The group phase of the 2025/26 season of the EHF European League Women will throw off this weekend, with 16 teams ready to do battle for the coveted trophy, including the reigning champions Thüringer HC.

Only one team in the history of the second-tier club competition, Hungarian side Debrecen in 1995 and 1996, has secured back-to-back titles, therefore Thüringer’s challenge will certainly be a difficult one, especially due to the well-balanced nature of the competition.

Teams from eight countries will be ready to stake their claim to the trophy, with Romania and Germany each having three teams each, while Hungary, Norway, France and Denmark have two competitors between the 16-team line-up. Croatia and Poland have one team each.

There are plenty of powerhouses at the start, including Larvik HK, the Norwegian side which is currently coached by Henrik Signell, the head coach of the Netherlands women’s senior team, a side which made the semi-finals at the 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship and finished fourth.

Group A certainly looks the most balanced one in the competition, with Larvik joined by the reigning champions, Thüringer HC, as well as Hungarian side Motherson Mosonmagyarovari KC and CS Minaur Baia Mare, which made the Final Four in two consecutive seasons – 2020/21 and 2021/22.

Group D also looks to be well-balanced, with the joint most decorated team in the history of the competition, Viborg HK, returning between the top teams in Europe. They will be facing Romanian side CSM Corona Brașov, which finished second in the domestic league last season, Polish side KGHM MKS Zaglebie Lubin and French team JDA Bourgogne Dijon Handball, with the latter team finishing third last season after qualifying for the Final Four.

In Group C, German side VfL Oldenburg are due to face a hefty challenge against HC Lokomotiva Zagreb, Norwegian side Tertnes Bergen and Romanian side CS Rapid București, which has stalwarts like Dutch centre back Estavana Polman and Angolan line player Albertina Kassoma in the roster.

Group B will also be a tight affair, with another Final Four participant, HSG Blomberg-Lippe facing Chambray Touraine Handball, Nykøbing Falster Håndbold and Hungarian side MOL Esztergom.

The group phase will see each team play against the others twice, with the top two teams qualifying for the quarter-finals, which will be played in a home-and-away system on 21-22 March and on 28-29 March.

The four qualified teams will feature in the EHF Finals Women, which are scheduled for 16 and 17 May.

Since the rebrand of the competition in the 2020/21 season, the titles have been won by French side Nantes (2020/21), German side SG BBM Bietigheim (2021/22), Danish team Ikast Handbold (2022/23), Norwegian team Storhamar Elite Handball (2023/24) and Thüringer HC in the previous edition.

EHF European League Women 2025/26 - group phase

Group A: Motherson Mosonmagyarovari KC (HUN), Thüringer HC (GER), CS Minaur Baia Mare (ROU), Larvik HK (NOR)
Group B: HSG Blomberg-Lippe (GER), Chambray Touraine Handball (FRA), Nykøbing Falster Håndbold (DEN), MOL Esztergom (HUN)
Group C: VfL Oldenburg (GER), HC Lokomotiva Zagreb (CRO), CS Rapid București (ROU), Tertnes Bergen (NOR)
Group D: Viborg HK (DEN), KGHM MKS Zaglebie Lubin (POL), CSM Corona Brașov (ROU), JDA Bourgogne Dijon Handball (FRA)

Photo credit: EHF / kolektiff / Anze Malovrh