23–24 | 25–26 | — | 24–21 | 38–28 | 37–30 | 20–20 | 28–23 |
| 4 | CSM București | 14 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 414 | 366 | +48 | 17 | Playoffs | 23–27 | 28–24 | 28–30 | — | 29–29 | 31–28 | 44–26 | 35–26 |
| 5 | DVSC Schaeffler | 14 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 394 | 414 | −20 | 15 | Playoffs | 29–28 | 22–35 | 31–24 | 23–30 | — | 26–36 | 27–22 | 32–29 |
| 6 | SG BBM Bietigheim | 14 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 414 | 402 | +12 | 14 | Playoffs | 26–34 | 25–28 | 34–30 | 26–24 | 27–31 | — | 34–16 | 30–21 |
| 7 | WHC Budućnost BEMAX | 14 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 311 | 433 | −122 | 5 | | 21–29 | 17–33 | 21–34 | 24–29 | 21–27 | 22–27 | — | 31–30 |
| 8 | IK Sävehof | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 342 | 470 | −128 | 0 | | 26–29 | 20–22 | 20–25 | 26–41 | 27–36 | 29–33 | 23–27 | — |
* 1 2 Brest 54–49 București

### Group B

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | MET | ESB | IKA | VIP | KRI | FER | BUC | LUB |
| 1 | Metz Handball | 14 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 470 | 402 | +68 | 22 | Quarterfinals | — | 36–31 | 36–39 | 31–29 | 40–31 | 25–24 | 33–22 | 42–26 |
| 2 | Team Esbjerg | 14 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 449 | 412 | +37 | 22 | Quarterfinals | 29–27 | — | 37–34 | 32–37 | 29–21 | 27–23 | 30–28 | 32–26 |
| 3 | Ikast Håndbold | 14 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 476 | 435 | +41 | 21 | Playoffs | 35–34 | 34–35 | — | 30–26 | 33–32 | 28–28 | 30–29 | 41–29 |
| 4 | Vipers Kristiansand | 14 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 445 | 403 | +42 | 15 | Playoffs | 34–36 | 37–38 | 31–32 | — | 29–23 | 37–26 | 35–30 | 28–24 |
| 5 | RK Krim Mercator | 14 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 389 | 384 | +5 | 13 | Playoffs | 22–28 | 33–27 | 28–34 | 24–24 | — | 32–26 | 25–24 | 32–19 |
| 6 | FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria | 14 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 387 | 408 | −21 | 10 | Playoffs | 25–38 | 28–33 | 37–36 | 27–35 | 26–28 | — | 24–24 | 35–22 |
| 7 | CS Rapid București | 14 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 366 | 399 | −33 | 9 | | 31–34 | 24–33 | 27–35 | 30–29 | 27–22 | 20–23 | — | 26–25 |
| 8 | MKS Zagłębie Lubin | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 327 | 466 | −139 | 0 | | 24–30 | 24–36 | 26–35 | 20–34 | 18–36 | 23–35 | 21–24 | — |
* 1 2 Metz 63–60 Esbjerg

## Knockout stage
### Playoffs

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria | 59–56 | Brest Bretagne Handball | 28–30 | 31–26 |
| SG BBM Bietigheim | 60–58 | Ikast Håndbold | 29–27 | 31–31 |
| RK Krim Mercator | 48–60 | CSM București | 24–30 | 24–30 |
| DVSC Schaeffler | 55–56 | Vipers Kristiansand | 28–29 | 27–27 |

### Quarterfinals

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Vipers Kristiansand | 49–54 | Győri Audi ETO KC | 23–30 | 26–24 |
| CSM București | 47–56 | Metz Handball | 24–27 | 23–29 |
| SG BBM Bietigheim | 60–58 | Odense Håndbold | 30–26 | 30–32 |
| FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria | 49–55 | Team Esbjerg | 25–26 | 24–29 |

### Final four

The final four was held at the MVM Dome in Budapest, Hungary on 1 and 2 June 2024.

#### Bracket

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| 1 June | 1 June |
| Team Esbjerg | 23 |
| Team Esbjerg | 23 | 2 June | 2 June |
| Győri Audi ETO KC | 24 | 2 June | 2 June |
| Győri Audi ETO KC | 24 | Győri Audi ETO KC | 30 |
| 1 June | 1 June | | Győri Audi ETO KC | 30 |
| 1 June | 1 June | SG BBM Bietigheim | 24 |
| Metz Handball | 29 | SG BBM Bietigheim | 24 |
| SG BBM Bietigheim | 36 | | |
| SG BBM Bietigheim | 36 | Third place | Third place |
| | | 2 June | 2 June |
| | | Team Esbjerg | 37 |
| | | Metz Handball | 33 |

#### Final

| 2 June 2024 18:00 | Győri Audi ETO KC | 30–24 | SG BBM Bietigheim | MVM Dome, Budapest Attendance: 18,500 Referees: Lovin, Stancu (ROU) |
| 2 June 2024 18:00 | Brattset Dale, Gros 6 | (17–12) | Hvenfelt 5 | MVM Dome, Budapest Attendance: 18,500 Referees: Lovin, Stancu (ROU) |
| 2 June 2024 18:00 | 2× 5× | Report | 2× 2× | MVM Dome, Budapest Attendance: 18,500 Referees: Lovin, Stancu (ROU) |

## Top goalscorers

| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Anna Vyakhireva | Vipers Kristiansand | 113 |
| 2 | Nora Mørk | Team Esbjerg | 110 |
| 3 | Sarah Bouktit | Metz Handball | 107 |
| 3 | Henny Reistad | Team Esbjerg | 107 |
| 5 | Cristina Neagu | CSM București | 103 |
| 6 | Valeriia Maslova | Brest Bretagne Handball | 101 |
| 7 | Markéta Jeřábková | Ikast Håndbold | 100 |
| 7 | Kristina Jørgensen | Metz Handball | 100 |
| 7 | Katrin Klujber | FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria | 100 |
| 10 | Chloé Valentini | Metz Handball | 97 |