11,276 goals so far, 1 FINAL4 debutant and 11 multiple winners in Cologne

Exactly 200 matches since the start of the qualification – more than ever – have been played in the VELUX EHF Champions League so far – and the last four will decide everything in Cologne on 28/29 May, which team will follow the now dethroned champions FC Barcelona Lassa.

Here are the most important facts and figures on the 2015/16 season of the competition, prior to the VELUX EHF FINAL4 draw.

The draw for this pinnacle event will be staged in Cologne on Tuesday, 12:00 hrs, streamed live on ehfTV.com.

0 teams have defended their title since the implementation of the VELUX EHF FINAL4 in Cologne in the 2009/10 season, and this story will continue as Barcelona had been eliminated by Kiel in the quarter-finals.

0 teams won both legs of the quarter-finals.

0 Spanish teams in the VELUX EHF FINAL4 for the first time.

1 team will have their debut in Cologne: Paris Saint Germain qualified for the first time for this pinnacle event, after the French champions were eliminated twice in a row by Veszprem in the 2014 and 2015 quarter-finals.

1 former EHF Champions League winner only has made it to Cologne: THW Kiel (2007, 2010, 2012). So the mathematical chances for a maiden winner are at 75 per cent.

1 nation makes its debut at the VELUX EHF FINAL4: Dener Jaanimaa (Kiel) is the first ever Estonian to come so far in the Champions League.

1 player can defend his personal title won in 2015: Nikola Karabatic. PSG’s top scorer led FC Barcelona to the trophy one year ago and even was awarded MVP of the 2015 VELUX EHF FINAL4.

1 coach has won the EHF Champions League with two different clubs so far: Alfred Gislason (2002 with SC Magdeburg, 2010 and 2012 with Kiel). If Kielce take the trophy in 2016, Talant Dujshebaev would be the second in history.

1 Croat will win the trophy in Cologne, as in every team at least one player comes from Croatia. Vori (PSG), Brozovic, Duvnjak (both Kiel), Buntic, Cupic, Sego, Strlek (all Kielce) Alilovic, Sliskovic and Sulic (all Veszprem) are on court.

1 man has won the EHF Champions League as a player (1994 with Santander) and as a coach (2006, 2008, 2009 with Ciudad Real): again Talant Dujshebaev.

1 pair of brothers fight for the trophy in Cololgne: Nikola and Luka Karabatic.

1 pair of brothers will fight for two different EHF trophies in May: Joan Canellas is part of the THW Kiel squad at the VELUX EHF FINAL4 in Cologne, Marc Canellas has qualified with Fraikin Granollers for the EHF Cup Finals at Nantes.

1 Icelandic coach – at least – had been involved in all six VELUX EHF FINAL4 so far: Besides Alfred Gislason (now sixth times with Kiel) it were Dagur Sigurdsson with Füchse Berlin (2012) and Gudmundur Gudmundsson with Rhein-Neckar Löwen (2011).

1 team turned a draw in the first quarter-final leg in a ticket to Cologne – Kielce against Flensburg. Veszprem tied in the second leg against Vardar like PSG against Zagreb.

2 Spanish coaches are part of the FINAL4 though no Spanish team made it to Cologne: Javier Sabate (Veszprem) and Talant Dujshebaev (Kielce). Two more Spanish coaches (Xavi Pascual/Barcelona and Raul Gonzalez/Vardar) had been eliminated in the quarter-finals, two more (Juan Carlos Pastor/Szeged and Manuel Cadenas/Plock) in the Last 16.

2 players of the FINAL4 participants have scored more than 100 goals so far – the same as last season: Mikkel Hansen (PSG/121) and Momir Ilc (Veszprem/105). Besides, Kiril Lazarov (Barcelona, 109) and Dean Bombac (Szeged, 101) have netted in more than 100 times.

3 former or current top scorers of the EHF Champions League are on court in Cologne: Nikola Karabatic (2006/07 – 89 goals for Kiel) Mikkel Hansen (2011/12 – 98 goals for Kobenhavn) and Momir Ilic (2013/14 – 103 goals for Veszprem, 2014/15 – 114 goals for Veszprem). 
 3 straight times Veszprem made it to Cologne, while Kielce are part of the event for the third time too.

3 times the defending Champions League champions had been eliminated in the quarter-finals now: Kiel (2011) and Barcelona (2012 and 2016).

3 of the four VELUX EHF FINAL4 2016 participants had been part of the …

continue reading in source www.eurohandball.com